Vermont Legislative committee seeks $1 fee for brain injured
When Vermont Senator Ed Flanagan announced that he suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2005 after a near-fatal car accident, the state legislature began to explore a recommendation to increase motor vehicle registration fees by $1.00 to create a trust fund to assist Vermont citizens suffering from TBIs. The legislative study committee responsible for the decision is expected to release a report on the needs of victims suffering from head injuries including the draft bill to create the new trust fund in mid-December. Representatives of the Brain Injury Association of Vermont estimate that the fund could bank about $600,000 in revenue annually. "The details are still being worked on, but what we are considering is providing targeted case management for Vermonters with traumatic brain injuries who (sic) wouldn't otherwise have assistance," said Sen. Ed Flanagan, the chairman of the committee. "The fee would create a special trust fund to help people out if they have run through all their services through their health insurance provider or may not have insurance at all."
