H.R. 6835 — Veterans STAND Act

This section requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish an annual preventative health evaluation—through direct care, referral, or VA telehealth—to any veteran with a spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D) who elects it. The evaluation assesses (1) risks for complications or comorbidities related to the SCI/D; (2) chronic pain and its management; (3) dietary and weight management; (4) prosthetic equipment needs, function, and safety; and (5) assistive technology (i.e., powered medical devices or electronic tools to treat SCI/D symptoms, including personal mobility devices such as powered exoskeletons, speech generating devices, spinal cord neuromodulation such as non-invasive transcutaneous spinal stimulation, and FDA-approved implantable spinal cord stimulation systems where clinically appropriate), including suitability for home use, training needs, and remote follow-up. (Thus, VA may provide such training, programming, monitoring, and follow-up via telehealth as clinically appropriate.) In developing related guidance, rules, or regulations, VA must consult SCI/D program managers and clinicians, neuromodulation experts, veterans service organizations recognized under 38 U.S.C. 5902, and affected manufacturers; VA also must inform known SCI/D veterans annually about the evaluation and its benefits. Not later than one year after enactment, and biennially thereafter, VA must report to the congressional Veterans' Affairs Committees on assistive technology usage, assessments, prescriptions, categories, and outcomes among VA patients, plus year-to-year changes in the percentage of SCI/D veterans receiving evaluations (comparing the report year to the prior two years); beginning one year after enactment, VA must consider evaluation provision in Veterans Integrated Service Network performance reviews.