Obama announces VA will ease rules for vets to qualify for stress disorder benefits

The Associated Press: "President Barack Obama said Saturday the country has a 'solemn responsibility' to ensure that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder get the help they need. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is to announce new regulations Monday intended to make it easier for veterans with PTSD to receive government benefits. The new rules will not only apply to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but also those who served in previous conflicts. The regulations drop a provision requiring veterans to prove what caused their illness. Instead, veterans would have to show that the conditions surrounding the time and place of their service could have contributed to their illness" (Pace, 7/10).

RollCall: "Obama called attention to a problem that has plagued veterans with PTSD for years: They have been required to produce evidence proving that a specific event caused their PTSD. That practice, he said, has kept the majority of those with PTSD who served in noncombat roles, but who still experienced war, from getting care" (Bendery, 7/10).

The Wall Street Journal: "For years, troops from current and previous wars have been required to provide specific evidence proving how their post-traumatic stress was caused, Obama said, noting that the practice has prevented many veterans in non-combat roles from obtaining needed care. 'I don't think our troops on the battlefield should have to take notes to keep for a claims application,' Obama said. 'And I've met enough veterans to know that you don't have to engage in a firefight to endure the trauma of war'" (Hughes, 7/10).

ABC News: "Veterans now will just be required to show a diagnosis of PTSD and that it was related to service overall, not a specific event. ... Under the current regulations governing PTSD claims, unless the veteran is a combat veteran the VA decision makers are required to conduct extensive research to find out whether the veteran actually experience the claimed 'in-service stressor.' The VA no longer will require corroboration of the stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, eliminating the requirement for the VA to search for records to verify stressor accounts - which they say was 'often a very involved and protracted process'" (Miller, 7/10).

Politico: "Obama said the changes should have been enacted a long time ago in a nation fighting two wars, including the longest in American history in Afghanistan. 'This is a long-overdue step that will help veterans not just of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, but generations of their brave predecessors who proudly served and sacrificed in all our wars,' Obama said. 'It's a step that proves America will always be here for our veterans, just as they've been there for us'" (Lee, 7/10).

The Hill: In his comments about veterans health issues, "Obama didn't specifically reference a finding that the Department of Veterans Affairs made last month, sending a letter to 1,812 patients informing them that they could have been exposed to HIV and other deadly viruses because of dental equipment that was insufficiently sterilized over a period of 13 months. The agency said the risk of infection was 'extremely low,' but urged patients to return for blood tests and was criticized for taking more than three months to send out the letters after it discovered the faulty safety precautions in March. ... Obama referenced 'a 21st century VA,' 'increasing its budget, and ensuring the steady stream of funding it needs to support medical care for our veterans.' Obama said he has asked for congressional funding to fund and implement a 'post-9/11 GI Bill.'" (Rushing, 7/10).