Of new U.S. veterans, almost half seek disability aid

AP ^ | 5-27-12 | Marilynn Marchione

[TurboZamboni]

America's newest veterans are filing for disability benefits at a historic rate, claiming to be the most medically and mentally troubled generation of former troops the nation has ever seen.

A staggering 45 percent of the 1.6 million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now seeking compensation for injuries they say are service-related. That is more than double the estimate of 21 percent who filed such claims after the Gulf War in the early 1990s, top government officials said.

What's more, these new veterans are claiming eight to nine ailments on average, and the most recent ones over the last year are claiming 11 to 14. By comparison, Vietnam veterans are currently receiving compensation for fewer than four, on average, and those from World War II and Korea, just two.

[TurboZamboni]

Just over half of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans eligible for VA care have used it so far.

Of those who have sought VA care:

--More than 1,600 of them lost a limb; many others lost fingers or toes.

--At least 156 are blind, and thousands of others have impaired vision.

--More than 177,000 have hearing loss, and more than 350,000 report tinnitus -- noise or ringing in the ears.

--Thousands are disfigured, as many as 200 of them so badly that they may need face transplants. One-quarter of battlefield injuries requiring evacuation included wounds to the face or jaw, one study found.

[Doctor 2Brains]

for later

[KeyLargo]

I believe it.

Sadly with so many of our military men and women, including National Guard and Reserves being sent by our Government to active combat zones on multiple tours it is very understandable.

[whitedog57]

Huh. I have had ringing in my ears ever since I left the service at the tail end of the Vietnam conflict. Never thought to file for disability.

And still won’t.

One of my friends was part of a tank crew and is really screwed up both physically and mentally. Him I understand. Still uses a cane and wakes up screaming almost every night.

I walk around with a nice scar on my left shoulder from being shot. Looks ugly so i don’t go shirtless or wear a tank top. When i did, i was asked too many questions. After a while, you really don’t want to talk about it.

And I am in DC for Rolling Thunder!

[SgtHooper]

The hearing loss and tinitus is mostly a BS ailment. I wonder how much they get. The rest listed are certainly valid and we, the people, should pony up to take care of our military once they deros.

[Tailback]

The hearing loss and tinitus is mostly a BS ailment.

Really? I guarantee my hearing loss came from the military. Do I collect benefits for it? No. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[tacticalogic]

They may be being encouraged to file for disability. Then they don’t have to count you as unemployed.

[rbg81]

When I retired, we had an outbrief from some VA drone. He practically begged us to get a VA physical and apply for disability benefits. Even if you DIDN’T THINK anything was wrong with you.

[DariusBane]

I will ditto tailback on this one. My ears ring all the time. It’s from military service. It’s fine with background noise, but loud as he’ll going to sleep. I can cope by using a “squirrel cage” fan which is very loud. I have not filed for disability but my hearing is deteriorating at middle 40’s.

I won’t try to file until I need hearing aids.

[donozark]

10% max for tinnitus-both ears and constant.

Audiology exams difficult to fake nowadays.

[Professional Engineer]

I’ve got hearing loss in both ears, with a 70dB threshold at 6,000Hz. Never thought about the disability angle.

[MrEdd]

So you personally reject medical imaging technology. A nonnegotiable requirement to spew position you just asserted.

Well don't be a hypocrite, punk. If you get cancer or a brain aneurysm you just go right ahead and tell them not to use those BS machines on you because you know for a fact the things they show aren't real.

You will have no problem doing that, because you weren't talking out your ass, right?

[donozark]

If you wait to file until you need hearing aid, it may be too late...

Is the incident in which you lost partial hearing fully documented? If not, try proving it 20-30 years hence.

Here's a suggestion. Free. Take one of those no-cost hearing tests. They may be able to tell you what range of hearing loss you suffer from and give you some idea of what to do.

Hearing aids may run $5K-for a good one.

[ConorMacNessa]

Multiple deployments and ridiculous ROE's that render our guys much more vulnerable - no surprise to me that they're filing VA disability claims at record pace.

They signed on the dotted line, stepped up to the plate, served in combat for the Nation, and were wounded by gunshot, RPG, and IED.

They earned it, they deserve it, and they should receive it. Get rid of some BS social programs that don't pass Constitutional muster anyway - channel those funds to pay benefits to our wounded Vets.





Nos genuflectitur ad non princeps sed Princeps Pacem!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[tacticalogic]

It’s probably about the same amount of paperwork whether it’s 10% or 100%. The VA drone is there to generate paperwork. In Washington generating paperwork creates jobs.

[JRandomFreeper]

I have hearing loss from jets (F-15s) and big guns. Doc on base found out I was going to take the 13 WPM Advanced morse code test (back in the day when that mattered) when I came in to find out what freq I couldn't hear. He offered to write me a waiver letter to the FCC.

I declined the letter, and had the test done in a frequency that I can hear.

An interesting side note is that my hearing loss is a nice notch filter that excludes shrill females and most whiney teenagers.

My grandchildren catch my eye to talk to me so I can read their lips.

/johnny

[Riley]

And I am in DC for Rolling Thunder!

So was I. Wonder how many were there today? I think that at least three of the Pentagon parking lots got packed.

My hearing is blown as well. I'm not disabled- folks just need to stop mumbling and sound the F off. :-)

Never filed any claim either, that's just the breaks.

[rangerwife]

Husband has both and gets 0% for it and he had an anti-tank grenade nearly take off his head to be blunt. I think the hearing loss has to be pretty severe to get any kind of rating for it.

[DariusBane]

I was diagnosed at 30 percent loss on exit. I think I can get the hearing aids paid for.

[donozark]

Very, very difficult to get 100%. Requires mountains of paperwork. Many exams. 10% for tinnitus is the max. One exam. One audiology exam. Reviewed by Regional office. Ruling issued.