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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomesDepartment of Veterans Affairs proposed PTSD rule change
Rule would make it easier for veterans with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder to receive benefits and treatment

For immediate release
October 23, 2009
Contact: Willy Ritch (207) 841-8400

In a letter sent yesterday to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)Secretary, General Erik Shinseki, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomes aproposed rule change that would make it easier for veterans to establish theservice connection needed to receive treatment and benefits for Post TraumaticStress Disorder (PTSD). The Congresswoman also urged that the rule applyto all veterans, no matter when they served.

"I commend the Secretary for his proposal, which is a dramatic shift in currentpolicy. For years, veterans have carried the burden of proof to show that theirPTSD is service-related," said Pingree. "This proposal is a step in theright direction to guarantee that veterans who suffer from PTSD get the careand benefits they need. Veterans have already sacrificed enough and wedon't need to put unnecessary barriers between them and the benefits theydeserve."

Currently, in order to get benefits from the VA, veterans with PTSD must havean established medical link between a traumatic combat event and theirdiagnosis. They also need military documentation to verify the traumaticincident.

Many veterans who suffer from PTSD cannot provide this documentation forvarious reasons, such as lost or inaccurate records and ever-changingbattlefields where a "front line" no longer exists.

The VA's proposal would require only a veteran's testimony of the incidentalong with a diagnosis from a VA psychologist or psychiatrist, removing therequirement for military documentation.

"It is extremely important to me that all veterans who suffer from PTSD benefitfrom this new rule, regardless of when they served," Pingree said. "Someveterans have been suffering from this condition for decades and it's time wegive them the support they deserve."

This proposal was published in the Federal Register, with public comment periodending today, Friday, October 23, 2009. The VA will review all commentsreceived and establish the final rule in the coming months.

Full text of the letter (pdf also attached):

October 22, 2009
Dear General Shinseki,
I writeto extend my deepest appreciation for your recent decision to seek changes inthe requirements for veterans who seek to establish service-connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
As you know, PTSD is an invisible wound of war that has taken its toll onthousands of our veterans, regardless of the combat theater where they served.Under the current system, veterans who suffer from PTSD carry the burden ofproof to establish a connection between their military service and theirpsychological disorder. In order to establish this connection, a veteranmust have a diagnosis and a medical link to a claimed stressor, which must beverified by either written documentation or "buddy statements." All toooften, however, veterans are unable to provide the required information becausethe documentation has been lost, the stressing events have been poorlyrecorded, or, in some cases, the events have not been recorded at all. Additionally, symptoms of PTSD can surface years after a stressors takesplace, making it prohibitively difficult for veterans to locate former comradesand obtain a "buddy statement." This is an unacceptable situation.
I strongly believe that your recent decision to change the requirements forestablishing a service-connection to PTSD is in keeping with recent medicalresearch and embodies a common sense approach to ensure that our veteransreceive the care and compensation they deserve. As such, I respectfullyrequest that the final rule to be established by the Department of VeteransAffairs applies to all veterans of any conflict, past or present.
I have been contacted by Maine veterans from almost every era who are seekingassistance with their VA claims. While their stories of valor and serviceare common, these veterans also shared a common obstacle in documenting aservice-connection to symptoms of PTSD. All of these veterans deserve tobenefit from this rule change and I implore you to ensure that this happens.
I am sure we both agree that it is the responsibility of the Federal governmentto ensure that every veteran who suffers from PTSD has the proper access tocare. As such, I urge the VA to do everything in its power to spread theword about this dramatic shift in policy and work with the Veterans ServiceOrganizations to inform the nation's veterans of these changes.
I look forward to working with you in these endeavors. Thank you for yourservice to our nation, and for your steadfast dedication to our nation'sveterans.

Sincerely,
Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress

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