A research team at Harvard Medical School estimates 2,266 U.S. military veterans under the age of 65 died last year because they lacked health insurance and thus had reduced access to care. That figure is more than 14 times the number of deaths (155) suffered by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died (911 as of Oct. 31) since the war began in 2001.
Just passing this story along.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
from the article: "As a rule, VA facilities provide care for any veteran who is disabled by a condition connected to his or her military service and care for specific medical conditions acquired during military service."
I suspect that many of those 2,200 veterans were the emotionally wounded survivors of that debacle in Southeast Asia. As a boomer, I can think of no better way to honor those who served from our generation than to do everything possible to ensure that those with lasting invisible wounds are located, counseled, and provided the care that even they may not realize they need.