Vast Costs Loom in Disability Claims

[uscitizen]

Data Suggests Vast Costs Loom in Disability Claims


Published: October 11, 2006

Nearly one in five soldiers leaving the military after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan has been at least partly disabled as a result of service, according to documents of the Department of Veterans Affairs obtained by a Washington research group.

The number of veterans granted disability compensation, more than 100,000 to date, suggests that taxpayers have only begun to pay the long-term financial cost of the two conflicts. About 567,000 of the 1.5 million American troops who have served so far have been discharged.

“The trend is ominous,” said Paul Sullivan, director of programs for Veterans for America, an advocacy group, and a former V.A. analyst.

Mr. Sullivan said that if the current proportions held up over time, 400,000 returning service members could eventually apply for disability benefits when they retired.

Story at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/washington/11veterans.html?_r=2&ref=us&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[uscitizen]

Nuther bump for further consideration.

[Cancel7]

Gee, I hope this doesn't mean I have to do more than slap a "support the troops" bumper sticker on my car.

I mean, whoever thought they meant literally support them?

This smells like welfare to me. I'm going to have to draw the line at this. Sorry.

[uscitizen]

Darla, I think it is pretty strange that no one want to touch this thread ( in a serious manner) at all.
It is a significant cost in money as well as quality of life for the disabled vets.
I guess the war rooters just dont want to enjoy them movie, but not clean up ater the show is over ?

[Cancel7]

Darla, I think it is pretty strange that no one want to touch this thread ( in a serious manner) at all.
It is a significant cost in money as well as quality of life for the disabled vets.
I guess the war rooters just dont want to enjoy them movie, but not clean up ater the show is over ?

They cannot even begin to admit the vastness of this very long-term problem to themselves, never mind talk about it openly. If they ever really took in the human cost of this war, how could they defend it? Better to block it out.

[uscitizen]

They cannot even begin to admit the vastness of this very long-term problem to themselves, never mind talk about it openly. If they ever really took in the human cost of this war, how could they defend it? Better to block it out.

Yep sounds about right to me Darla.

[Prakosh]

Wait until Bush gets done with his wars in Iran and North Korea, he will have a continuing treatment for service disabilities bill that will dwarf Medicare and Medicaid combined. Both of them will be the same cakewalks that Iraq was going to be. Hey remember when Hillary Clinton took Rumsfeld to task for lowballing the costs and time that the Iraq war would take, and Rumsfeld denied he ever said anything like that.

Well, he lied

At one point before the war began he stated unequivocally: "It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months."

Why aren't these people being held responsible for their lies???

[uscitizen]

Why aren't these people being held responsible for their lies???
//
A couple of reasons there. Number one is that they are still in power.
Number two is that the American public by and large is a pathetic mess.

[Topspin]

the sky is falling the sky is falling.
USC, I made $5,000 in the market today. Are things really that bad.

[uscitizen]

You got the wrong group about the sky falling, that is Dixie and the Bushies on nukes and such.
Yep and you could lose 5,000 tomorrow, such is the way of gambling ;)
I have no complaints about the market going up , my 401k is finally growing again after 6 years of Bush.
Spin, I know it is all about you, if you are doing fine the world is good and everyone else is doing fine too ?
People make 5,000 in the market when most everybody else is losing their shirts too.
To have winners there has to be some losers.