Commander Hapner Speaks Out on PTSD, VA Backlog

To the Editor,

On July 13, The New York Times reported on the daunting VA claims backlog, which veterans’ organizations, such as AMVETS, say is approaching 1 million claims. As a response to this crisis-in-the-making, veterans’ advocates have taken heat for supporting Rep. John Hall’s legislation, which offers a presumption of exposure to veterans potentially suffering from PTSD. I want to take this opportunity to explain my organization’s stance on this issue.

Should Hall’s legislation take effect, veterans who served in combat would already have sufficient documentation to seek treatment for traumatic events courtesy of their military discharge paperwork, the DD-214.

Opponents of the bill say that veterans will seek to abuse the presumption of exposure, filing false claims in an effort to exploit the system. The VA has even expressed concerns over fraud. AMVETS’ response is that we would rather see a handful of undeserving veterans receive benefits, than to see veterans continually slip through the cracks.

When a veteran separates from the military and while they wait for the VA to adjudicate a claim, bills continue to pile up, creating a dangerous gap in earnings and care that experts cite as a leading contributor to homelessness.

Last night, thousands of veterans suffering from combat stress-related mental health conditions slept on the streets—many from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Countless others remain unemployed or unemployable as creditors knock at their doors.

These are the true consequences of the claims backlog. Veterans receive VA benefits as a way to compensate for the loss of earning potential and they receive VA mental health care as a mechanism to properly readjust to society.

With this presumption in-hand, the VA would be able to expedite claims and offer that care. Today, the average claim takes about six months to process, with multiple requests-for-evidence, personal statements, supporting statements, appeals and so on, while veterans, such as Damian Todd, are left to suffer.

The situation has been taxing on the veterans’ service community, as well, pushing many claims officers to their limits. Claims officers from the nation’s largest veterans’ organizations, American Legion, AMVETS, DAV, and VFW, who offer their services free of charge, processed a record number of claims and appeals in 2008. Creating a presumption for PTSD would ultimately reduce the number of appeals and the complexity of claims, allowing veterans’ advocates to deliver services in a more efficient manner.

Our nation’s leaders must not wait to act on this issue, as we did with Agent Orange after Vietnam. We don’t have 25 years to deliberate on whether or not PTSD poses a serious threat to the health and welfare of our veterans—we can already see its manifestations in our newest warfighters, and in war-fighters of previous generations.

It is unreasonable that a veteran should have to endure such a lengthy, convoluted process simply to gain access to their earned benefits. As a nation, we must do a better job of serving our veterans. Hall’s legislation is a small step in the right direction.

John C. Hapner
AMVETS National Commander

About AMVETS:    
A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America’s armed forces, AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring their earned entitlements, as well as community service and legislative reform that enhances the quality of life for this nation’s citizens and veterans alike. AMVETS is one of the largest congressionally-chartered veterans’ service organizations in the United States, and includes members from each branch of the military, including the National Guard and Reserves. To learn more visit www.amvets.org.