A bill would help soldiers with brain injuries.
Rep. Grier Martin, a Raleigh Democrat who served in Afghanistan, said he filed the bill to help veterans who fall through the cracks of the military health care system.
Currently, the state's Medicaid system pays for traumatic brain injuries suffered up to the age of 21, which are considered developmental disabilities.
But Martin said that leaves out a lot of veterans.
"For the most part, if you're a soldier and you get (traumatic brain injury) in combat, you're aged out of that," he said.
Though many get care while on active duty through the Department of Defense and later through the Veterans administration, some can't make it to those hospitals.
The bill would direct state government to apply for a waiver from Medicaid to help people 22 and older with brain injuries.
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We need this, folks
Right now around half of the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are various National Guard and Reserve components, and North Carolina is getting ready to send 3,200 more of our Citizen-Soldiers over there. These men and women hail from nearly every one of the State's 100 counties, meaning that when they return home after combat, most of them will be too far away from major military bases to seek treatment there.
I know many reading this don't really understand what TBI is or how it can affect someone, but you should take the time to learn more. If it goes undiagnosed and untreated, it often results in job loss, families breaking apart, substance abuse and even suicide. Yellow ribbons and parades are nice, but those things are small comfort when you can't sleep at night, you have difficulty solving problems that used to be a breeze, you're constantly dealing with headaches, bright lights and noises actually hurt, you're constantly tired, etc. If neither you nor the people around you know what's causing these things, you're headed for a fall.
After all these folks have sacrificed for us, we can't leave them to struggle with this on their own. The vast majority of veterans who call NC Office of Citizens Services CARE LINE are asking if they are eligible for Medicaid. The answer needs to be a resounding "yes".
Thanks, Grier. You are the man.