For Immediate Release: March 28, 2007

Sutton Votes to Strengthen Veterans and Soldiers Healthcare

Bill will fix problems at VA hospitals and military health facilities across the nation

Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Congresswoman Betty Sutton took to the floor to voice her strong support for the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act.  The bill will fix the problems brought to light at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and provide veterans with the medical care they deserve.  The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 426-0.

"Our soldiers have risked life and limb to serve our great nation and we have the responsibility to provide them with the care they need and deserve when they return home," said Sutton.  "This bill ensures our veterans have the care they deserve and demands strong oversight and inspection requirements to ensure the events at Walter Reed and other facilities across this nation never, ever, happen again."

"We must provide our troops that which they need for any mission on which they are sent, and they must have, and we must provide, that which they need when they return home," said Sutton.  This bill demands strong oversight and inspection requirements to ensure that the events at Walter Reed and other facilities around this nation never, ever, happen again.

In February, the media uncovered shocking living conditions and administrative snafus experienced by wounded soldiers at Walter Reed and throughout this nation.  Investigations brought to light the shocking living conditions, inattentive care and bureaucratic hassles experienced by some of the wounded soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan and are now outpatients.  

Below are key provisions of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act that will fix problems with VA healthcare:

• Improves the system of case managers for wounded service members: The bill improves the training and reduces the caseloads of medical care case managers for outpatient wounded service members, so that service members and their families can get the help they need when they need it.  
• Creates a system of patient advocates:  These advocates will fight, when necessary, to ensure that outpatients get the right treatment.  The bill limits patient advocates to a caseload of no more than 30 outpatients.
• Establishes independent medical advocates: The bill establishes an independent medical advocate to serve as a counselor and advisor for service members being considered by medical evaluation boards.
• Improved Training: The bill requires DOD to recommend annually improvements in the training of health care professionals, medical care case managers, and patient advocates to increase their effectiveness in assisting recovering wounded warriors.  
• Improved Transition from Armed Forces to VA: The bill takes substantive steps in reducing the turmoil of being transferred from military to veterans' medical care for service members who are discharged.

Contact: Linden Zakula at 202-225-3401