April 24, 2008 - Veterans Sue Over Healthcare

April 24, 2008 - A class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth claims that the healthcare system for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is so broken that some veterans commit suicide before their claims are settled.

The lawsuit seeks to compel the VA to improve its healthcare system, particularly the part that deals with veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A study released earlier this year found that record numbers of Gulf War veterans suffer from that and other psychological disorders.

In his opening remarks, the Plaintiffs' attorney said that the court is facing an agency in denial and a healthcare system that is broken down and in crisis.

Although the VA claims it has made great strides in improving its healthcare system, the Plaintiffs say the agency delays claims and benefits for such unreasonably long periods of time that many veterans wind up committing suicide before their claims are finally processed. Such delays can prove to be of critical importance when it comes to psychological disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, an anxiety disorder most frequently seen in soldiers who have participated in combat, and which can worsen quickly, often leading to suicide when not properly diagnosed and treated.

A spokeswoman for the VA said that the agency is doing its best to provide for the healthcare needs of war veterans, but admitted that it is not going perfectly. On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act, which extends the eligibility enrollment period by five years for service members who were in a theater of combat after November 11, 1998. While in theory, such a law provides healthcare for thousands of veterans whose lack of coverage might have otherwise prevented them from seeking the care they need, it does little to address the urgent need to ensure that those vets are actually receiving the care for which they are eligible.

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