Some of the documents on this page are in Acrobat PDF format. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free by clicking on the Reader icon . Public Policy Priorities for 2008 BIAA Press Release: FY09 Budget (pdf) Brain Injury Association of America Condemns President’s Fiscal 2009 Budget. BIAA VA Regs Comment Letter (pdf) Comments from the Brain Injury Association of America on RIN 2900-AM75-“Schedule for Rating Disabilities; Evaluation of Residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).”   Public Policy Priorities for 2006-2007 Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act On October 1, 2007, the Senate passed its version of the defense authorization bill, including the text of the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, which contains critically important provisions to improve TBI care for returning service members.  The House of Representatives passed its defense authorization bill, which does not contain these critical TBI provisions, in May.  Conferees have now been appointed, as the House and Senate will work in conference to produce a final version of the legislation to send to President Bush. BIAA has been actively lobbying to urge conferees to retain the Senate’s Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act provisions in the final defense authorization conference report, and has recently issued an Action Alert urging swift consideration of the defense authorization bill by the House and Senate.” Letter to Congressional Leaders Urging Swift Consideration of the Defense Authorization Bill. (Word) CBITF Letter (PDF) TBI Provisions in the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act (Word) Medicaid Rehabilitative Services Option The Brain Injury Association of America has submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) expressing opposition to the recent Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that would cut an $2.2 billion from Medicaid over five years by restricting access to services provided under the Medicaid Rehabilitative Services Option.  The Medicaid Rehabilitative Services Option is used to support community-based rehabilitation services and is a valuable mechanism for helping many individuals with traumatic brain injury regain and/or maintain their maximum level of independent function. BIAA Comments on the Medicaid Rehabilitative Services Option Heroes at Home Legislation On March 29, 2007 Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) introduced the Heroes At Home Act of 2007, a series of initiatives to improve services and support for Armed Forces personnel with TBI and their families.  Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is an original co-sponsor. BIAA Honorary Spokesperson Lee Woodruff and President/CEO Susan Connors were among the invited speakers at the press event. Together they emphasized the need for public/private cooperation in the provision of post-acute care and called for increased family caregiver training and support. To view the press release conference, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKbHwJFJd0w   BIAA proudly endorses the Heroes at Home Act of 2007 as a critical step forward in meeting needs of service members with TBI.  The bill contains two key provisions of interest to BIAA: Implementation of an objective, computer-based assessment protocol to measure cognitive functioning both prior to and after deployment in order to improve the screening process for TBI in soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Establishment of a Traumatic Brain Injury Family Caregiver Personal Care Attendant Training and Certification Program, which would train and certify family caregivers of TBI patients as personal care attendants, enabling them to provide quality care at home while also qualifying for compensation from the VA. Note:  The legislation specifies that the curricula for the TBI Family Caregiver Personal Care Attendant Training and Certification Program “shall incorporate applicable standards and protocols utilized by certification programs of national brain injury care specialist organizations.”   BIAA supporters can take two key actions to support this bill:   1 - Initiate a letter-writing campaign as soon as possible generating short notes from brain injury advocates across the nation thanking Senator Clinton for introducing this bill and for her leadership on brain injury issues. Click here for a sample thank-you letter to Senator Clinton that can be used by brain injury advocates. (Word Doc)   2 - Encourage brain injury advocates to write to their Senators and encourage them to   cosponsor the Heroes at Home Act of 2007. Click here for a sample letter that can be used by brain injury advocates to ask their Senator to cosponsor the Heroes at Home Act of 2007. (Word Doc) TBI Act Co-Sponsor Invitation (PDF) US House of Representatives TBI act 2006 (PDF) TBI Act Appropriations Congressional Task Force 2007 Appropriations Request Letter (PDF) Fact Sheet (PDF) Appropriations History (PDF) Appropriations Request Letters: House Appropriations Request Letter Senate Appropriations Request Letter Letter to the Editor of The Washington Post Memo to Affiliates on President's Proposed Budget Archived TBI Act Documents: Traumatic Brain Injury Act Appropriations 2006 Fact Sheet Traumatic Brain Injury Act Reauthorization 2006 Fact Sheet Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act and Related TBI Appropriations FY 1997-FY 2007 Congressional Brain Injury Task Force TBI Act Appropriations Request 2006 Fact Sheet TBI Model Systems 2006 Fact Sheet Brain Injury and the Military 2006 Fact Sheet ABC News Document FY 2007 DVHIP Conference Letter Congressional Brain Injury Task Force List of Task Force Members Other Policy & Legislative Issues Elevation of NCMRR to Institute Status Follow Up from Meeting on Rehabilitation and Disability Research at NIH Independent Status For The NIH National Center For Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) Draft Membership Letter Impaired Consciousness BIAA Position Statement on Impaired Consciousness Memo to Affiliates on Mrs. Terry Schiavo Medicare 2005 Fact Sheet 75% Rule 75% Rule sign-on letter American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Letter Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Letter New Estimates of the Impact of Enforcement of the “75% Rule” on Inpatient Rehabilitation Services Volume, September 2005, THE MORAN COMPANY Rehabilitation Policy Roundtable Discussion, Background Memorandum, September 22, 2005 Rehabilitation Policy Roundtable - Background and Analysis of Major Threats to Rehabilitation, September 22, 2005, Peter W. Thomas, Esq., Powers, Pyles, Sutter and Verville, PC, Co-Chair, Health Task Force, Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities Social Security Reform 2005 Fact Sheet Policy Presentation The Long & Winding Road in Brain Injury:  How Our World Is Changing.  Maryland Rehabilitation Association/Department of Rehabilitation Services. Keynote presentation by Susan H. Connors, President/CEO, Brain Injury Association of America, November 2, 2006. Click here for PPT file (2.6 megs)