Veterans praise bill to improve health care

WASHINGTON – Legislation to ensure quality care for wounded troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan was unveiled in the Senate Thursday, winning instant praise from veterans organizations.

“The days of not paying attention to our service members are over,” declared Sen. Patty Murray, of Washington, a leading force behind the legislation for the Senate Democratic leadership.

The bipartisan legislation, called the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, follows reports of deplorable housing for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

But similar conditions and bureaucratic red tape interfering with the treatment of troops injured on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan were found at facilities around the country.

The legislation requires a comprehensive policy on the care of veterans as they move from active military duty into Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, including adoption of the VA standards for assigning disability levels.

Wounded veterans have complained that the Defense Department underreports the extent of their injuries to avoid having to pay medical retirement. Then when they move into the VA system, it takes weeks to get appointments for treatment of conditions often found to be worse than reported by the Defense Department.

The sweeping legislation had the instant support of veterans organizations, including two of the biggest – Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans.

Eric Hilleman, deputy director of national legislative services for the VFW, called the bill “powerful.”

“This is a huge piece of legislation done in record time,” he said.

The legislation sets up a board to review and correct determinations of medical retirement eligibility since 2001. It also shifts the presumption in favor of service-connected injury, reducing conflicts over injuries the military had categorized as pre-existing.

The bill increases the pay injured troops receive when mustered out of the service. It also requires better housing for the wounded and deeper research into the kinds of injuries common to this war, particularly traumatic brain injury caused by powerful explosions.

Another feature of the legislation is medical help for the families of injured troops. Spouses often dedicate themselves to the care of their wounded soldiers and Marines, giving up their jobs and medical insurance to do so. The provision extends VA medical coverage to a spouse for three years when the injured service member has a disability rating of 50 percent or higher.