Email Shows Evidence of a Rotten Policy within the VA

by: Brandon Friedman

Thu May 15, 2008 at 15:00:28 PM EDT

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and VoteVets.org released an e-mail obtained from a Veterans Affairs (VA) employee directing VA staff to refrain from diagnosing soldiers and veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

On March 20, 2008 a VA hospital's PTSD program coordinator sent an e-mail to a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist stating that due to an increased number of "compensation seeking veterans," the staff should "refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out" and they should "R/O [rule out] PTSD" and consider a diagnosis of "Adjustment Disorder" instead.

Here's the actual email:

Here's the deal: At VoteVets, we hear anecdotal evidence all the time from returning veterans that the VA is trying to cut costs and to save resources by not diagnosing people with PTSD.  We hear suspicious stories about the VA diagnosing vets with personality disorders or adjustment disorders.  But we've never seen proof that there was an organized policy within the VA, or that there were directives coming from the top to actually do this.  And that's why this email is so important.  This email--sent by a VA Medical Center PTSD coordinator--directly ties the diagnosis to monetary concerns and not to the medical condition.  

As the vast majority of VA caregivers are superb, unfortunately, we need to find out if they're being pressured by higher up to give these diagnoses.  How high up the chain does this cost-cutting policy go?  Is this an over-zealous PTSD coordinator?  A rogue hospital?  Or is this coming from the highest levels of the Bush administration?  We just don't know yet.  But, given past anecdotal evidence, this email isn't the type of thing you allow to come across your desk without doing anything.  And that's why we're working with CREW to take action:

This week, CREW sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the VA asking for all records pertaining to any guidance given regarding the diagnosis of PTSD.

One way or another, we're going to get to the bottom of this.  This has gone on too long, and if this email is not an isolated incident--which anecdotal evidence seems to suggest it isn't--then the troops don't deserve this.

Treating PTSD in returning veterans is a cost of war.  And if that's not happening, then someone needs to stand before the American people and provide us with some answers.

We'll keep you updated on what the response is.

UPDATE: If you know of a veteran in a situation like this who would be willing to speak out, please have him or her contact me at brandon (at) vetvoice (dot) com.  Thanks!

UPDATE: This story has now been picked up by the AP and the Military Times.

UPDATE: Keith Olbermann talked about this story in his "Bushed" segment this evening.  Here's the clip:

UPDATE: The VA responds:

VA Secretary James Peake acknowledged in a statement that the e-mail did come from a VA facility, but said it's not official policy.

"A single staff member, out of VA's 230,000 employees, in a single medical facility sent a single e-mail with suggestions that are inappropriate and have been repudiated at the highest level of our health-care organization," he said. "The employee has been counseled and is extremely apologetic."

That's what we're going to find out.  Our FOIA request still stands.

UPDATE: The story has now been covered by CBS News and the Washington Post.