The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) has trouble processing and handling all the veterans and their needs. The VA can’t handle all of the veterans that need help as there are too many to handle. The VA is severely underfunded to the point that many of the veterans that try to receive help can’t and often suffer without the proper medical care they need. The article states, …show more content…
“As of 2007, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) had a backlog of 400,000 unprocessed veteran claims, with waiting period of anywhere from six months to two years in order for these claims to be processed. During this period, these veterans receive no medical care and no disability benefits, forcing many to purchase private health insurance and forcing family members to take second jobs to provide for veterans who are no longer able to work” (Tucker). This statement Tucker makes symbolizes that in 2007, the veterans seeking disability and/or medical care can’t leaving them without work meaning no income from that one individual, leaving the rest of the family to try and keep up with items that the one individual cannot help with. Not only veterans seeking disability benefits are affected but veterans seeking help have a harder time getting the care that they need.
Veterans seeking help with mental issues, such as PTSD, cannot receive the medical care that is urgently needed. Veterans that suffer with psychological and mental problems often find themselves having a harder time getting the proper medical care that they should receive as it is far more difficult to deal with. Without the medical care the longer without help the harder for the veteran to cope with their issues. Tucker makes the claim that, “The difficulties that veterans face in receiving medical benefits are even worse for veterans in need of psychological care. Veterans are required to prove that their psychological conditions were not pre-existing conditions before military service” (Tucker). Veterans who are suffering from psychological issues find it difficult to get the proper help for the conditions their dealing with as the department helping them get help them get help find it harder to actually diagnose and they have to prove that the person stating that they have the medical condition isn’t making up the condition just to get the compensation. Veterans who suffer with psychological conditions, such as PTSD, who don’t receive proper care will most likely take their problems into their own hands and, sometimes, commit suicide. Veterans who don’t know how to ambly cope with their mental issues, which simply depends on whether they are unwilling to seek care or they are unable, are more likely to commit suicide as they don’t receive what they need to live a peaceful live.
Their condition is more likely to worsen over time as they may be obligated to commit suicide, as they would not want to continue with their mental issues. Tucker states in his article that, “However, the biggest problem facing veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is difficult to diagnose. The VA has done little to seek out and treat veterans with the disorder. Evidence of PTSD among veterans is best highlighted by the increase in suicide rates among returning veterans. In 2006, the VA reported over seventeen suicides per 100,000 troops and over 400 suicides by soldiers and veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan” (Tucker). PTSD is a very serious mental condition that is very common but not very concentrated on, but because of that many soldiers and veterans commit suicide. The numbers are continuing to grow as more and more veterans are rejected from the VA. Veterans’ psychological conditions are very serious, but often aren’t taken into consideration as much as physical conditions are. Though veterans’ benefits aren’t exactly what they should be, they do have more benefits than some people
do.
Veterans benefits, although they aren’t up to par, veterans receive benefits and compensation that can take them further in life than what some people usually have. Veterans GI Bill helps them go to college while others have to hope for scholarships or the need money just to get a better education for a proper job. If veterans continue to collect compensation money that they don’t necessarily need, they are taking away from future soldiers and veterans that may need the money to help with further education of if they go to war and they cannot do without it. Veterans benefits are not as strong or worthy as they should be. Many veterans’ families have to go without because their member that was once the main income maker is now not able as they are lacking what they need to be able to make money for themselves and their family members.