Starving veterans in the news?

Received an alert about a veteran suffering on a site called Rightwing News. The story of Joe Geoghagan is heartbreaking but it isn't the first time a story like this has been told. Joe has PTSD and some type of stomach problem requiring him to use a feeding tube but the article does not seem to explain why a feeding tube would be put in without them knowing what the cause was. It makes little sense.

It is true that veterans can now get up to five years of free care without a claim from the VA after their service. It is also true that one state is not the same as others on how veterans are treated or how fast their claims are processed any more than there is equality in how fast they see their doctors.

What keeps getting missed in all of this is how long it has all been going on. No matter how bad the stories are, there have been worse. No matter how heartbreaking it is to read their stories, it is even harder to live with these stories and know none of this needed to happen.

There is something wrong with this story itself. Too many questions not answered.

Enhanced Eligibility For Health Care Benefits

Veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998 are eligible for an extended period of eligibility for health care for 5 years post discharge.

Under the "Combat Veteran" authority, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides health care services and community living care for any condition possibly related to the Veteran’s service in the theater of operations and enrollment in Priority Group 6, unless eligible for enrollment in a higher priority group to:

Combat Veterans who were discharged or released from active service on or after January 28, 2003, are eligible to enroll in the VA health care system for 5 years from the date of discharge or release.

Boost in feeding tube is also a problem. According to Nestle Health, Boost is "oral use" and does not go into feeding tubes.

The BOOST® family of products offers an extensive line of complete oral nutrition formulas. BOOST® is a great tasting, nutritionally complete meal replacement that can be used as a snack or as a meal. For oral use.

This veteran worked as a contractor after military service but the article gave no indication of when the unknown illness was tracked back to. Was this a matter of Workers' Compensation" instead of a VA obligation? Does he have a claim approved or filed or tied up in the backlog? Has he asked the hospital that treated him to give him another doctor? Has he contacted a lawyer since he can sue the VA and it has been done many times?

But this is not the first time a story came out about the same type of thing happening. It happened in Kentucky.

Malnourished Veteran Pleads For Help From VA reported by WBKO News June 27, 2014

Frank Coursey has not eaten solid food in nearly three years. As if this is not enough strain on his body, he goes to bed each night worried about the future of his family, if something were to happen to him.

"This picture is on 07-07-2007. I was 286 pounds. This picture was Father's Day of this year," said Frank Coursey, veteran.

Frank Coursey is currently 133 pounds, losing on average five pounds per week. His weight loss is the result of a gastric bypass surgery performed by a doctor in West Virginia, whom he was referred to by a his local VA physician.