AOA Backs Boozman Military Eye Trauma Bill

Press Release

Landmark Legislation Would Aid Injured Combat Troops and Veterans

The American Optometric Association, the voice of the 34,000 frontline providers of eye and vision care in communities across America, today announced its support for a significant piece of legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives designed to improve the care of American military personnel affected by combat eye trauma and aid those suffering vision damage associated with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Rep. John Boozman, O.D. (R-AR), an optometrist and member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced the Military Eye Trauma Treatment Act to address the increasing number of eye-related injuries among troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and develop a permanent framework to aid injured troops and veterans with combat-related vision damage.

Statistics have shown that over half of those treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and diagnosed with TBI also experience vision damage while upwards of 70 percent with brain injuries at the VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center in Palo Alto, CA, reported vision problems as well. Between October 2001 and June 2006, over 1,000 troops with combat eye trauma were evacuated from overseas military operations, making serious eye wounds one of the most common types of injury experienced in current U.S. conflicts.

H.R. 3558, the "Military Eye Trauma Treatment Act of 2007," would create a Center of Excellence within the Department of Defense specifically devoted to the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment and rehabilitation of military eye injuries. "This is important legislation for the care of our wounded servicemembers suffering from eye trauma on active duty. Serious eye wounds are among the most common injuries incurred by our troops in our current conflicts," said Rep. Boozman.

The primary responsibility of the Center of Excellence would be the development of a "Military Eye Injury Registry," containing up-to-date information on the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for each serious eye injury received by any member of the armed forces while serving on active duty. The Registry will include input from optometrists and ophthalmologists from both the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The Military Eye Trauma Act also requires a joint DOD-VA program for servicemembers and veterans affected by visual dysfunction related to Traumatic Brain Injury. "TBI has become the hallmark injury of our current conflicts. The treatment of TBI, and the vision issues deriving from it, is important work that the Department of Defense and the VA should work together and provide leadership on" added Boozman. "Coordination between the two is vital to ensuring effective treatment for our injured troops and veterans; this is why the bill requires the sharing of information."

"The American Optometric Association stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Rep. Boozman in his steadfast dedication to improving the care that America's servicemembers receive. AOA fully supports the Military Eye Trauma and Treatment Act and is confident that this legislation will ensure our military personnel receive the level of care they deserve," said AOA President Kevin L. Alexander, O.D., Ph.D. AOA has made it a priority to encourage Congress to create a central registry for military eye injuries due to persistent problems in identifying the numbers of military members suffering eye injuries as they return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

AOA has also partnered with the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) in highlighting the seriousness of combat eye trauma and vision problems associated with TBI. "If Congress approves this legislation, it will be one of the greatest advances in Military eye care in over 60 years," said Dr. Tom Zampieri, Director of Government Relations at BVA. Currently, eye and vision care services for servicemembers and veterans is lacking because a framework to ensure continuity of care simply does not exist. "These selfless Americans have sacrificed their vision for the good of our country; they deserve the very best care that we can give them," added Dr. Zampieri.

A bipartisan group of Members have already signed on to Rep. Boozman's bill, including: Reps. Randy Forbes (R-VA), Vic Snyder (D-AR), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Robert Berry (D-AR), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Robert Brady (D-PA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barton Gordon (D-TN), John Hall (D-NY), Robin Hayes (R-NC), James McGovern (D-MA), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM).

Companion legislation has also been introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Barack Obama (D-IL) and Pete Domenici (R-NM).

"This is important legislation which goes beyond party labels and gets to the heart of the debt we owe our men and women who wear, and who have worn, the uniform," said Rep. Boozman. "I am particularly proud of the veterans organizations and eye-care professionals who have come together to support this legislation which addresses a timely concern."

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