Is The Army Shortchanging Injured GIs?

Commission: Unwieldy, Inconsistent System Is Being Used To Rate Severity Of Disabilities

(AP) 
Later, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., sent a letter to Bush to express concerns about Kussman's nomination as permanent undersecretary for health. Obama asked that Bush direct VA Secretary Jim Nicholson to release briefings and reports pertaining to when the department first learned of problems at Walter Reed.

Nicholson, meanwhile, said a presidential task force he is heading to improve troop and veterans care was working vigorously and planned to issue recommendations next week.

One primary focus of his department, he said, has been to pare down the backlog of claims, which currently take an average of 177 days to process.

"This is too long," Nicholson said in written testimony to the Senate Appropriations panel. "We must and will reduce the pending inventory and shorten the time veterans must wait for decisions on their claims."

At the joint hearing of Armed Services and Veteran Affairs, lawmakers recounted stories from injured troops and veterans who described long waits, lost paperwork and subjective ratings as they moved from military hospitals to the VA's vast network of 1,400 clinics and treatment facilities.

In particular, critics contend the ratings are easily manipulated to limit disability payments and create undue confusion.

"This is not a new issue," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Our nation has a moral obligation to provide quality health care. We as a nation are not meeting this."

"For ratings 30 percent or above, there is a cost to the Army," said Geren, but he disputed that officials would shortchange troops on benefits.

"We have found no evidence the officers and soldiers on the disability boards have been influenced, but that is certainly something we can look into," he said.

Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, decried the poor coordination between the Pentagon and VA after years of warnings and recommendations by congressional committees and a presidential commission.

Geren defended efforts to improve care, saying he had confidence in a new leadership team installed after disclosures in February of shoddy outpatient treatment and bureaucratic red tape at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

An independent review group appointed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this week that money woes and Pentagon neglect were to blame for many of the problems, concluding that "leadership at Walter Reed should have been aware of poor living conditions and administrative hurdles."

In recent weeks, the Army has added case managers, set up telephone hot lines and sought to reduce paperwork. It says it will take into account the findings of numerous investigations currently under way.

[sclaires]

I grew up as an Army brat and then worked 17 1/2 years for them. The only time I had decent medical care was when I was 8 years old and had a severe bone infection. And this was on Okinawa in 1949 to show you how long ago it was. The rest of the time I did not receive the care that I should have and was never diagnosed with Lupus which I have had since I was at least 12 or so.

My mother received some of the worse medical care that I can think of from so-called orthopedic surgeons at an Army hospital. I don't know if the surgeons were board-certified or not but from what I could see, they didn't know what they were doing.

I then worked at an Army hospital as a typist during part of my working career. And this was over 25 years ago and the medical care was as bad then as it is now. For a hospital that is on a basic training base, they don't even have an emergency room. There is a 12 story building but only about 20 or so beds are used. And at one time all the beds were in use. Now that hospital sends all the dependents, retired military, and most of the active duty military to civilian hospitls downtown. Apparently they figure they will get better care in a civilian hospital then in the Army one. After working there, I know I wouldn't get anywhere near it for any type of medical care.

[doc18d]

Not a one of you has a clue of what your spewing in here. I am a Disabled Vet. During my time in the militarty and now I have received nothing but the best medical care. Since when did this country care what conditions the soldiers live in. The only reason you care now is to politicize it. These facilities did not get run down ion the last 6 years. We soldiers have been living in and recieving medical treatment in substandard conditions for the last 26 years that I have been a soldier and the first 18 years of my life as a military dependent. No one political party is responsible for these conditions. All americans are. Stop bashing Bush for a second and do something productive to fix this system. Or doesn't that fit into your agenda.

[drinuk]

Of course they are shafting these guys, same in the UK. These kids are coming home injured and having to lie in hospital beds supposedly looked after by bloody Islamic cretins who are taking the P I S S out of them. Jeeeezz. Batman and Robin (Bush & Blair) should be strung up, this is the stuff of revolution.

[bluestardad]

ASK THESE BOUGHT B A S T A R D S WHY THEIR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL TRUMPS THEIR DUTY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING KILLED FROM THEIR STATES?

ASK THEM HOW MUCH AIPAC INFLUENCES THEIR VOTES ON IRAQ?

IF YOU DON%u2019T KNOW WHAT AIPAC IS THEN DO A LITTLE RESEARCH OR SHUT THEHELL UP YOU IDIOTS! TRULY SOME OF YOU ARE SO IGNORANT IT DEFIES REASON THAT YOU CAN CROSS THE ROAD!

http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm


Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)
Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)
Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)
Warner, John- (R - VA)

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[e-mail] Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[johnshaft4]

In light of the VA reprehensible treatment and Bush war lies, misrepresentations, ANYONE who would go to Iraq instead of Canada until this blows over is suicidal.

[me4prezz]

I work for a hospital that is a only a couple of miles from the VA hospital. We are CONSTANTLY getting veterans at our hospital because they cannot wait any longer or get the care they need at the VA hospital here. But, they come to our hospital and they don't get their care covered, but they will die waiting for the care they need at the VA.

SOLUTION:
Pay for veterans health care from the billion dollar industry of oil that has seen record breaking profits in the last....oh....7 years? Yep, since Bush went into office. What a coincidence!

We have the billion dollar oil industry pay for verteran health benefits in lieu of an inquiry into gas gouging and call it even.

[randalds]

Yes they are. This is because the republicans in power right now pledged to run this country like a business. Of course they failed in the running it efficiently part, but because of this philosophy they see our wounded troops not as human beings or brave soldiers, but rather as an expense. Something that gets counted against profit. So they are, like in any business, providing them with the absolute minimum of care and at the lowest price. This is, for instance, why they contracted out the maintenance at Walter Reed to a Halliburton subsidiary, who immediately slashed the maintenance staff from 300 to 100. You've seen the result. The upshot is that this administration does not see our wounded troops as actual people, but rather only as a liability to be disposed of as cheaply as possible. They simply do not care any longer for troops that can't keep fighting. They are expendable refuse to them.

[ne_patriot7]

Hmmmmm.. this is how Republicans support the troops....
1- send them to war without a plan,
2- without proper body armor,
3- without vehicles that are armored
4- extend, extend, extend the tours
5- stop loss, so you're stuck in the service forever.
6- using weekend warriors for full time war.

and when they come home broken and hurting:

7- cut their benefits
8- charge them for their meals while in the hospital
9- cut their benefits some more.
10- put them in hospitals with moldy walls and rats running around.
11- rate their disabilities low to save money.
12- cut their benefits some more.
13- deny them psychiatric help at critical times.

Why on earth would anyone want to volunteer for an Army the Republicans have so f*cked up..

On behalf of all injured soldiers... Thanks Bush.... for nothing, you useless piece of cr@p..

[frankly6]

So this is what Bush means by "support the troops"?

They go and fight for this country trusting that if they should be injured their country will make every effort to make them whole. But instead they have to come home and fight their own government to get adequite care.

[taylpatr]

The only thing that makes me glad about this situation is that when I meet my maker,I won't have the karma that our lawmakers are bringing on themselves.If they had any humility or humanity, they would forgo their automatic raise and take care of the men and women who fight their battles for them.Lookout,Mr.Politic!God's watching you!So is the Devil!Your hole is getting deeper.I would suggest that if you feel any guilt or remorse over this,ACT ON IT!

[j-whitman]

Yes, big time ,, Shortchanging our troops, injured GI's & all thier families -- But what's new ?? Republicans say it's honorable.