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Lawsuit Seeks Better Mental Health Care For Veterans
by
findingDulcinea Staff
On April 21, a judge will hear a lawsuit filed by retired veterans that demands more comprehensive mental health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
30-Second Summary
Veterans United for Truth has filed a lawsuit in federal court that claims that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can’t keep up with veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq who have post-traumatic stress disorder and other problems.
A judge will hear the suit on April 21 in San Francisco. According to Reuters, the plaintiffs hope the judge will “order broad changes in the administration of veterans' benefits or perhaps even appoint an outside administrator to oversee changes.”
If the VA denies benefits, veterans currently can’t do much about it, and they have “no legal right to specific types of medical care,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Their attitude is not what can we do to help you,” Barbara Bachmeier told Reuters; Bachman, 54, is an Army veteran who said she received inadequate treatment after being raped and sexually harassed during the 1980s.
The trial starts a week after a Rand Corporation report suggests that nearly a fifth of veterans coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq might have post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.
Depression and anxiety are problems veterans commonly report upon returning from active duty, but they aren’t the only ones who could be affected. Web guides created by findingDulcinea can help people learn about mental health issues, and where to find help.
A judge will hear the suit on April 21 in San Francisco. According to Reuters, the plaintiffs hope the judge will “order broad changes in the administration of veterans' benefits or perhaps even appoint an outside administrator to oversee changes.”
If the VA denies benefits, veterans currently can’t do much about it, and they have “no legal right to specific types of medical care,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Their attitude is not what can we do to help you,” Barbara Bachmeier told Reuters; Bachman, 54, is an Army veteran who said she received inadequate treatment after being raped and sexually harassed during the 1980s.
The trial starts a week after a Rand Corporation report suggests that nearly a fifth of veterans coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq might have post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.
Depression and anxiety are problems veterans commonly report upon returning from active duty, but they aren’t the only ones who could be affected. Web guides created by findingDulcinea can help people learn about mental health issues, and where to find help.
Headline Links: ‘Distressed war veterans get day in court’
The trial is expected to include testimony from veterans and VA officials. Kasey Corbit, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told Reuters: “He (the judge) can't actually make decisions about individual issues and while having a veteran talking about their individual experiences is emblematic of the problem, it's not particularly useful for the judge because he needs to hear about systemic problems.”
Source: Reuters
Federal lawyers said in filings against the VUFT lawsuit that courts shouldn’t decide what care veterans receive. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “[Government attorneys] 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.’”
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Key Players: Veterans United For Truth
Three retired men started the group in 2005 after hearing stories about problems accessing treatment and claims. Bob Handy, one of the founders, talked about the lawsuit with The Santa Barbara Independent. “We’re not afraid of the bastards. For a group of old farts like us to take on something like this is pretty unique.”
Source: The Santa Barbara Independent
Reference: Rand report, anxiety and depression, mental health
According to a survey from the Rand Corporation, approximately 20 percent of all American soldiers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan are suffering from mental health problems.
Source: findingDulcinea
Learn more about anxiety and depression, including how to identify and treat it, with the findingDulcinea Anxiety and Depression Web Guide.
Source: findingDulcinea
Anxiety and depression are common, but not the only mental health issues people can face. To learn more about other disorders, read the findingDulcinea Mental Health Web Guide.
Source: findingDulcinea
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