VA expects no claims spike under new PTSD rules

[unhappycamper]

VA expects no claims spike under new PTSD rules
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jul 12, 2010 20:48:41 EDT

Veterans Affairs Department officials who are lowering the bar for veterans to receive benefits related to post-traumatic stress disorder say they don’t expect more people to try to jump over it.

But VA may be underestimating a potential flood of claims that could result from an Obama administration decision to make it far easier for veterans who served in noncombat jobs to prove their mental health issues are service-connected.

Final rules are expected to be published in Tuesday’s Federal Register, and will apply to any PTSD-related claim filed beginning Tuesday or that is pending before VA, including those under appeal at any step in the process. As a result, retroactive benefits claims are possible for some veterans, because the effective date for benefits is the date a claim is filed.

Veterans whose PTSD claims were denied will have to reapply, with their benefits effective from the day of the claim.

Dr. Robert Petzel, VA undersecretary for health, described the new policy as “historic,” especially beneficial to women veterans and those who had been assigned to support and administrative units. Those veterans, unlike troops from combat units, had to prove they experienced something in their service that caused their PTSD. And the records of people in supporting units often don’t contain information about sniper fire, explosions, mortar attacks and other incidents that could be the cause of fear, helplessness and horror — the root causes of post-traumatic stress, Petzel said.



unhappycamper comment: I wonder if Tet of '68 and Cambodia count?

Perhaps I should give it a try.