Litigation

Encouraging news on traumatic brain injury funding in President's proposed budget

By Michael Kaplen

The following update prepared by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has some encouraging news regarding traumatic brain injury services in President Obama's proposed budget:

Dear Advocates,

After analyzing the President?s proposed FY2012 budget, we are pleased to report that programs authorized by the TBI Act, including the HRSA Federal TBI Program and the CDC?s important TBI work have both been recommended to receive at least the same funding found in FY10 final and FY11 CR appropriations bills, $10 million for HRSA and just under $7 million for CDC.

 The CDC collects data, links both military and civilian populations with TBI services, increases public awareness, and conducts public health research. The HRSA Federal TBI Program funds 18 states to improve systems coordination access to care for people with brain injury.

 On another note, the budget recommends reducing the TBI Model Systems of Care Program from 16 centers to 14 centers. BIAA will address the issue with both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to ensure that Congress is aware of the importance of each center and encourage full funding for all 16 centers.

The TBI Model Systems is a collection of research centers located across the United States that conduct disability and rehabilitation research under grants administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education. They are the only source of non-proprietary longitudinal data on what happens to people with brain injury. The TBI Model Systems are a key source of evidence-based medicine, and serve as a ?proving ground? for future researchers.

BIAA will continue to work to ensure that legislators understand the importance of these programs and how they affect the 1.7 million people across the United States with brain injury. Grassroots advocates should be ready for appropriations alerts to drive home this vital message this spring.

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on February 15, 2011 (boomark / email).