United States military veterans could effectively appeal decisions made regarding their medical separation from service and entitlement to disability benefits under bipartisan legislation introduced on May 18 by U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Brian Mast (R-FL).
“When I was lying in Walter Reed, all of my time and energy was spent on recovery — learning to walk with two prosthetic legs and figuring out how I was going to continue to serve my country kept me plenty busy,” Rep. Mast said. “The last thing I would’ve had any patience for would have been trying to navigate the bureaucracy of medical separation. I want to make sure no wounded warrior ever gets stuck in this infuriating merry-go-round or is screwed over by nameless, faceless bureaucrats.”
Rep. Mast sponsored the Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights Act, H.R. 3517, alongside four original cosponsors, including Rep. McMorris Rodgers and U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) to clarify and improve accountability for certain members of the U.S. Armed Forces during consideration for medical separation in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System of the U.S. Department of Defense, according to the congressional record bill summary.
“We have a responsibility to ensure wounded warriors going through the medical separation process are treated fairly with the respect and dignity they’ve earned,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers. “My hope is this legislation will restore accountability and implement the safeguards needed to prevent any future mistreatment during this process.”
Under current law, when a member of Armed Services is wounded, ill, or injured, he or she goes through a process known as the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, implemented by the civilian-run Defense Health Agency, which determines if a service member is fit to continue military service and what disability benefits he or she will receive if separated, usually creating bureaucratic delays, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
If enacted, H.R. 3517 would return authority to adjudicate appeals to military commanders within each branch of the military so that active duty service members may determine the outcome of appeals, thereby protecting the due process rights of wounded veterans by simplifying and speeding up the appeals process, the summary says.
The U.S. House Armed Services Committee is considering the measure.