Veterans and Military Families Caucus

Congressman Gerry Connolly said a major change on how the Department of Veterans Affairs handles individual cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among combat veterans will benefit those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as older veterans dating back to the Vietnam War.

Connolly hailed the announcement by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki that the VA will adopt a rule granting presumption of service connection to any veteran who served in a combat zone and has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Connolly has been pushing for better treatment of PTSD among veterans since early 2009 when he co-sponsored the COMBAT PTSD Act (H.R. 952). The legislation would create a presumption of service connected disability for veterans diagnosed with PTSD.

“I applaud the decision by the VA to adopt the intent of this legislation as VA policy,” Connolly said. “Today’s news is long overdue for veterans, who have experienced PTSD, and their families. It is our duty to care for all who have answered the call to defend our nation, including those with wounds that may not leave physical scars, but are debilitating, nonetheless.”

Currently, less than half of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans diagnosed with PTSD are receiving benefits from the VA. The rule change will also have a dramatic impact on many older Vietnam-era veterans, who are often diagnosed many years after their traumatic incident, which makes the service-related connection very difficult to establish.

Before this change in VA regulations, veterans who applied for disability benefits related to PTSD had to demonstrate to the VA that their illness was service related, essentially denying benefits to thousands of veterans unable to document their claims after their discharge from service. The new rule will make it easier for all veterans suffering from PTSD to receive VA health care and disability compensation, and many Vietnam veterans who were denied PTSD benefits in the past may now be eligible.
In a statement issued today, Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., the national commander of the 2.1 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries, called the VA secretary’s decision to ease PTSD claims requirements a sea-change in the mindset of the VA.

Tradewell, a combat-wounded veteran, said it follows numerous other decisions that increased the list of presumptions for diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure; increased services and programs for women veterans, veterans who reside in rural areas as well as the homeless; and reduced the size of the claims form from 23 to 10 pages. Tradewell said even the VA’s outreach to patients possibly exposed to improperly sterilized equipment at a small number of its hospitals reflects the department’s proactive, veterans-first attitude.

“The VA is acknowledging that mental injuries can be just as debilitating as any physical wound, and to no longer require veterans to relive their nightmares in great detail is a very positive step forward for veterans of all generations,” Tradewell said.