PTSD Victims No Longer Need to Prove Trauma
Kelly Kennedy
Air Force News
Feb 18, 2008
February 18, 2008 - The Veterans Affairs Department has dumped a policy requiring combat vets to verify in writing that they have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event before filing a claim for post-traumatic stress disorder, said the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“This change provides a fairer process for veterans with service-connected PTSD,” Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said in a written statement. It “leaves claim adjudicators more time to devote to reducing the staggering backlog of veterans’ claims.”
In the past, a veteran has had to provide written verification — a statement from a commander or doctor, or testimony from co-workers — that he or she was involved in a traumatic situation in order to receive disability compensation for PTSD from VA. The Defense Department uses the same rules in evaluating PTSD for disability retirement pay.
In Iraq, troops joke about keeping a pen and paper on hand in case they witness a shooting or explosion or are injured themselves. That way, they can run around and have all their buddies sign a quick statement saying it really happened. The joke loses steam when a Marine has to prove he was involved in a traumatizing event when he had a hand blown off in that event, or when a soldier has to prove he watched his friends die to qualify for benefits.
The rule also slows the process as veterans wait for yet more documentation before their claims may be processed.
Akaka said he asked VA Secretary James Peake if the rule was necessary, and asked that it be removed. Peake agreed.
“I am pleased that the secretary took quick action to reverse this requirement after it was brought to his attention,” Akaka said.
In the future, veterans will be diagnosed with PTSD through a medical examination with no further proof necessary, Akaka said, adding that he’s been told that Peake has already informed VA regional offices of the decision.
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9370
If you go here you'll see thousands and thousands of postings from veterans looking for others. Most of them are looking for someone to support a claim with the VA.
Vietnam Combat Area Listings (VN, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand)
U.S. Army (updated: 27 January 2008)
U.S. Marine Corps (updated: 27 January 2008)
U.S. Navy (updated: 27 January 2008)
U.S. Air Force (updated: 27 January 2008)
It is on Grunt space.
http://grunt.space.swri.edu/vetorgs.htm
While I am truly delighted this finally happened, it's 30 years too late for far too many. How many suicides could have been prevented if they had their claim for PTSD approved, provided with the compensation they need to replace the income they lost because of PTSD and had the treatment they needed? How many would have not been homeless or put into prison because of PTSD? Does this new rule include veterans of Vietnam or the Gulf War? This will go very far in reducing the number of claims backlogs and claims on appeal, but what does this do to the veterans who have been dishonorably discharged under "personality disorders" and what does it do to the veterans who have been misdiagnosed with the other illnesses PTSD resembles?
Sorry if I can't jump on the bandwagon and cheer but there are still too many questions not addressed in this release of information.
Will they review the cases of dishonorably discharged veterans who do in fact have PTSD?
Will they automatically approve claims for veterans who have been diagnosed by psychologists from the DOD, the VA as well as private doctors since a lot of veterans turn to private psychologist and psychiatrists because of the system?
If the diagnoses means an automatic approval, then will they actually do the right thing and pay back to when PTSD began to ravage their lives instead of when a claim was filed?
Will they review claims that have been turned down and veterans did not file appeals?
Will they review claims of veterans they denied the claims of only to have the veterans kill themselves and then provide the compensation they should have received to the families they left behind?
There have been too many veterans paying the price for their service and it took this new generation of combat veterans to push the system to the breaking point where they have to do something. It took Senator Akaka to take over the chairmanship to make these changes. It is a wonderful victory for the veterans of today, but there are still far too many issues the other veterans face and they all need to be included in these changes. After all, they did all serve the same nation, suffered the same wounds, only some of them suffered a lot longer.
