Gulf War veterans get a health care boost

It's long been noted that for many military veterans, problems often don't end just because a soldier has returned from combat. Coming home can be a difficult readjustment, and if he or she is facing health problems, that can only exacerbate the transition. So it's welcome news that the Department of Veterans Affairs is now trying to fill certain gaps in health services it provides to veterans, and a Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force has outlines many ways to address better care for veterans; some of those include improved data-sharing between veterans and the government, so that the Defense Department can communicate with veterans about potentially hazardous exposures, and keep track of their long-term health.

One of the big recommendations of the task force that is being adopted by the VA is addressing, diagnosing and treating nine infectious diseases presumed to be linked with service in the Gulf War (therefore called Gulf War Illnesses). According to the Department of Defense, "That ruling, once adopted, will impact veterans who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. It will relieve those suffering from the designated diseases from the burden of proving their ailments are linked to service in the Persian Gulf or Afghanistan to receive VA health care and disability payments.

The nine diseases are: brucellosis, Campylobacter jejuni, Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), malaria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, nontyphoidal Salmonella, Shigella, visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) and West Nile virus." The approach is similar to the handling of diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Though the VA has suffered some high-profile PR setbacks in the past few years, most notably the scandal involving Walter Reed Medical Center and patient neglect, it remains a pinnacle of government-run health care, and many have suggested throughout the course of the contentious health care reform battle that the VA is a perfect model for what reform should look like. Among other innovations, the VA adopted electronic medical records, a system that helps reduce medical errors, helps keep costs down, and improves efficiency. Opening access to care for Gulf War Illnesses is another important step toward providing improved and effective care for military veterans - the kind of care the hopefully will one day be available to all Americans. But the Gulf isn't the only place that U.S. soldiers serve, and become exposed to hazardous chemicals and diseases that could impact their health. The government should continue working toward identifying ways to help all returning soldiers, and ensuring they're cared for long after they return home safely.

Photo credit: Department of Defense