government
Court orders VA to provide better mental health care
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 23, 2011
A federal appeals court on May 10 ordered the Dept. of Veterans Affairs to repair its mental health system so that military members with post-traumatic stress disorder are better cared for.
Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth sued the VA in 2007, claiming systemic failures in the government's processing of disability claims and inadequate mental health care coverage for veterans.
In its ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said government PTSD treatment delays were so egregious that they violated veterans' constitutional rights. The failed treatment of mentally ill veterans also contributes to the more than 6,000 veteran suicides each year, the court said.
The appellate ruling reverses a 2008 district court ruling denying the plaintiffs' claims. The latest decision is available online (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/05/23/gvbf0523.htm.