Letters, faxes, and e-mail

Monday, November 26, 2007=20

Veteran claims of PTSD astronomical:

The letter "Veterans denied care for PTSD" (The News, Nov. 19) = is an=20 all-too-common premise touted by many Vietnam veterans today that = begs=20 some clarification.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an affliction Vetarans = Affairs=20 medical center doctors find very hard to diagnose, as much depends = on a=20 patient's oral history of service-connected trauma. Because of = this lack=20 of essential medical data, the VA has tended to acquiesce in favor = of the=20 patient, resulting in the award of compensation.

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Knowing this, veterans' claims of PTSD have become = astronomical, with=20 illegitimate claims usurping a vast quantity of medical funds = sorely=20 needed for the treatment of veterans who have legitimate = illnesses,=20 including legitimate PTSD.

Like the letter writer, I, too, "urge all veterans and their = loved ones=20 to speak out if they have experienced a denial of VA PTSD benefits = based=20 on a dubious diagnosis," but I also urge all veterans to aid our = comrades=20 with legitimate illnesses by refraining from participating in this = sickening scam.

Armond "Si" Simmons

Pell City

All veterans should get benefits:

I am proud of my husband for serving his country for four = years;=20 however, veterans' benefits are not available for all veterans. =

My husband has early-onset Alzheimer's. I initially signed him = up at=20 the VA Medical Center for prescription benefits. His prescriptions = were=20 costing about $350 a month even with private co-payments, but with = VA=20 benefits, the charge was about $150 a month.

After evaluation and several months, my husband was admitted to = the=20 geriatric ward at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center. Nursing home = placement=20 was inevitable. After my husband had been in the hospital at the=20 Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center for 30 days, I received a phone call=20 indicating I had to pick him up immediately. My husband did not = have=20 benefits. I was told I owed the complete hospital bill, and I = would have=20 to pick up my husband, bring him home and find placement elsewhere = for=20 him.

How cruel can our government be? When our young men enlist, = they have=20 no idea where they will serve or in what capacity. Our government = decides=20 their fate. Then, in a cold act, our government decides not all = veterans=20 are really veterans.

All veterans should be entitled to the same benefits.

L.A. Howard

Fairfield

Americans' health their responsibility:

I am shocked at the debate in this country over funding of the=20 government-run State Children's Health Insurance Program. This is = America,=20 not Britain or Canada where the governments, in their infinite = wisdom,=20 took over the health-care systems. While many people claim = government-run=20 health care to be the best thing ever, it's actually a nightmare = for the=20 citizens of those countries.

Health care in America is not the responsibility of the = government, nor=20 is it the responsibility of smokers in this country to pay for = kids'=20 health care as a previous writer argued. That is utterly absurd. =

As shocking as it may sound, there are actually hospitals in = America=20 that are privately run and provide free health care to those at or = below=20 the poverty level and don't need a government bureaucrat telling = them to=20 treat poor people.

Obviously, this flies in the face of the mantra that everyone = in the=20 health-care field is greedy and doesn't care about poor people. = The fact=20 is government is greedy, not the industries.

Thanks to excessive taxation and expansion, our government has = been=20 allowed to bankroll massive entitlement programs such as SCHIP and = threaten anyone who speaks out against it as being "uncaring" or=20 "cold-hearted" about kids' health care.

If politicians really cared about kids' or anybody's health = care, they=20 would stay out of trying to run health care and stop using = children as=20 political pawns to serve their own advantage.

The best way to solve our health-care issues is to cut taxes, = giving=20 citizens more of their money back and forcing them to accept the = fact=20 their health is their responsibility and theirs only.

Phillip Edens

Irondale

Time for Congress to override veto:

Here we are, one of the wealthiest countries in the world that = can=20 spend trillions of dollars funding wars and other exploits, yet, = we don't=20 have a universal health plan for all citizens - as much of Europe = does -=20 and, more horrible, our children don't have one.

It is time for Congress to override the veto of President Bush = and give=20 our youths and the families of America the health insurance they = deserve.=20

America: Please rise to this occasion and help return this = country to=20 the honorable union it once was. It is time to stop this madness. =

Sally P. Smith

Birmingham