Learn About BIAA's Advocacy Impact

Since our founding in 1980, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has driven national policy changes to improve the lives of people with brain injury, their families, and caregivers. At the federal level, BIAA has been instrumental in the creation, passage, and reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, which established federal programs for surveillance, prevention, and rehabilitation research.

Through leadership of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, BIAA has also helped secure millions of dollars in funding for the CDC’s TBI programs, the TBI Model Systems of Care, and critical services administered through the Administration for Community Living. In recent years, BIAA has been a leading force in preserving federal funds for brain injury, even in the wake of sweeping federal cuts.

At the state level, BIAA and its affiliates have worked tirelessly to ensure survivors have access to long-term care and rehabilitation. These efforts led to the creation of Medicaid brain injury waivers in multiple states, providing home- and community-based services that allow individuals to live more independently and avoid institutionalization. BIAA has also been a national leader in advancing insurance coverage for cognitive rehabilitation. In recent years, advocacy campaigns resulted in the passage of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) mandate bills in Texas (2019) and Arkansas (2025). This pioneer legislation requires private insurers to cover comprehensive rehabilitation services for brain injury survivors. Similar legislation is now being pursued in additional states as part of BIAA’s coordinated state legislative cohorts.

These historic wins would not be possible without combining survivor voices, grassroots mobilization, and strategic policy leadership to expand services, secure funding, and enshrine protections that transform lives across the country.