Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Resources Strained by Flood of Returning Troops

According to an article in USA Today, the VA is going to severely struggle to provide proper treatment to the incredible number of veterans and disabled veterans that will walk through its doors over the next year.

Every 3 months, in 2011, saw 10,000 combat veterans seek help for their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from VA clinics and hospitals across the country. There are now more than 210,000 veterans suffering from PTSD, and those are only the veterans who have turned to the VA for treatment. The VA’s resources are already strained in attempting to keep up with demand.

The number of veterans seeking treatment has increased more than 5% per quarter. It was also reported that veterans seeking help from the VA for the first time have wait times far outside the VA’s 14-day target waiting period.

The VA certainly has their work cut out for them over the next couple of years. Not only is it absolutely necessary to get mental health counseling to veterans in need within a reasonable amount of time, the VA must make health care available to veterans living in more remote and rural areas too. Further, it’s critical the VA dispel the stigma surrounding receiving mental health care.

The VA reports they only treat about half of the veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many veterans don’t even seek treatment, but the VA has to focus on bringing them in for help as well.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.