(Army Times) Editorial: Redefine PTSD standard

[unhappycamper]

Redefine PTSD standard

Legislation pending in Congress would make a change for the better for veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after they separate from service.

The measure, part of an ongoing effort to modernize the veterans disability claims system, would mandate that PTSD diagnoses for combat veterans be presumed to be service-connected.

Under current policy, veterans must prove a service connection — specifically, that they “engaged in combat with the enemy” — in order to get the Veterans Affairs Department to cover care related to PTSD and provide benefits.

But VA’s standard of proof for what constitutes “engaging in combat with the enemy” is too high for many veterans suffering from PTSD to prove their case.

VA rules generally require a combat action decoration, unit records or other documentation to prove a veteran engaged in combat with the enemy. On a claim for PTSD — the “invisible wound” — veterans must show credible third-party evidence that they suffered combat-related stress, such as eyewitness verification.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/community/opinion/army_editorial_ptsd_030209/%2e