In Houston, Rep. Giffords Could Receive Brain Injury Treatment Thousands of Troops Do Not

[unhappycamper]

In Houston, Rep. Giffords Could Receive Brain Injury Treatment Thousands of Troops Do Not
by Marian Wang
ProPublica, Jan. 26, 2011, 11:31 a.m.

As Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords begins rehabilitative therapy in Houston after being shot in the head in Tucson earlier this month, she was transferred today to TIRR Memorial Hermann, a premier rehabilitation hospital renowned for its treatment of traumatic brain injuries.

On its website, the hospital calls itself “one of very few hospitals in the country designated as a model system for traumatic brain injury.” Among the techniques it relies on is cognitive rehabilitation therapy, a tailored type of medical treatment designed to retrain the brain to do basic tasks.

It’s a treatment that Rep. Giffords will likely end up receiving, if doctors’ general descriptions of her care plan are any indication. Dr. John Holcomb, a retired Army colonel and trauma surgeon at Memorial Hermann, has described Giffords’ treatment as a “tailored and comprehensive rehab plan” that includes “speech, cognitive, physical rehabilitation.”

If Giffords does end up receiving it, she’ll be getting a treatment that many troops don’t. As we’ve reported, the Pentagon’s health program, Tricare, has refused to cover cognitive rehabilitation therapy for the tens of thousands of service members who have suffered brain injuries in the line of duty. Tricare, which provides insurance-style coverage to troops and many veterans, does cover speech and occupational therapy, which are often part of cognitive rehabilitation.

We’ve called the hospital to get further details about Giffords’ treatment plan but have not yet received that information. News reports have described her treatment as using “high-tech tools to push the brain to rewire itself,” with a focus on her physical abilities, speech, vision, cognitive skills and behavior.

[trumad]

1. Althought I'm glad Gabby is recieving the treatment...

I'm appalled that Tricare is allowed to get away with this.

[SoCalDem]

2. once a soldier is "damaged", he/she is no longer an "asset"

the military is happy to cut them loose and pay for as little as possible once they are gone.

I don't know why people are really surprised at this.

For all the soldier-worship, they are little more than cogs in a machine..When everything works well, they are necessary, but once they are no longer "useful", the military cannot get rid of them fast enough.. and goes to the nth degree to downgrade their disabilities as much as possible.