Evan Bayh: “I wish to speak to legislation to fight a discrepancy in access to care that prevents hundreds of our Nation's heroes…”

“I wish to speak to legislation to fight a discrepancy in access to care that prevents hundreds of our Nation's heroes from receiving the best possible care for traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury has been identified as the ``signature injury'' afflicting armed servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. After sacrificing so much, we have a moral obligation to ensure that these men and women receive the best care available to them. Unfortunately, administrative and medical capacity problems have prevented many of our heroes from receiving the care they desperately need and deserve. There is an immediate solution to address this. The Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, has made clear progress in research and development of rehabilitation treatment for individuals who have incurred traumatic brain injuries. However, VA medical facilities have not yet reached the level of private rehabilitation facilities, which have been developing cognitive treatment for the past 30 years. While VA medical centers offer excellent services, there are barriers to receiving the optimal health care options. These include a confusing array of benefits, overworked and undertrained case managers, and, most importantly, a discrepancy between benefits for those on active duty versus those who are medically retired.”