"The Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights"

Ensuring consistent and patient-centered healthcare for our nation's most honorable.

Why?

For far too long, our veterans have suffered prolonged hardships due to inconsistencies in the care they receive upon returning home from defending our country.  While veterans currently have these rights, many veterans and VA employees are unaware of the healthcare options offered to them - leaving the system with wide variations and inconsistencies across the country. Veterans report that they encounter inconsistent care and information when seeking help from the Veterans Administration (VA).

Click here to read the memorandum listing the rights available to veterans. This list of rights has been offered to veterans but on an inconsistent and unreliable basis.

What?

H.R. 3408 is a bipartisan measure that empowers veterans with injuries and amputations in obtaining the appropriate prosthetic limb and orthotic (O&P) care. This legislation would require the VA to post a written list of "rights," which would be written into statute, that apply to every veteran in need of O&P care. The VA would also be required to post these rights in every VA O&P clinic across the country, as well as on the VA website. The VA would be required to follow up and resolve any complaints by veterans who believe the VA is not meeting their O&P needs.

The rights provided by H.R. 3408:

• Access to the highest quality and appropriate O&P technology to meet individual veterans' needs
• Ability to receive care from a private O&P practitioner of choice (the vast majority of veterans receive prosthetic care through 600 contracts with private O&P practitioners)
• A second opinion from VA medical personnel as to O&P treatment options
• A functional spare prosthetic limb or orthotic brace
• Timely and efficient prosthetic and orthotic care
• Continuity of care in transitioning from the Department of Defense (DoD) health program to the VA health care system.
• Right to be treated with respect and dignity and have an optimal quality of life both during and after rehabilitation
• Right to transition and readjust to civilian life in an honorable manner, including by having ample access to vocational rehabilitation, employment programs, and housing assistance.

While veterans already have these rights, this bill simply educates them about their rights and expectations for quality VA O&P treatment. It empowers veterans to advocate for themselves to obtain the most appropriate care that meets their individual needs. This can make all the difference in the lives of veterans with disabling conditions.

This legislation does not increase the federal deficit and was scored by the Congressional Budget Office as a no cost measure.

H.R. 3408 ensures that the VA properly provides these rights by initiating a means for veterans to notify the VA regarding physicians who are not correctly implementing VA policy or denying veterans of their healthcare rights.

The Chief Consultant, in cooperation with appropriate employees of a VA medical center, shall investigate and address any information collected regarding a violation of patients' rights.

Organizations currently supporting this legislation:

• National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics
• Vietnam Veterans of America
• Wounded Warrior Project
• National Amputation Foundation
• National Guard Association of the U.S.
• Disabled American Veterans
• National Veterans Foundation
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention/SPAN USA

Membership Support:

This legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Ellmers, of whom worked as a nurse for over two decades, and has two physicians signed on as original cosponsors.

 Italicize denotes a Representative of Democratic affiliation.

Click here to see the press release issued on this legislation.

Click here to read an article from The Fayetteville Observer on this legislation