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by Elizabeth Mundinger
On Dec. 11, the U.S. Senate passed the Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act (S. 793). Sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the legislation would expand and intensify programs that monitor traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases, conduct research into treatment techniques, and provide states with federal funding for TBI treatment. The House of Representatives is expected to consider similar legislation early this year.
The bill seeks to improve efforts to track the incidence of TBI, report national trends, identify interventions used to prevent the development of secondary neurologic conditions, and develop practice guidelines for TBI rehabilitation. It also requires a study of veterans with TBI returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in order to improve treatment, rehabilitation, and services to help reintegrate these veterans back into their communities after they leave the hospital.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions reports a strong need for this legislation. According to the committee's report, "Most rehabilitation programs are designed for people with physical disabilities, not cognitive disabilities that require special accommodations. Finding needed services is typically a logistical, financial, and psychological challenge for family members and other caregivers, because few coordinated systems of care exist for individuals with TBI...More work needs to be done at both the national and state level to build an effective, durable service system for meeting the needs of individuals with TBI and their families."
Elizabeth Mundinger is former director of federal and political advocacy.
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