The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) released a webcast with an O&P call to action, as follows:
NAAOP is pleased to announce that the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights has been reintroduced in the 115th Congress as H.R. 2322. We thank Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) and several bipartisan cosponsors of the legislation for their support for this important legislation.
The Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights is not new legislation. It has been introduced in prior Congresses and even passed once in the U.S. House of Representatives but did not make it through the U.S. Senate before Congress adjourned. The bill is designed to educate veterans with limb loss and other orthopedic injuries of their right to quality O&P orthotic care. It requires the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prominently post a list of these rights in every VA O&P clinic and on the VA website, so that veterans can become more aware of their rights and become their own best advocate for their care.
Despite the best intentions of many VA officials, too many veterans experience inconsistent care across the VA and are denied access to appropriate technology, the practitioner of their choice, a second opinion for O&P prescription, and other safeguards. The Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights is designed to make O&P care provided under the VA system more consistent, raise awareness of O&P standards across the country, and empower veterans to ensure they receive quality care.
Please contact your representative and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 2322, the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights by using the following methods:
- Go to www.naaop.org and click on the Congressional Action Center link in the middle of the page. You will be able to access the template letter, amend it if needed, and send it to your representative electronically.
- Call your representative’s office and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 2322. To reach your member of Congress, call your local district office or dial the Capitol switchboard in Washington DC at 202.225.3121, provide your zip code, and you will be routed to your representative.
