Now They Worry About PTSD Fraud? Where Is Patty Murray?

I guess it was inevitable with the dire situation of the economy and realization that Obamacare would end costing considerable more than expected, that fraudulent PTSD claims would cross someone’s mind. And as always, Veterans Healthcare falls under the microscope.

MSNBC posted a story by the Associated Press, Tide of new PTSD cases raises fears of fraud that contains the sudden realization, “Some veterans have learned to game the system to get disability payments,”

After years of pandering to Veterans and Veterans Groups who were outraged during the Bush administration at efforts to review PTSD claims for fraud, Democrats, now that they have control and have ruined the economy for generations to come, suddenly realize such fraud is a real possibility? Or, do they think such fraud could only happen once they have all responsibility in their soiled hands?

Either way you look at it, such fraud is not new. Veterans, like any group of people, have a small number that seek ways to game the system. Many have been found to have never even served in the Military, much less a combat zone, as was outlined in several pages of the 1998 book, “Stolen Valor” by B.G. Burkett & Glenna Whitley.

During the Bush years, the Veterans Administration announced it would be conducting a review of some 72,000 PTSD claims after a random sampling of 2,100 claims found about 25% “lacked adequate proof of a service-related stressor.”

Two questions were raised by Veterans advocate Larry Scott at the time. “How can a claim be awarded if the veteran doesn’t meet the standards set for that claim?” And, “If the VA didn’t note the documents, how could the PTSD claim have been awarded?”

Larry, who was an enlisted man serving as a “Broadcast Journalist at AFKN HQ, Seoul, Korea and AFN Lajes Field, The Azores, Portugal and a stateside tour as a Broadcast Journalism Instructor at the Defense Information School” and who claims “VA compensation for a service-connected disability” receives VA Healthcare from the same facility as I do, located in very left-leaning Portland, Oregon. In my visits there I have been treated with everything from pity to disdain for having served in Viet Nam.

My first visit, for a vesting physical a few years ago, I was asked a few questions such as, did I ever see blood? Did I ever see wounded soldiers of either side? Was I ever subjected to rocket or mortar attack? Was I ever sexually harassed? Do I suddenly become angry? Do I jump at sudden unexpected noises?

From those questions and a few others, I was told that I too displayed symptoms of PTSD, although I have yet to pursue any compensation. But, that was what it took. No documentation, no dates, no specifics, just answer yes to those few questions and bingo, you got it.

No one even asked for me to sign an SF 180 to review my Military records to see if I was even in Viet Nam, it was just accepted by my say so.

That, Larry, is how a claim could be made without the Veteran actually meeting such standards.

As I have said many times before, PTSD is a very real condition and can be very debilitating, leading too many to suicide if not treated. It is not a laughing matter nor is it something to be taken lightly or marginalized.

But neither is fraud. Fraudulent claims divert much needed resources and funds away from those truly in need to someone seeking easy money. That is wrong. And, as far as I am concerned, such fraud is criminal.

In 2005, thanks to the efforts of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and then excessively junior Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), those filing fraudulent claims gained a reprieve as an amendment was inserted into the Fiscal Year 2006 VA budget which would stop this review.

Murray crowed about the effort stating, “Veterans should not be punished for mistakes the VA has made, and that's what my amendment ensures.”

I fail to grasp how someone filing a fraudulent claim with the Veterans Administration is somehow the VA’s mistake.

Now, here we are, 5 years later, still engaged in a war that must be fought and was long over due when we entered it, Trillions of dollars deeper in National debt, an economy in shambles with raging unemployment and still we hear, “Some claims are built on a foundation of fake documents; in other cases, the right medals — plus a gift for storytelling — secure unearned benefits.”

Ms. Murray, Barack, I await your magic wand approach to just make this one go away as you did before. I wait your boasting of how you protected fraudulent filers of PTSD claims in 2010 as you did in 2005.

Just remember, now that you control all the purse strings, every case of fraud is not only wasted tax dollars going to someone undeserving of such care, it denies a truly deserving Veteran in real need of much needed care.