Inclusion Daily Express -- VA: Veterans Won't Have To 'Reprove' PTSD

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VA: Veterans Won't Have To 'Reprove' PTSD
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
February 20, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC--Combat veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder will no longer have to "reprove" that they have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event before they can file for benefits.

The Air Force Times reported Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has dropped its policy that required such veterans to provide written statements from commanders, doctors or coworkers testifying that the veteran had been involved in a service-related traumatic situation.

Those who advocated for the change, including U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka from Hawaii, said PTSD was the only disability or condition that required veterans to provide such back-up proof before claiming benefits.

Mary Ellen McCarthy, special projects counsel for the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, added: "Revisiting those stressors in a non-therapeutic environment can make the diagnosis worse."

The decision means that months could be taken off the period of time it takes for disability benefits to be approved for those veterans experiencing PTSD.

Some experts estimate that between 15 and 50 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan experience PTSD.

Last July, the nonprofit legal firm Disability Rights Advocates sued the VA, arguing that a huge backlog of claims from about 600,000 veterans has caused many to go months or years without the necessary medical or psychological treatment. This has led to such problems as severe depression causing many to give up, turn to alcohol or drug addiction, or commit suicide.

The suit asked the court to order the VA to stop practices that keep these veterans from receiving the benefits they deserve in a timely manner.

Related:
"VA simplifies PTSD claims for some veterans" (Air Force Times)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/2008/red/0220c.htm
"Court Says Vets' Challenge To VA Can Move Forward" January 17, 2008 (Inclusion Daily Express Archives)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/2008/01/17/011708usvets.htm
"Disabilities And The "War On Terror" (Inclusion Daily Express Archives)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/war.htm

Copyright © 2008 Inonit Publishing
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