In yet another slap in the face of returning veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush and his administration are denying the veterans care for mental health problems.
A recent study indicated suicides among returning veterans is at an all-time high, but the Bush administration doesn't feel it owes any mental health care to the returning veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This report comes as news was released Saturday (see post below this) about how President Bush has reneged on his announced plan to allow war veterans to transfer their unsued education funds to their families.
Just when you think President Bush and his administration couldn't sink any lower in their treatment of returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, the Bush administration sinks to even lower depths.
Bill Corcoran, editor, CORKSPHERE, devoted to standing up for the Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and their families.
Veterans not entitled to mental health care, U.S. lawyers argue
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle
http://tinyurl.com/2eakp4
Veterans have no legal right to specific types of medical care, the Bush administration argues in a lawsuit accusing the government of illegally denying mental health treatment to some troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The arguments, filed Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, strike at the heart of a lawsuit filed on behalf of veterans that claims the health care system for returning troops provides little recourse when the government rejects their medical claims.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is making progress in increasing its staffing and screening veterans for combat-related stress, Justice Department lawyers said. But their central argument is that Congress left decisions about who should get health care, and what type of care, to the VA and not to veterans or the courts.
A federal law providing five years of care for veterans from the date of their discharge establishes "veterans' eligibility for health care, but it does not create an entitlement to any particular medical service," government lawyers said.
They said the law entitles veterans only to "medical care which the secretary (of Veterans Affairs) determines is needed, and only to the extent funds ... are available."
Go back to link for complete story.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN VETS DENIED MENTAL HEALTH CARE BY BUSH
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3 comments:
doctho said…
Congress has been screwing our veterans since this country has begun,and As a member of The Sons of the American Revolution, with a strong and proud military family, I feel Our government has been playing games with our veterans ever since the Oneida Indian Nation fought in the Revolutionary War. They were among our first American Solders and took up arms against the British to help our nation earn its independence after our Revolution. Our new government used land seized from the British to compensate our veterans and the Oneida veterans were stripped of much of their original territory, by having 10 million acres of land taken from them. Look how they have been treated by an ungrateful country.
Then the Civil War produced thousands of wandering veterans. Frequently addicted to opiates, they were known as tramps,Our first homeless vets, searching for jobs and, in many cases, literally still tending their wounds.
More than a decade after the end of World War I, the Bonus Army descended on Washington - demanding immediate payment on benefits that had been promised to them, but payable years later ,and were routed out of Washington DC by the U.S. Military,led by George Patton. In 1946,The to end all wars, the VA had beds for about 82,000 patients but the VA rolls swelled to 15 million in just a few months and the hospitals were virtually all swamped. There were 26,000 non service related cases also on the waiting list. The VA was building new hospitals but had money for only 12,000 more beds. They came too few too late. The Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952, called the Korean GI Bill, provided unemployment insurance, job placement, home loans and mustering-out benefits similar to those offered World War II veterans. The Korean GI Bill made several changes, however, in education benefits, reducing financial benefits generally and imposing new restrictions. The effect of the changes was that the benefit no longer completely covered the cost of the veteran’s education.
The most publicly and perhaps most painfully,That comes to mind was Vietnam Tens of thousands of war weary veterans, infamously rejected,crazy, or just forgotten by many of their own fellow citizens,elected officials,demonized by the media.
Presently our current service members have who have had repeated and extended deployments to war zones, have shown a rise in post-traumatic stress and other war-related wounds among troops,and 120 Suicides a week. While it is good to support your troops that are serving our interest it is better to demand accountability from those responsible for the lack of their care in these injuries. It is utterly disgusting that VA hospitals are turning away those most in need. Those in charge of VA hospitals need to take responsibility for their lack of actions. I believe the whole VA system needs an overhaul and very soon. More and more wounded troops coming home and they need both physical and mental health care.
Our troops deserve the best of all aspects of care! Wake up, America! We fail to take care of our own as we should and I think it’s time that we start.
This will surprise nobody who has ever encountered the VA medical system. The entire operation is a horror show mostly run by lazy, self-important, arrogant and self-satisfied bureaucrats. This kind of treatment has been going on for years and years and years. VA hospitals are in hopeless situations. This type of treatment is the rule and not the exception for those who are closely associated with regular active duty military. It’s sad, but true.
If certain services cannot be provided for a veteran or current military patients then they are suppose to be referred to a civilian facility with no cost to the service member or veterans. Many of our own are going without and this shouldn’t be a surprise for the VA system when it comes to treating any new service related conditions by ignoring it’ In this situation, the Iraq veteran is in the same boat as the Vietnam veteran in the 1970’s. At least now, they have a name for it,It’s called PTSD, and like Agent Orange has been proven,So well depleted uranium be proven but the VA doesn’t take it seriously tell a very large group of veterans die from their exposure.
It’s terrible that our country is still ignoring the cries of our vets. It’s no surprise what is happening with the Syracuse Veterans Hospital if similar acts are occurring around the country. I’ve have made many attempts in the last four years to talk with Mr. Cody, the head of the VA hospital in Syracuse NY, about these conditions He is self-important, arrogant, with a “don’t call me I’ll call you” attitude and there has been no dialog. I believe that Mr. Jim Cody should tender his resignation for the good of our veterans.Veterans Preference….Staff the VA with Veterans!
Dennis Thorp is a native of Frankfort and served as an U.S. Army medic during the Vietnam War. He is co-founder of Agent Orange Victims International.
Doctho@roadrunner
Hi Dennis: Thanks so much for your enlightening comment on my blog.
I'm also a veteran, but of the Korean War. I was a Combat Engineer in the Army.
I would like to draw your attention to a comment made on another thread on my blog about the new bacterial infection which is being brought back to VA hospitals from our troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
There are links there and a contact which you might want to get in touch with as you both seem to be working toward the same goas.
Just go to the post about the new bacterial infection troops are bringing back from Iraq and Afghanistan. I posted the story from ABC News late Saturday afternoon.
Again, my sincere thanks for your contribution and if there is anything I can do just post a comment on this thread and I'll be happy to provide all the assistance I can for you and the very worthy cause you work for.
Bill Corcoran, editor and host of CORKSPHERE.
Dennis: Not sure this will work, but I copied it from the other post.
Post a Comment On: corksphere
"TROOPS FROM IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN BRING BACK DEADLY BACTERIA"
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Marcie Hascall Clark said...
Hey Bill
Good to find your blog.
This is a story that has not yet really made it to the MSM.
The ABC story is a cut and paste from a real story by Chas Henry for a Naval publication. This story and his television spots about Acinetobacter baumannii can be found at his site www.chashenry.com.
These Superbug strains of Acinetobacter baumannii from the military evacuation route from Iraq and Afghanistan are the result of Pure Negligence.Our troops were sent into war underfunded, undermanned, and completely unprepared to deal with the results.Our field hospitals were never prepared to deal with the onslaught of casualties. Equipment was filthy, doctors and staff were overworked, the most basic of supplies were not available.The strains of Acinetobacter baumannii from the military originated in Europe, Germany, where much of the medical equipment was forwarded to Iraq. They were fast tracked to nearly complete drug resistance by the misuse of antibiotics by doctors trying desperately to save lives and limbs.This is just another big screw up by our government. It wasn't even intentional.Rather than deal with it and contain it, they put more effort into covering it up.
Steve Silbermans story at
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.02/enemy.html
is extremely well documented and tells the whole story up to the time he wrote it last year.Since that time it has been allowed to spread like wildfire while no one, including ABC would talk about it.Hundreds, probably thousands, of lives have been lost this bacteria.Read Steves story, check out my site
www.iraqinfections.org,
and stay out of the hospital wherever you are.
February 9, 2008 5:36 PM
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