Government Relaxes Criteria For Veterans Claiming PTSD Benefits

The government has moved to relax the rules on veteran’s post traumatic stress disorder claims. The current laws are very strict and many PTSD victims are not granted benefits because they do not meet all the criteria necessary. The updated laws may go into effect as early as next week. However, the lax laws will make it easier for more vets to get benefits, which is expected to cost an additional 5 billion dollars over the next few years.

The new proposed laws will eliminate the difficult task of describing combat situations that caused the PTSD. This law eliminated any soldier who did not actually pick up a gun in a combat situation. Thousands of soldiers are placed in combat zones where there is a great deal of anxiety and the soldiers are exposed to the horrors of war, but because they did not meet certain criteria, they were unable to get the help needed. This situation is especially true for women soldiers. They are not allowed into combat situations, but are in combat zones.

PTSD can happen to anybody who has been exposed to a situation they deem as stressful or have caused them a great deal of fear. Each person has a different threshold for fear or anxiety. The effects of PTSD may be temporary or extend for the rest of a person’s life. Some opponents of the new law, feel more vets will be given benefits, and they will not return to work. These opponents feel returning to work has a therapeutic effect.