veterans' health care news stories on Newser

Even Minor Head Injuries Boost Risk of Dementia

Mark Russell — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 06:00:00 CDT

Even mild brain injuries can significantly increase the chance of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, says the largest brain injury survey ever conducted, and the first to concentrate on veterans. The study examined more than 280,000 veterans who were at least 55 and received care at Veteran...

Vets With PTSD May Have Been Denied Benefits

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:09:56 CST

The military is speeding up a review of the records of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder to determine whether they were improperly denied benefits. The agreement stems from a class action lawsuit filed by seven combat veterans who alleged the military illegally denied benefits...

Vets' Families Seek Pay as Caregivers

Katherine Thompson — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:39:00 CST

Wounded soldiers receive disability pensions based on the extent of their injuries, but for many families that money doesn't come close to covering the costs of caregiving. After Matt Keil returned home a quadriplegic, his wife, Tracy, quit her job to care for him, losing a $58,000 per-year income...

Obama: I Must 'Earn the Trust' of US Military

Jonas Oransky — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:08:55 CDT

Because he hasn't served in the military, Barack Obama says, “I have to earn the trust of men and women in uniform.” In a wide-ranging interview with Military Times , the presumptive Democratic nominee vowed to raise pay and improve health care for service members, promised he would not preside over...

Democrats in House Catch Populist Fever

Jonas Oransky — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:39:18 CDT

Despite conventional wisdom suggesting Congress would be in a holding pattern until November, a new surge of energy behind Democratic domestic spending bills is poised to deliver populist promise this summer. An airline passenger bill of rights—an “unapologetic attempt to position lawmakers on the side of harried travelers,” writes...

Obama Wants Probe of VA Drug Tests

Ambreen Ali — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:23:42 CDT

Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John Cornyn are seeking a probe into reports that veterans had been recruited for tests on drugs linked to suicide, ABC News reports. An ABC News/ Washington Times story noted that vets were given the anti-smoking drug Chantix in government tests, but for more than...

VA Doctor Discouraged Post-Traumatic Diagnoses

Rob Quinn — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:55:37 CDT

A team leader at a veterans' medical center in Texas sent staffers an email urging them to avoid diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder, the Washington Post reports. "Given that we are having more and more compensation-seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight...

US Sent 43,000 'Unfit' Troops to War

Kevin Spak — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:03:39 CDT

The US has sent more than 43,000 troops deemed medically unfit for combat to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, USA Today reports. Since 2003 soldiers deemed non-deployable by medical officers have shipped anyway, according to Pentagon documents, with unit commanders overruling doctors. “It is a consequence of the consistent...

'Sorry' Gates: We Let Down Our Soldiers

Jason Farago — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:04:29 CDT

Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted yesterday that the US military made mistakes in taking care of soldiers back from Afghanistan and Iraq, reports Reuters. He said he regretted that veterans had received inadequate care for physical and mental problems, particularly those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Gates also acknowledged that...