Veterans STAND Act

The Veterans STAND Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to offer annual preventative health evaluations to veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder and to increase access to assistive technologies. Sec. 2, Provision of preventative health evaluations for veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder: The Secretary must furnish an annual preventative health evaluation to any veteran with a spinal cord injury or disorder who elects it, through direct service, referral, or telehealth. The evaluation includes assessments of health complications risk, chronic pain, dietary and weight management, prosthetic equipment needs and function, and assistive technology provision, including spinal cord neuromodulation technology. The Secretary must consult with VA program managers, clinicians, specialists, and organizations when issuing guidance, and with manufacturers if directly affected. The Secretary must annually inform eligible veterans about the evaluation. The Secretary may provide training, programming, remote monitoring, and follow-up for assistive technologies via telehealth. The Secretary must submit a report to Congress every two years on the number of veterans using, assessed for, or prescribed assistive technologies, and the year-to-year change in evaluation receipt. The Secretary must consider evaluation provision when reviewing performance metrics of Veterans Integrated Service Networks. Assistive technology is defined as powered medical devices or electronic tools for spinal cord injury or disorder symptoms, including personal mobility devices, speech generating devices, spinal cord neuromodulation technology, and implantable spinal cord stimulation systems approved by the FDA.