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Well, okay, no, not really:

A psychologist who helps lead the post-traumatic stress disorder program at a medical facility for veterans in Texas told staff members to refrain from diagnosing PTSD because so many veterans were seeking government disability payments for the condition.

"Given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out," Norma Perez wrote in a March 20 e-mail to mental-health specialists and social workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center in Temple, Tex. Instead, she recommended that they "consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder."

VA staff members "really don't . . . have time to do the extensive testing that should be done to determine PTSD," Perez wrote.

"Many veterans believe that the government just doesn't want to pay out the disability that comes along with a PTSD diagnosis, and this revelation will not allay their concerns," John Soltz, chairman of VoteVets.org and an Iraq war veteran, said in a statement.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said in a statement: "It is outrageous that the VA is calling on its employees to deliberately misdiagnose returning veterans in an effort to cut costs. Those who have risked their lives serving our country deserve far better."

Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake said in a statement that Perez's e-mail was "inappropriate" and does not reflect VA policy. It has been "repudiated at the highest level of our health care organization," he said.

"VA's leadership will strongly remind all medical staff that trust, accuracy and transparency is paramount to maintaining our relationships with our veteran patients," Peake said.

Peake said Perez has been "counseled" and is "extremely apologetic." Aikele said Perez remains in her job.

"Most people exposed to trauma, in general, can get better," Ng said. "You don't want to over-diagnose people with PTSD. Whether it's adjustment disorder is one thing. It's usually a temporary disorder with severity that is not as bad as someone with full-blown PTSD."

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The Bush Administration: Fucking over Vets since 2003!

Comments

How many right-wing drones are still carrying Support Our Troops ribbon magnets on their cars, without a clue about what that actually means?

Posted by: Moeskido | May 17, 2008 4:36 PM

I got behind a car in a traffic jam the other day. On the right of the plate holder was a sticker with a red-white-and-blue ribbon that said "Support Our Troops." On the left was a Yellow ribbon saying: "Keep My Soldier Safe." Does anybody but me see a contradiction here? Since anyone who advocates keeping "Our Troops" alive by not sending them to fight the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time are immediately accused of not "Supporting" them, obviously "Support Our Troops" is a euphemism for: "Become a mindless advocate of never missing any opportunity to send them off to get killed for no earthly reason whatsoever, and never question what the hell they're doing attacking Iraq, for example, in retaliation for an attack by 18 Saudis and one Egyptian at the orders of a Saudi fanatic."

I just thought that "Keep My Soldier Safe" on the same car was a little contradictory, is all....

Posted by: Gatesbasher | May 17, 2008 8:04 PM

I've been wondering what the 20-teens term for "going postal" is going to be. With all of these head injuries and piss-poor postwar vet support, you know it's coming. And, as you say, "these are people who are very good with guns".

Posted by: ricket | May 18, 2008 5:02 AM