Disabled Vets Get Unequal Treatment

Walter Reed lacks resources to cope with growing problem

(NEWSER) - Though 20 to 40 soldiers are sent home from Iraq each month with severe mental problems, the Army's largest hospital has no post-traumatic stress disorder center, reports the Washington Post. There is also a severe shortage of doctors qualified to treat these patients. Not long ago, the head of psychiatry sent a memo pleading for more staff. More»

(NEWSER) - The mess at Walter Reed was detailed in a damning task force report in 2004, obtained by Salon, in which soldiers described their frustrations with outpatient care and bureaucratic nightmares. Not only was the report ignored, but the official who sat on it for three years is now up for a promotion to undersecretary for health at the VA. More»

Retired general blames military for acquiescing to misguided civilian moves

(NEWSER) - Blame the Walter Reed scandal on "the silence of our top officers," writes a retired Army general. Paul Eaton, who spent a year in Baghdad rebuilding the Iraqi army, says the administration and Congress "pointedly failed to provide the money and resources for our returned troops," and top military officials let it happen. More»

Current system exemplifies effective healthcare: Paul Krugman

(NEWSER) - With his proposal to give veterans vouchers for private insurance, Mitt Romney’s trying to fix something that ain’t broke. In fact, the current Veterans Health Administration is “a huge policy success story, which offers important lessons for future health reform,” writes Paul Krugman in the New York Times . It provides quality care while keeping costs down, thanks in part to the fact that it both provides and pays for care. More»

White House plans to make getting benefits easier

(AP) - With the military fighting two wars, President Obama said today the country has a "solemn responsibility" to ensure that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder get the help they need. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is to announce new regulations Monday intended to make it easier for veterans with PTSD to receive government benefits. More»