Wounded Troops Face Too Much Bureaucracy

by mike_brewer on Oct.27, 2009, under Health, Politics, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Wounded Troops Face Too Much Bureaucracy

How do you support our troops?

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that troops injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to face too many bureaucratic hurdles. Paperwork alone for them can be “frustrating, adversarial, and unnecessarily complex,” Gates said. Gates spoke at a mental health summit with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. By appearing publicly together, they sought to reinforce their commitment to tackling veterans’ health issues and the stigma associated with seeking mental health care. Among U.S. troops who have fought in the recent wars, Gates says brain injuries and mental health ailments are “widespread, entrenched and insidious.”

This is the way we support our troops? By causing frustration and adversity? The stigma associated with mental health issues exists not only among active duty military, but perhaps even more importantly, it exists in a very big way in the public. Yes, it’s difficult to understand the issues of combat veterans, but we MUST understand them, for the sake of those who put their lives on the line for our country, and for the hope of a future without war.

Support our troops by educating yourself about post traumatic stress.

1 Comment for this entry

SantaCruzSam
October 28th, 2009 on 1:36 am
You know what else is “widespread, entrenched and insidious?” The pure insanity of the “pre-existing condition” dictums that are like edicts for the Insurance industry.

Did you know that a Veteran with a diagnoses of PTSD, cannot get life insurance? Yup, the answer is nope! So, you can take the notion of ’stigma” to the power of 8. What young soldier is going to seek help knowing that they will not be able to get life insurance when they enter their vocation and start a family?

So, the down and dirty fact is here, the nation you defend cannot defend you! There are no adjectives for this–at least not in polite company.

The tactic then? Get your insurance before the diagnosis.

But still, this very aspect alone makes the current Health Care and Insurance Industry untrustworthy and not deserving of the soldier and Marines defense of them. Somethin’s gotta change.

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