A victory for Veterans

The United States Court of appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered an in-depth reform of mental health for Veterans care, that are killing themselves by thousands each year because the Court called the "incompetence the existence" of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In a scathing judgement of 2-1 on May 10, the judges said delays in the treatment of PTSD and the constitutional rights of other veterans violate mental combat-related injuries. The delays are getting worse as more troops return from Afghanistan and Iraq, told the judges. Some 18 veterans commit suicide in an average day.

The obligations of the Government are clear. Veterans are entitled by law to be treated for injuries and diseases. The claims of benefits should be dealt with in days or weeks, but it takes an average of more than four years to meet fully a claim of mental health. When a veteran calls a disability rating, the process affects dramatically down. The problem is a chronic lack of resources and planning and an overwhelmed bureaucracy.

The judges said the system for the detection of patients suicidos proved to be ineffective, citing the conclusion of the 2007 of the inspector general that suicide prevention measures were mostly absent. The same report found that regional medical centres of the Department of veterans have experts on suicide prevention, but its 800 community outpatient clinics - veterans used more often not. This crisis invades too active soldiers, and the Pentagon has been to respond effectively. The Government has known what was against injuries P.T.S.D. and brain: the woes of the signature of the current wars.

This new regulation came two years later was presented the appeal, during which the Government attorneys and organizations nonprofit of Defense sued veterans for common sense and Veterans United for truth, were trying to negotiate a plan to fix the system. These negotiations failed, so the judges have referred the case to the Court of district of order one.

The Government can maintain attractive, but should work with advocates and approve a plan to deliver on the promise of the Affairs Secretary of veterans, Eric Shinseki, do better. For 25 million veterans, including 1.6 million who served in Iraq, and Afghanistan the choice is clear.