Veterans Affairs to Relax PTSD Evidence Requirements
EmailABC News’ Sunlen Miller reports:
Calling post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries the “signature injuries of today’s wars,” President Obama announced in his weekly address that on Monday the Department of Veterans Affairs will make it easier for veterans to get the benefits they need.
“For years, many veterans with PTSD who have tried to seek benefits – veterans of today’s wars and earlier wars – have often found themselves stymied,” the president said.
On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs will announce new regulations that will liberalize and relax PTSD evidence requirements in order to make it easier for veterans to receive benefits.
Noting that the PTSD benefits process has been “long and tenuous” in the past, senior administration officials said the new regulations will help those claiming PTSD immediately.
“It’s really making it a lot easier, because the threshold has been liberalized to the point where it’s much easier to verify,” a senior administration official said in a conference call in advance of next week’s formal announcement.
The new regulations will eliminate the need for veterans to document specific events that caused their PTSD. Veterans now will just be required to show a diagnosis of PTSD and that it was related to service overall, not a specific event.
“We’d look to see that PTSD was the actual diagnosis, then we would also look for the claim in terms of how this diagnosis is related to the service,” the official said. “That nexus is extremely important. And under this new procedure, once the veteran makes that claim of how those two things are related all we’re really looking at is to see … if that claim stressor is consistent with the places types and circumstances of his service.”
They will just need to see that based on the “overall experience” they had in service “that they were in a place where that type of situation would have come up.”
“They’ve been required to produce evidence proving that a specific event caused their PTSD,” President Obama said in his weekly address. “That practice has kept the vast majority of those with PTSD who served in non-combat roles, but who still waged war, from getting the care they need. Well, I don’t think our troops on the battlefield should have to take notes to keep for a claims application. And I’ve met enough veterans to know that you don’t have to engage in a firefight to endure the trauma of war.”
The new process will be streamlined and will result in veterans receiving mare timely decisions on their claims, the administration said.
Under the current regulations governing PTSD claims, unless the veteran is a combat veteran the VA decision makers are required to conduct extensive research to find out whether the veteran actually experience the claimed “in-service stressor.”
The VA no longer will require corroboration of the stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, eliminating the requirement for the VA to search for records to verify stressor accounts – which they say was “often a very involved and protracted process.“
“As a result, we will be able to more quickly reward veterans suffering with PTSD,” the administration official said. “So what we’re doing here is creating a new process that will be much easier for veterans that will enable us to expedite the processing of their claim. … The purpose of the regulation is to simplify the process and make it easier for veterans to be able to pursue their claims with us.”
The new regulation will potentially benefit all veterans, regardless of their period of their service, and it is not limited to veterans with direct combat experience — such as truck drivers in current combat who “legitimately could have a fear every time they go out on the road that bad things could happen.”
The new regulation acknowledges the nature of military conflicts today and in the past to include: “guerrilla warfare, insurgent activities where stressors may include constant vigilance against unexpected attack, the absence of a defined frontline, the difficulty of distinguishing enemy combatants from civilians, and the ubiquity of improvised explosive devices.”
In his weekly address, President Obama noted that in the past PTSD wasn’t something that was talked about.
“And as a result, our troops and their families often felt stigmatized or embarrassed when it came to seeking help,” he said.
The regulations still require that the diagnosis of PTSD to be verified by a VA psychiatrist or a contracted VA clinician.
“This is a long-overdue step that will help veterans not just of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, but generations of their brave predecessors who proudly served and sacrificed in all our wars,” Obama said. “It’s a step that proves America will always be here for our veterans just as they’ve been there for us. We won’t let them down. We take care of our own.”
– Sunlen Miller
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This is a move LONG overdue. Good work, Mr. President!
Posted by: Matthew | July 10, 2010, 6:32 am 6:32 am
I concur longgg overdue! 35% of Iraq and Afghanistan Vet’s suffering from PTSD…shocking, watched a show last night, chronicled several individual cases and dumbfounded,hurt and otherwise dismayed at the lack of concern for mostly “kid’s” being ignored!!! Kudo’s Prez…from a VET!!!
Posted by: John Clanton III | July 10, 2010, 7:04 am 7:04 am
Now lets get some transparency and accountibility here – why aren’t these costs considered a part of military spending?
Posted by: Flash Override | July 10, 2010, 8:42 am 8:42 am
My service began 60 years ago during the Unpleasantness in Korea, as I call it since people stateside were reluctant to call it a war. Coulda fooled me. My VA claim has been in process for FOUR years.
Now many, many vets will be spared the further stress of dealing with a VA frozen in time.
Congratulations to President Obama, Congressman Hall and General Shinseki, who are each working in the direction of serving in turn those of us who have served “in defense of the Constitution of the United States.”
Posted by: James W. Cayton | July 10, 2010, 9:13 am 9:13 am
My husband is a V. A. Social Worker on an inpatient unit. This is good news b/c the is a very real problem for many young men coming out of the service or being discharged b/c of PTSD. Also have a friend who son should have received help when he came home from service and he ended up murdering his young wife.
Posted by: Mary Ann | July 10, 2010, 10:26 am 10:26 am
If you watch “Need to Know” on PBS last night, they’ve set up a new court in Houston, TX(like drug court) for retuning veterans charged with crimes. It’s about time they considered PTSD as a direct cause of their crimes.
Posted by: rich | July 10, 2010, 10:42 am 10:42 am
VA psychiatrists and psychologists have also been “discouraged” from giving a diagnosis of PTSD along with the service member being expected to document a specific incident that was the cause. It looks like the system has been rigged all along against the acknowledgement, probably to both keep costs down and mask war realities.
Posted by: jane | July 10, 2010, 11:47 am 11:47 am
6 more dead in Afghanistan.Steele,Coulter and Paul are right-it is Obama’s war,poorly thought out,poorly executed with little chance of success.The Bush doctrine was the best that we could do with the lowest cost in lives in that country.It worked-how many Al Qaida are in Afghanistan?
Posted by: Nephron | July 10, 2010, 11:59 am 11:59 am
If this latest move from Obama is anything like his Obamacare – he is simply mouthing positive change and making it easy to apply for care, while at the same time actually RESTRICTING access to medical care by denying vets treatment.
You can’t believe ANYTHING Obama says.
Posted by: One_American | July 10, 2010, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
Halleluiah!!!!!
This is long long overdue! But it’s only one of the many ways the VA and the military have insulted and harmed returning vets.
Let’s hope these new processes are implemented swiftly and correctly.
Too many such promises have been made only to be meaningless because of poor planning and insufficient staff and resources.
I have a few friends and 2 family members fighting for this right now. I will be checking with them often.
Posted by: malcat | July 10, 2010, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm
Nephron blabbed, “6 more dead in Afghanistan. Steele,Coulter and Paul are right – it is Obama’s war,poorly thought out,poorly executed with little chance of success.The Bush doctrine was the best that we could do with the lowest cost in lives in that country. It worked-how many Al Qaida are in Afghanistan?”
That is without a doubt the STUPIDEST thing I have ever read here, bar none.
Posted by: Searambler | July 10, 2010, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
Searambler,do you know ANYBODY who has served in Afghanistan?Is the security situation ANY better than 2 years ago?5 years ago?Did you read ANYTHING that Obama’s hand-picked commander said before he “resigned”?Stupid-I’d put my higher education credentials up against Obama’s any day.And probably yours as well.
Posted by: Nephron | July 10, 2010, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
“I’d put my higher education credentials up against Obama’s any day.And probably yours as well”
Searambler didn’t try to assert that you were stupid, your post was, and I have to agree. You can be highly educated and still be totally misguided. There are some incredibly unbelievable rumors that Rush Limbaugh is intelligent for instance.
Posted by: Skip | July 10, 2010, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
The president has been ‘putting his money where his mouth is’ since been elected. Thank You, MR. PRESIDENT! These men has long deserved more than “mere” words of “appreciation, honor, etc”. You have shown what they mean to the U.S. I am a spouse of a Viet Nam vet, and I can truly say this administration has made his life easier and more pleasant as his body and illness from the many bombs he dropped or fired or the agent orange he inhaled or ingested is showing devastating effects on him. He remains proud to have served. Thank you Mr. President!
Posted by: sara | July 10, 2010, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
Although he was wrong for saying it McChrystal basically agreed with my position,as did his staff in the RS interview.It is what I’ve been hearing from Afghan vets for months.I doubt that falcon or Skip even know an Afghan vet.If you had family members there you would understand.
Posted by: Nephron | July 10, 2010, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
sara,what illness does your husband have from Agent Orange?
Posted by: Nephron | July 10, 2010, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
I’ve been waiting 18yrs with a Combat MOS.
Posted by: D | July 10, 2010, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
“Although he was wrong for saying it McChrystal basically agreed with my position,as did his staff in the RS interview.It is what I’ve been hearing from Afghan vets for months”
ROFLMAO!
That’s right upo there with your claim that you’re Phi Beta Kappa!
Keep chasing the birth certificate
Posted by: Ryan C | July 10, 2010, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
Ryan,you don’t know any Afghan vets,do you?You’ve never been in the military,have you? ROFLMAO.Quite a limited vocabulary there.Perhaps if you read the RS article you would learn something.Try the American Scholar for vocabulary enhancement.
Posted by: Nephron | July 10, 2010, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
sara,what illness did your husband get from dropping bombs?What illness does he have from Agent Orange?
Posted by: Nephron | July 10, 2010, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
I am all for helping the BRAVE and DEDICATED men and women who fight when called on. Those who really need the help its long past due HOWEVER what about those people who are already faking PTSD will it be easier? its pathetic that someone like my uncle who was really physically injured that can barely survive (might have to sell his home)because he cant get more and IS disabled but a guy like my neighbor can fake PTSD so he didnt have to go back etc…can collect almost $70000 a year but can build decks etc but is “disabled” and retired living the good life just because they cant prove its not PTSD. I dont get it! I feel for those servicemen and women who are truely struggling after serving. Speed up the process yes but dont open the easy door for those who are playing the system because its too easy already!! God Bless our country and those who defend it!!!!
Posted by: alrightythen | July 10, 2010, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
I guess we know at election time who 3 million soldiers and their extended families believe assisted the military with PTSD. Since the press screwed them by not covering the war because they did not think it was important, they do not read your inaccurate assessments. The military also knows that you were the ones who rolled with Barack in labeling them right wing jihad terrorists when you knew how poor VA treatment was.
Best Regards from the 45Th President of the United States
Chris
Posted by: Chris Kern | July 10, 2010, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
All talk and no action!
Posted by: Steve richardson | July 10, 2010, 6:57 pm 6:57 pm
Chris Kern Said: “Since the press screwed them by not covering the war because they did not think it was important, they do not read your inaccurate assessments. The military also knows that you were the ones who rolled with Barack in labeling them right wing jihad terrorists when you knew how poor VA treatment was.”
=======================================
LOL ….. Hmmmm… As a soldier who did two tours in Iraq:
(1) I DO NOT remember “the press” not covering the wars. In fact, the press was all over the place, “embedded” with the units I served with.
(2) I DO remember the Bush administration implementing a total ban on photos of the true heroes, i.e., those killed-in-action (which I totally disagreed with). What was the deal with that??!!
(2) I DO NOT remember this current Commander-In-Chief “labeling” American military as “jihadist”. He did not vote for the Iraq War, but isn’t that his right as a U.S. Senator, i.e., to vote for what he thought was right, and not just follow the crowd? In hindsight, I still wonder how we ended up with 160,000 troops in Iraq and only a yearly average of 17,000 troops in Afghanistan for a 7 year stretch?
(3) I do also remember how the Republicans completely tried to block the post 9-11 G.I. Bill at every step, as the Democrats pushed it forward. Thank God for Democrats like Senator Jim Webb (VA) and Representative Bobby Scott (VA) who pushed the bills through both houses of congress.
(4) I do also remember how in 2008, the Iraq-Afghanistan Veteran’s Association, gave “Barrack” a letter grade of “B” and John McCain a letter grade of “D”, for their support of legislation to help veterans.
Yeah, Chris Kern, I sure do know who I will continue to vote for this November and in 2012… and it SURE ISN’T for the party you apparently are thinking about.
Posted by: "Joe", U.S. Army | July 10, 2010, 7:51 pm 7:51 pm
This is a long overdue and I give thanks to Sir Mr. President for treating our veterans they deserve to acknowledge their hardship and being ill. This because the veterans and the families are extremely suffering hardship.
Posted by: Jacob | July 11, 2010, 2:01 am 2:01 am
Thank you Mr. President Obama for a job well done. We honor you for you service in helping our men and women who serve with Valor and the best of their ability. They come home injured and need treatment and care. You saw the need and got it done. We appreciate you very much. To all the Veterans we thank you for the sacrifice you and your families have given for our freedom that Democates appreciate. Aloha Aunty Zee Tutu
Posted by: Aunty Zee Tutu | July 11, 2010, 5:56 am 5:56 am
How did Obama allow this to SLIP BY??
Wounded Warriors Face New Tax This Independence Day
From John Kartch and Ryan Ellis on Friday, July 2, 2010 12:51 PM
As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day with parades and barbecues, America’s veterans face a new tax on prosthetic limbs and other vital medical devices.
The health care overhaul passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama earlier this year contains a new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, and wheelchairs. This tax, which its proponents claim will raise $20 billion over the next ten years, contains no exemption for the nation’s 22 million veterans. In fact, Senate Democrats specifically refused to exempt veterans from the tax.
On March 24 2010, Senate Democrats rejected an amendment offered by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to the healthcare bill. This amendment (SA 3644) would have prevented the medical device tax from hitting veterans covered by the Veterans Healthcare Program or TRICARE for Life. This amendment was rejected by a vote of 44-54. All but five Democrat senators voted in favor of retaining the tax for veterans.
The medical device tax was one of over twenty new or higher taxes in President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul. This permanent new tax is being collected now.
“On March 24, Senate Democrats had the opportunity to exempt our veterans from Obamacare’s new tax on medical devices such as prosthetic limbs. But 54 Democrats voted against the measure. They chose to side with the tax-and-spend crowd in Washington over our wounded warriors,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “This is one of the many reasons Harry Reid and the Democrats did not want Americans to read the 2,500 page health care bill before it was passed.”
In addition to those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports the following number of veterans from America’s wars:
World War II: 2,079,000
Korean War: 2,507,000
Vietnam War: 7,569,000
Desert Shield/Storm: 2,254,000
Posted by: PappyHappy | July 11, 2010, 8:25 am 8:25 am
“He did not vote for the Iraq War, but isn’t that his right as a U.S. Senator, i.e., to vote for what he thought was right, and not just follow the crowd?”
Since he was not a Senator at the time, he did not have a vote. And as a non Senator at the time he was not privy to the intelligence provided the Senate, yet decided not to support the war while those who knew the intelligence, including Democrats, supported the effort. What does that tell you about his decision making capability?
Posted by: Sigmonde | July 11, 2010, 11:14 am 11:14 am
What about the many that have slipped
through the cracks.What about the many
that had outstanding service,came home
from war and went AWOL. For no reason except that they had PTSD.I was one of those men.Luckly I got caught and was returned to my unit before I was considered a deserter.My friend wasn’t so lucky.After 3 tours in Vietnam he returned home and went AWOL.He received a dishonorable discharge.He got 40 years of hell,arrest,and alcoholism.Am talking about someone that was a outstanding person until he returned from Vietnam.Why can’t we pull these heroes up from between the cracks!If my friend is still alive.Would you like to meet him Mr.President.Oh! the guilt that I feel.
Posted by: John | July 12, 2010, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm
“Veterans Will Get Benefits They Need”??
This statement is a far departure from Obamas proposal, (which was killed by his advisors) that returning veterans should have to buy their own health insurance to pay for treatment of combat wounds.
This clown flip flops so much, that he makes John Kerrys “I voted for it before I voted against it” look like a rock of stability.
Posted by: Jon Weiss | July 13, 2010, 6:56 pm 6:56 pm
I served 22 years 1976 to 1998, during that service I was exposed to numerous carcinogens, benzine, dry solvent, etc. When I retired in 1998, I was given a clean bill of health aside from a back injury that I had the foresight to well document. In 2001, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. The Oncologist says that benzine and radiation are the only known causes of this type of cancer. I applied for a disability through the VA, they replied that since it was not found during my retirment physical, that the military has no responsibility. All appeals have been denied without action.
So much for taking care of vets.
Posted by: Jon Weiss | July 13, 2010, 7:00 pm 7:00 pm
I will thrilled with this because my son has been fighting for his benefits for nearly 4 years. He has PTSD, epilepsy and a TBI. I call the VA office yesterday? They said it still has to go to Congress and that they still want dates within 2 months. My son was around explosions EVERY DAY in Baghdad and Sadr City. His humvee was rattled constantly from explosions.
Seems the VA doesn’t have to listen to the President after all.
Posted by: justamom | July 14, 2010, 11:22 am 11:22 am
My son can remember incidents with very specific detail but he can’t remember the dates so they tell us they don’t count. That’s baloney!
Posted by: justamom | July 14, 2010, 11:23 am 11:23 am
I believe this is an awesome idea and won’t waste the the veterans time. However I am concerned for all past claims such as mine will go to the bottom of the pile. I have been waiting 3 years for an answer from the VA. I hope this is not true and wish the best for all veterans. I hope also they do not have to go through what I have and currently facing with the Appeals.
Posted by: Sue | July 21, 2010, 10:39 pm 10:39 pm
im a disabled vet, im highly offened by what im reading on this page. these people in here talking against obama are just simply troublemakers and just really dont want to see him succeed. everything he tries to do to help vets, people is not good enough for these people like “alrightythen”, when did you become a doctor to know if someone is faking? did you serve your country? did you fight? where you there? do you know what it does to your mind just know that you’re going to WAR. believe me sir or mam, there’s no feeling like knowing that you may not come back home to see your family. can you feel that from your couch watching CNN or Oreilly making judgements about something you know nothing about.
Posted by: michael | July 28, 2010, 12:17 am 12:17 am
Well it’a about time someone stepped up to the plate and looked out for our many veterans who have serced this country faitfully. I too served three tours of duty in Vietnam from September of 1967 through september of 1970. Yes, I endured extensive exposure to agent orange while fighting that war. I also suffer with type II diabetes, coronary artery disease, PTSD, lower back strain, erectile dysfunction along with many other related illnesses. In May of 2004, I also suffered a massive heart attack which required my having to undergo five coronary bypasses to save my life. I later applied for PTSD and was blatantly denied. It’s a damn shame we’ve treated in this manner all these years after faitfully serving our country and honoring our Constitution. Thank you Mr. President (Barak Obama). Again, it’s about time someone stepped up to the plate and looked out for our veterans.
Posted by: James F. Plain | July 29, 2010, 1:11 pm 1:11 pm
I want to see this, not just read about it. I just hope it’s not more of the “feel good” crap that the politicians use to fool the main stream. Siemper Fi brothers and sisters
Posted by: jws2346 | August 27, 2010, 9:02 pm 9:02 pm
I was in South Korea 1976 August the 18th when the 4 officier were hacked to death. It was world wide news. I was assigned to a infantry unit A. co 1st/9th Infantry 2nd Division. I’ve just had a VA Psy Dr. tell me that I wasn’t in a war zone and I am like what does that have to do with what I have experienced this sickness of PTSD ran in my life destroying my families security and finances in regard to my ability to be a husband and a father. The VA has fought me at every turn. This point of turn will and the help of the President and Congress will make them international Heros for my family’s suffering in support for over 35 years.
Posted by: Gerald L Collick | February 27, 2011, 9:14 pm 9:14 pm
Thank you Mr. President I think you are doing a great job . You have had a big mess to clean up but i think your working out the kinks just right Thank You! You will get there.
Posted by: Maria Guerrero | June 16, 2011, 8:37 pm 8:37 pm
In his weekly address, President Obama noted that in the past PTSD wasn’t something that was talked about.
Posted by: magic bullet | August 27, 2011, 5:32 am 5:32 am