McMahon Cuts Red Tape for Veterans Suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries, Introduces The TBI Coverage and Support Act

Press Release

This week Congressman Michael E. McMahon (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) introduced the Traumatic Brain Injury Coverage and Support Act, which enables veterans who have been clinically diagnosed with traumatic brain injury to receive VA benefits and treatment, even if the diagnosing doctor practices outside the VA system. This bill is yet another step in a series of ongoing legislative efforts by Rep. McMahon's bipartisan Invisible Wounds Caucus to highlight and curtail the increasing rates of untreated mental injuries and suicides amongst returning veterans.

Rep. McMahon said, "Traumatic brain injury is a real medical condition that demands immediate care. Unfortunately we are up against an overextended military medical system that is short on doctors and reluctant to take risks. Many of our nation's heroes have been exposed to an explosive device, and spend far too much time waiting to see a VA neurologist. This is unacceptable and has contributed to the tragically growing number of soldier suicides. My bill will open the VA system to outside neurologists to increase the rate at which veterans are properly diagnosed with TBI and treated through the VA system. "

Traumatic brain injury remains one of the most under-diagnosed conditions among returning veterans due to the illusiveness of the injury and short-staffed facilities in the VA and DoD. Symptoms range from mental affects like depression, anxiety, and hallucinations to physical expressions like blindness, aphasia, tinnitus and seizures. The Traumatic Brain Injury Coverage and Support Act will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat traumatic brain injury diagnoses conducted by non-Department physicians as sufficient for making decisions with respect to whether or not certain claimants have traumatic brain injury. The bill aims to reduce wait times to see a VA neurologist and the prevalence of misdiagnosis in regards to TBI.

Rep. McMahon has made the fight for Veterans and their families a huge priority since his first days in Congress. He has addressed the concerns of veterans by prohibiting the privatization of VA benefits, advancing VA appropriations for the timely issuance of benefits and fighting to maintain the legacies of those Missing In Action through an established Committee on POW/MIA affairs.

Rep. McMahon also started the Invisible Wounds Caucus to further legislation affecting the mental well-being of our men and women in uniform. Currently, he has secured a record amount of funding, $1, 028,195,000, towards mental health funding and has proposed several additional pieces of legislation to address the alarming rising rates of soldier suicides.

On March 5, 2009 Rep. McMahon introduced his first bill, H.R. 1308, the Veterans' Mental Health Assessments and Screenings Act. Republican Rep. Thomas J. Rooney was an original cosponsor on this bipartisan legislation which mandates post-deployment mental health screenings for ALL service members returning from active duty to defeat the stigma of seeking help for "invisible injuries" and to reduce the prevalence of soldier suicides. Language from this bill was incorporated into the FY 2010 Defense Authorization Act.

On October 15, 2009, Rep. McMahon proposed the Counselor Accessibility Reform and Expansion for Soldiers Act (CARES). CARES would give TRICARE beneficiaries direct access to professional mental health counselors without the requirement of having to get a referral or supervision. This would increase accessibility to mental health professionals for all TRICARE beneficiaries.

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