Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Report Finds VA Didn’t Follow Proper Procedures By Denying Veterans' Claims For Sexual Trauma Treatment
USA Today: VA Wrongly Denied Hundreds Of Veteran Claims Of Military Sexual Trauma
The Department of Veterans Affairs improperly denied hundreds of military sexual trauma claims in recent years, leaving potentially thousands of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder without benefits, a VA inspector general investigation found. Last year alone, the investigation found the agency mishandled as many as 1,300 sexual trauma claims. Some 12,000 veterans file for sexual trauma-related PTSD benefits each year. (Slack, 8/21)
The Wall Street Journal: VA May Have Erred In Rejecting Sexual-Trauma Claims, Report Says
The VA declined to comment beyond its official response to the report. In that response, Paul Lawrence, the top VA official for benefits, concurred with the findings and said the department would review all denied military sexual-trauma claims stretching back to late 2016. He also said the VA would improve training for claims processors and make sure trauma claims are handled by case workers with specialized training. The VA doesn’t expect to complete these fixes until fall of 2019. (Kesling, 8/21)
