Duckworth, Klobuchar, Rounds Urge Administration to Ensure Servicemembers and Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Receive Proper Care During Coronavirus Pandemic
Senators call on the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to identify the steps the they are taking to improve care for servicemembers and Veterans previously exposed to burns pits and other toxic substances
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) urged the Administration to ensure that servicemembers and Veterans with previous exposure to burn pits receive the care they need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a letter to the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), the Senators requested that the Departments identify what steps they are taking to improve care for servicemembers and Veterans previously exposed to burns pits and other toxic substances who contract COVID-19.
“It is critical that the Departments continue to develop, update and implement best practices for treating this class of patients with specific medical needs, especially as our understanding of the virus’s disparate impact on patients with pre-existing medical conditions continues to grow,” the senators wrote.
“In the months since the pandemic began, medical research has documented one of the most important and challenging characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19—its widely disparate impacts on patients with pre-existing conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, obesity and so on. The virus’s tendency to cause varying responses in patients with different pre-existing medical conditions—coupled with our continued challenges in understanding the long-term health implications of exposure to burn pits—make research into the ways in which prior exposure to burn pits impacts a patient’s response to COVID-19 infection essential,” the senators continued.
In June, Senators Duckworth and Klobuchar, along with Rounds introduced the Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act, which was included in the final version of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was sent to the House today. This NDAA provision will require the collection of information on exposure to burn pits, which can cause respiratory illness, to ensure servicemembers and Veterans who test positive for COVID-19 get the care they need.
The Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act, that is now part of the NDAA, was endorsed by the Toxic Exposures in the American Military (TEAM) coalition, which consists of 30 organizations, including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Wounded Warrior Project.
In December 2019, Klobuchar’s bipartisan Burn Pits Accountability Act with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Burn Pits Accountability Act requires members of the Armed Forces to be evaluated for exposure to toxic airborne chemicals during routine health exams and to direct the Secretary of Defense to record and share whether servicemembers were based or stationed near an open burn pit, including any information recorded as part of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, the Periodic Health Assessment (PHAs), Separation History and Physical Examination (SHPEs), and Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHAs). Members will also be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless they choose to opt out, if they were exposed to toxic airborne chemicals or stationed near an open burn pit.
In September 2018, provisions based on the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act led by Klobuchar and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) was signed into law as part of the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, and created the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence within the VA focused on researching the health effects associated with burn pits and treating Veterans who become sick after exposure.
Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
Dear Secretary Wilkie and Acting Secretary Miller:
We write to ask the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify the steps the Departments are taking to improve the care for servicemembers and veterans previously exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances, who contract the coronavirus (COVID-19). It is critical that the Departments continue to develop, update and implement best practices for treating this class of patients with specific medical needs, especially as our understanding of the virus’s disparate impact on patients with pre-existing medical conditions continues to grow.
In April, Senators Klobuchar and Rounds urged the VA to take additional measures to make certain that our at-risk veterans—including those exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances—receive the necessary medical care. In June, we introduced the Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act to require DoD and VA medical professionals to ask any servicemember or veteran who has tested positive for a virus designated as a pandemic (including COVID-19) if they were previously exposed to burn pits. The legislation also requires servicemembers and veterans exposed to toxic airborne chemicals or stationed near an open burn pit to be automatically enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless they choose to opt out of enrollment. We believe these measures are necessary to properly treat this class of patients as we continue to experience increasing infection rates across the country.??
By instructing physicians to discuss relevant environmental exposures when documenting each patient’s medical history—and educating care providers about the potential risks servicemembers and veterans face during the pandemic—the Veterans Administration has taken important steps to ensure that patients who have experienced toxic exposure are properly treated. DoD and VA must also make full use of the data in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to properly care for our servicemembers and veterans during this public health crisis.
In the months since the pandemic began, medical research has documented one of the most important and challenging characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19—its widely disparate impacts on patients with pre-existing conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, obesity and so on. The virus’s tendency to cause varying responses in patients with different pre-existing medical conditions—coupled with our continued challenges in understanding the long-term health implications of exposure to burn pits—make research into the ways in which prior exposure to burn pits impacts a patient’s response to COVID-19 infection essential.
In light of these concerns, we respectfully request you answer the following questions:
- What steps are you currently taking to conduct research into the impact of prior exposure to burn pits on a patient’s prognosis for recovery from COVID-19?
- What steps have your Departments taken to keep servicemembers and veterans who tested positive for COVID-19 and have a history of toxic exposure informed of the ways in which their history of exposure may impact the course of their COVID-19 infection?
- What steps have you taken to ensure that your Departments’ medical professionals are taking a patient’s prior exposure to burn pits into account when treating these patients for COVID-19 infection and any complications of this infection?
- What steps have your Departments taken in recent months to expand telehealth capabilities to help minimize the potential for exposure to the coronavirus?
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
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