ARE VIETNAM VETS SICKER, OR JUST AFTER COMPENSATION?
Study suggests dramatic increase in number of Vietnam vets receiving disability compensation has been fueled more by growing incentives for lower-skill whites than by an actual increase in disabilities. NOTE from Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org … I’m sure this study will garner more than a few comments from readers. Part of the study conclusion states: … a large number of … claims in this most recent cohort are for PTSD and that PTSD is an especially expensive diagnosis associated with high program costs and large earnings losses. But the costliness of PTSD claims comes in large part from the link with IU (Individual Unemployability) and the consequent increase in … benefits. Case reviews in VA Office of the Inspector General (2005) show that mental health visits declined by 82 percent after an IU rating decision, and that many granted an IU determination stop seeking treatment for mental health entirely, though health care visits for other conditions are unchanged. Likewise,
