According to a National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and
Prosthetics (NAAOP) press release, the
Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, was reintroduced
to the House of Representatives. Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), ranking member
of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, reintroduced the bill – HR 805
– to the U.S. House of Representatives on February 16.
HR 805 is identical to HR 5428, the same bill passed by the House in
December 2010. Unfortunately, time ran out on the 111th Congress, resulting in
the Senate not having time to act on the legislation, according to the release.
However, with the reintroduction of the bill early in the 112th Congress,
Filner has signaled his strong interest in moving this legislation as soon as
possible. In addition, the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights
continues to have significant bipartisan support in the 112th Congress.
HR 805 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to post a
list of “rights” that apply to every veteran in need of orthotic and
prosthetic care. The list would be posted in every VA O&P clinic across the
country as well as on the VA website. The list of rights would be codified in
statute and would include the right to appropriate O&P technology, the
right to a private practitioner of choice, the right to have the VA provide a
second opinion as to prosthetic care options, and the right for a veteran to
have a functioning spare prosthesis or orthosis.
