Sponsors
The bill would expand VA preventive care and access to advanced assistive technologies (including neuromodulation) for veterans with spinal cord injuries—improving care and remote access—while raising costs, creating implementation and equity challenges across regions, and introducing potential procedural and manufacturer‑influence risks.
Veterans with spinal cord injuries or disorders gain access to an annual, VA‑provided comprehensive preventive evaluation covering pain, comorbidities, diet, prosthetics, and assistive technologies.
Veterans become eligible for a broader set of advanced rehabilitative assistive technologies—explicitly including spinal cord neuromodulation and powered devices—potentially expanding treatment options and functional recovery.
VA telehealth coverage for training, device programming, remote monitoring, and follow‑up improves access to assistive technologies for veterans in rural or remote areas and reduces travel burdens.
Providing annual evaluations and expanding coverage of advanced assistive technologies will increase VA costs, which may require reallocation of resources or additional funding from taxpayers.
Wider provision of advanced devices (e.g., neuromodulation, exoskeletons) could create supply, staffing, and implementation challenges that lead to inconsistent access across Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs).
Including implantable spinal cord stimulation 'as clinically appropriate' may create uncertainty about implantation criteria and increase follow‑up and clinical-burden variability across facilities, affecting care consistency.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer an annual preventive health evaluation to any veteran with a spinal cord injury or disorder who chooses to receive it. The evaluation must assess spinal cord–related complications, chronic pain and management, diet/weight, prosthetic and assistive technology needs (including spinal cord neuromodulation and certain implantable systems), and related training or remote follow‑up; VA may deliver this care via direct care, referral, or telehealth. Directs the Secretary to consult relevant VA programs, clinicians (including neuromodulation experts), recognized veterans’ organizations, and affected manufacturers when issuing implementing guidance; to notify veterans annually about the evaluation; to permit telehealth-based training and monitoring; and to report to Congressional veterans’ committees one year after enactment and every two years thereafter on use and outcomes of prescribed assistive technologies and on evaluation uptake rates. VISN performance metrics must consider provision of these evaluations when reviewing performance after the first year post-enactment.
Introduced March 4, 2026 by Jerry Moran · Last progress March 4, 2026