Bill to aid ‘wounded warriors’ sails through House

WASHINGTON – Reacting to shabby treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the House on Wednesday created a coterie of case managers, advocates and counselors for injured troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The “Wounded Warrior Assistance Act,” approved 426-0, also establishes a hotline for medical patients to report problems in their treatment and demands an end to the red tape that has frustrated disabled service members as they move from Pentagon to Veterans Affairs Department care.

The bill would affect some of the more than 25,000 U.S. service members wounded in hostile action since military operations began in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We cannot allow those who have fought our foreign enemies in the defense of freedom to come home and fight the federal bureaucracy to get the health care they need,” said Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., a member of the Armed Services Committee.

The White House, in a statement, said that while those goals were commendable, the legislation is premature.

It suggested that Congress wait for a report from a presidential commission and a task force on the war-wounded created after the exposure of poor outpatient living conditions and treatment at Walter Reed. Those findings are expected by the end of July.

But lawmakers from both parties, intent to show support for troops regardless of divisions over the war in Iraq, were in no mood to wait.

More can be done later, said Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., but the legislation is “needed now to provide immediate support for our wounded warriors.”

The bill requires Senate action before it goes to the president.

The bill also:

“Requires the VA to increase the number of physicians at its hospitals.

“Requires that appropriate members of Congress be notified of the hospitalization of a combat-wounded service member.

“Assigns independent health care professionals to serve as counselors and advocates for service members being considered by medical evaluation boards.

“Improves training for health care professionals and medical care case managers on the particular conditions of recovering service members.

“Sets up a pilot program in the Army similar to the Marine Wounded Warrior Regiment program that keeps track of those still requiring medical care on an outpatient basis.