On May 11, 2011, Representative Todd Russell Platts (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, in conjunction with the office of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Task Force members and the Brain Injury Association of America, introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act which would authorize $1,000,000 for the development of treatment guidelines for post-acute rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury.
Despite the many advances in science and medicine, medical treatment guidelines for post-acute rehabilitation of moderate and severe TBI do not exist. Currently, there is no compilation of the published evidence and professional consensus to ensure that wounded warriors and the 1.7 million civilians who sustain brain injuries in the U.S. receive the highest quality, most effective post-acute rehabilitation.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act charges the agency with writing regulations for essential health benefits based on a “typical employer plan.” Since there are no typical insurance plans for TBI, advocates argue the essential benefits for rehabilitation should be based on standardized treatment guidelines that reduce long-term disability and mitigate against the chronic disease processes that result from a traumatic brain injury.