ABC: Vets Skeptical VA Can Cope with Iraq War Wave

[RamboLiberal]

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/IraqCoverage/story?id=2678859&page=1

Sgt. Brent Bretz has had 57 operations since he lost both legs in Iraq.

Bretz, 24, is getting care at Brook Army Medical in San Antonio, and expects to be discharged soon on 100 percent disability. But he will need still more surgery and is counting on the Veterans Administration (LINK) to pay for it.

Advances in body armor and battlefield medicine mean soldiers are surviving injuries that would have killed them in past wars. Some will need lifetime care — which means the government is facing a massive bill.

According to recent research by Columbia University economist Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard economist Linda Bilmes, caring for Iraq's wounded will cost the government $127 billion.

<snip>

More than a quarter of returning Iraq veterans are filing claims for permanent service-related disabilities. And the researchers say Veterans Administration hospitals are already overwhelmed.

[JI7]

1. i wonder if that's why Bush doesn't want to provide all the equpment

to the soldiers. it would mean while they would survive in greater numbers, they would need lifetime care that would be costly. so he would rather than die and not have to worry about paying for it.

[Monkeyman]

2. Under funded, under staffed and budget cuts under Bush

Have broken the VA. Democrats have promised to repair it but is it to late. A great site to keep updated is http://www.vawatchdog.org or read my post when its about the VA. Last year alone 600,000 veterans were denied health care. It is going to get three to four time worse because of one out of four returning troops have mental problems. Plus we have the hand Bush picked Veterans Commission who want to close 18 VA hospitals. Only good thing right now is the two anti-veteran Chair-mens are being replaced by Democrats.

[suston96]

3. Don't mess with......

...our elections and with our veterans.

The price that will be paid by politicians who do so is, uh - unmentionable here. Yeah, it is.