Vets still lack timely health care

Philadelphia Daily News, June, 2008 by DAVID GAMBACORTA gambacd@phillynews.com 215-854-5994

Life has been anything but easy for thousands of U.S. soldiers who have returned home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

In addition to bearing the physical and psychological effects of their time on the battlefield - amputated limbs, blindness, brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder and more - many veterans have faced an uphill climb just trying to get their benefits.

As of two years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs had a backlog of about 400,000 disability claims, with some claims taking six months or longer to straighten out, according to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an advocacy group.

Despite efforts to speed up the claims process, the backlog remains at about the same number now, VA officials said.

To make matters worse, the Department of Defense and the VA have lagged at making the transition to civilian life easy for soldiers.

According to a report issued ...