Newspapers Examine Health Care for Contractors, Soldiers Returning From War
Two newspapers recently published articles related to health care for contractors returning from Iraq and for wounded veterans. Summaries appear below.
- Contractors: The New York Times on Thursday examined how many contractors in Iraq "work side-by-side with soldiers and are exposed to the same dangers, but they mostly must fend for themselves in navigating the civilian health care system" when they return to the U.S. According to the Times, about 126,000 U.S. residents, Iraqis and other foreigners have worked as contractors in Iraq. Of those, 13,000 have been injured and 1,000 have died since the conflict began, the Times reports. Federal law mandates that employers provide medical insurance for those who work in a war zone. Among contractors, 205 have filed claims for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Department of Labor. Industry officials say that many more contractors likely need treatment. According to the Times, some of those who have filed medical claims for such issues "have been denied coverage and have filed lawsuits." The federal government has not examined mental health problems among private workers, according to Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs officials. Paul Brand, a psychologist and CEO of Mission Critical Psychological Services -- a Chicago firm hired by contractor Dyncorp International to assess and treat its workers -- said, "I think the numbers are in the thousands, maybe tens of thousands. Many are going undiagnosed. These guys are fighting demons, and they don't know how to cope" (Risen, New York Times, 7/5).
- Hot line: Long Island Newsday on Tuesday examined how a military hot line set up to field requests from injured Iraq veterans and their relatives has logged more than 3,500 calls since it was established three months ago. The Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline -- 1-800-984-8523 -- was created earlier this year after reports of poor outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The hotline is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week, by 100 employees on three shifts. Hot line staffers field calls related to issues including missing records, medical treatment, requests for surgery and help with the benefit evaluation process, among other things. The service aims to have an answer for callers within three business days. According to Newsday, "The operation essentially cuts through red tape like no average caller could" (Jelinek, Long Island Newsday, 7/3).
Broadcast Coverage
American Public Media's "Marketplace Morning Report" on Thursday reported on backlogs at the VA in processing disability benefits applications. The segment includes comments from Ed Reese of Disabled American Veterans; Linda Bilmes, an economist at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; and a veteran receiving disability benefits (Henn, "Marketplace Morning Report," American Public Media, 7/5). Audio and a transcript of the segment are available online.
