Abercrombie Amendment Would Help the Families of Wounded Warriors

“More and more family members face the stark prospect of leaving their homes, taking extended time away from their jobs — sometimes even losing jobs and healthcare insurance — to help provide care for wounded children, spouses or parents,” said Abercrombie, who chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces.  “This is one of the indirect and often unnoticed costs of this war.”

Abercrombie’s amendment would apply only to family-caregivers who are not military dependents.  The plan could result in offering them temporary medical care, allowing free meals at military medical mess or food facilities, and providing job placement services if they are at the military medical facility for more than 45 days in a year.

The Armed Services Committee adopted the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act, with Abercrombie’s amendment, on a 58 to 0 vote this afternoon.  The bill would improve the management of military medical care by:

• Appointing case managers for those in out-patient status following major procedures;
  
• Establishing a toll-free hot line to report deficiencies in medical-related support facilities;
  
• Requiring the Defense Department to notify Congress of the hospitalization of any member of the armed forces evacuated from a theater of combat;
  
• Requiring the assignment of independent medical advocates for patients appearing before medical evaluation boards;
  
• Calling for improved training for health care professionals, medical care case managers, and service member advocates on particular conditions of recovering service members; and
  
• Improving the transition from the military medical system to the Veterans Healthcare System.

The legislation follows scandals over the quality of care for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC, and now goes to the full House for consideration. 

-30-