WASHINGTON, DC - While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) covers travel costs for veterans whose blindness, spinal cord injury (SCI) or multiple amputation is service connected, it does not cover travel for those whose disability comes later in life. Today, Congressman Mike Michaud introduced a bill that would provide for compensation for these non-service connected veterans traveling to special-disabilities rehabilitative programs. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT).

"This change would increase access to these critical rehabilitation services for our veterans and help them remain independent," said Michaud.

There are 13 VA Blind Rehabilitation Centers (BRC), and the closest one to Maine is in New Haven, Connecticut. There are 24 SCI rehabilitative centers, and the closest one to Maine is in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2009, there were 1,932 blinded veterans admitted to the VA program and 937 of these were non-service connected. With an average age of 67 and a large percentage living on $20,000 or less a year, many of the veterans who qualify for rehabilitative services face significant hurdles in receiving this much needed care.

According to the Blinded Veterans Association, the estimated cost of expanding travel eligibility to blind disabled veterans would be $150,000. However, if veterans are not able to access rehabilitation services that allow them to live independently at home, the alternative cost for nursing care is estimated to range from $36,372 to $77,380 per veteran per year.