25% of returning vets filing claims for permanent service-related disabilities

[rainbow4321]

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/IraqCoverage/story?id=2678859&page=2

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. "The costs that we see today are just the very, very tip of an enormous iceberg," says Bilmes.

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.

"We have essentially another entitlement program, like a mini-Medicare situation," Bilmes says. "We have a large amount of costs that is going on for many years, and we have the Veterans Administration, which is completely ill-equipped and under funded."

<snip>

"In 2004, the VA had a backlog of 400,000 cases. Last year it was 500,000 cases. Now the backlog is 600,000 cases," she says. "That's just in two years. And the big wave of returning Iraqi veterans has not even hit yet."

[uppityperson]

1. k&r for getting help for those our administration hurt

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. The VA needs to once again

get beyond fully funded.

Of cuorse if we had national health service then the VA would become one cog in that machine

[ClintonTyree]

3. I think many of the returning vets are....

in full "cover your ass" mode filing for disability benefits now, as they should be. Not that there aren't a host of actual vets who are mentally and physically disabled right now, but I think a lot of them learned from the handling of the Viet Nam era Vets. They saw what the after effects of Agent Orange were, effects that didn't manifest themselves until years, sometimes decades, afterward. If they file now they'll have an easier time of it later on when the real effects of this war start showing up. Depleted Uranium ordnance are being used on a wholesale level and who knows what else these Vets are being exposed to over there? It's better to document their claims now than than to try to convince a VA, that's seems anything but Vet friendly, later on.
In general, I think more Vets are smartening up to the government's underhanded tricks after they've used them up and discarded them, and are covering all their bases for future claims. Good for them. More of them should do the same.

[rainbow4321]

4. Take a look at some of the "non-hostile" causes

These are troops who apparently served in Iraq but were transported to either the US or Germany for further treatment and then died from their "illnesses".

Acute leukemia, pneumonia, acute pancreatitis..wonder what the illnesses were where no specific diagnosis is listed.


http://icasualties.org/oif/Dow.aspx

USA
08/17/03 Ivory, Craig S. Non-hostile - illness - heat related Germany
08/14/03 Kirchhoff, David M. Non-hostile - illness - heatstroke Germany
08/06/03 Colunga, Zeferino E. Non-hostile - illness - acute leukemia Germany
07/12/03 Neusche, Joshua M. Non-hostile - illness - pneumonia? Germany
07/08/03 McKinley, Robert L. Non-hostile - illness - heatstroke Germany
07/04/03 Coons, James Curtis Non-hostile - suicide
03/31/03 Jeffries, William Andrew Non-hostile - illness - acute pancreatitis
05/22/03 Harvey, Leonard Non-hostile - illness
05/18/04 Chaney, William D. Non-hostile - illness
11/07/04 McVey, Otie Joseph Non-hostile - illness
10/03/05 Pankey Jr., Larry Wayne Non-hostile - illness
11/24/05 Christensen, Ryan D. Non-hostile - illness
12/15/05 Boyce, Timothy R. Non-hostile - illness - brain aneurysm
10/18/06 Barlow, Patrick O. Non-hostile - illness

[madokie]

5. I know from experience, you speaketh the truth

[Mandate My Ass]

6. entitlement program???

Are they effing serious? These people served in a hell hole and risked life and limb every day. Geez, why on earth would they want to be taken care of now that their physical/mental health has been shattered? :eyes: