Iraq Vet Amputee: Veteran Healthcare System A "Total, Total Beat Down"
Via NOLA.com:
Marine Cpl. Jacob Schick says he was ready to die in Iraq. He wasn't prepared to come home in pieces.
The bomb that tore through the floor of his Humvee in the fall of 2004 shredded his legs and left arm. Forty-six surgeries later, Schick is an amputee still learning to cope with physical limitations that as a star high school athlete he never dreamed he would face.
Perhaps just as daunting has been learning to navigate the veterans' health care system, which he says demeans the sacrifice of all veterans.
"When you have to deal with the VA (Veterans Affairs) or TRICARE (the federal health insurance program), you feel beaten down," Schick said. "You are a number, and you feel like a number. It's a total, total beat-down."
Schick, 25, who grew up in Texas and Louisiana and now lives in Gretna, is one of the 10 injured veterans featured in an HBO film, "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq," that airs tonight. The title of the documentary, produced by "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, refers to the date that the injured narrowly escape death and realize that they are still alive. Read more...
Here's more on "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq" which airs tonight at 10:30pm EST.
The VA needs to be over hauled, it doesn't matter who does it, which President from whatever party but in 2009 that has to be the first agenda above everything else as both parties need to work on it together..
If any politican Democrat, Republican tries to stall the over hauling of the VA for political grand standing then that politican should resign! The Men & Women in the United States Military deserve better, it's about time they got it..
Johnny
holy smokes, frist??
Machines that are geared to rip, shred, maim, and kill aren't geared to heal.
A civil world would gear itself in another way. We aren't there.
Yeah for bush! What a total disaster he is.
Retool for peace or get more of the same...year after year of war economy...
Vote peace or die! ...ok that's a little rough...vote peace or cry...
Alright I'm not a sloganeer. Peace.
nasty. Why would anyone want to put their life on the line for a bunch of self-involved rich pricks who obviously (Actions speaking louder than words here now) DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT ANYONE OTHER THAN THEMSELVES AND THEIR OWN INTERESTS?
The stupidity, illogical and non-reasoning of people never ceases to amaze. It's been this bad for ages. Long before this criminal invasion of a sovereign country. Never looked into it though did you, before you signed up to pull duty in someone else's HELL?
Too bad...
Poor guy is going to become more "beaten down" as time goes on and he comes to realize his lose was for big oil, defense contractors and so 5-Deferments-Dick-Cheney's former company Halliburton could get no bid government contracts.
There is something terribly wrong with this country. Those FreedomWatch commercials are really something, seeing as how our freedoms have been destroyed, not by our dead nemesis UBL/Goldstein, but by the US Government, Republican AND Democrat!
miss_kitty @ 5:
so they deserve to have this happen to them?
miss_kitty @ 5:
A lot of these guys were enlisted before Bush and Cheney went into Iraq then got stuck and couldn't get out until they were killed or injured. But even had this immoral invasion gone according to plan....whatever that plan was....there would have still been all the innocent Iraqi civilian casualties and injuries sustained during "shock and awe". That so called "collateral damage".
There is a special place in hell for BushCo.
Professor Farnsworth @ 8:
Absolutely not. It's horrific. Read the first part of my comment.
It's our fault too, for allowing these pricks to do take-aways on Vet care. Just shows you what a bunch of total arseholes we all really are.
Halliburton gets the Brinks trucks while our men and women in uniform can't get the health care they need
His Humvee...up-armored or no?
Waitaminute... Didn't this very blog exalt Mike Moore's film Sicko? Didn't this blog post a video interview between Mike Moore and Chris Matthews where Moore held up the military medical system as a shining, glorious example of socialized medicine?
And now we are being told the military system is crap?
A equals B and B equals C, so then A equals C, right? If the military medical system is socialized medicine, and the military medical system sucks, then what should that tell us about socialized medicine?
from the same people who cry "right to life"
"A star high school athlete" is suceptible to bombs? Heavens to betsy. My world is shaken. There are moments that clarify the stupid beliefs this culture holds better than others. This author has his head up his ass, hence sees the U.S. more clearly.
Professor Farnsworth @ 8:
What did they expect to happen? Enlist, and become Superman or something?
As far I see it, these injured vets should be treated like heroes through VA or TriCare, getting the best medical service there is to offer. But as far I see it, they are not. Its a sorry state of affairs when our government (republicans and dems) hate our troops.
Mr. Schick. Thank you for your service. Your courage and patriotism deserve all the respect this country can give.
It is just a criminal situation that the current administration is more concerned with getting you over to Iraq as a warm, fighting body who can help fulfill their ideology, than it is with caring about you when you get injured. Keep up the pressure on the VA.
In large part, the problem rests with our illustrious CIC and the other civilians who supposedly run things. None of them had the desire or courage to serve their country (bush's truncated-by-AWOL cushy position during the Vietnam war just does not count). So, it is not surprising that they don't know what the effects of war are on those who are injured, and on their respective families. They don't have a clue as to the needs of those who have paid high sacrifices during their service - and don't really care.
Impeach the bastards!
This guy was willing to give his life for the cause. He can still do that, the VA will guarantee that. After a motor cycle accident years ago I wound up in the VA for a year. The first month I was in intensive care. The next 11 months I spent recovering from the neglect in intensive care that left me with bedsores. The plastic surgeons came up with a new operation that involved removing bone from my femur so that the next time I was neglected it wouldn't be so serious. 3 more times over the next 34 years I was nearly killed by treatment at the hands of students during minor procedures. The ward were I was located was a business site for drug deals and prostitution. Welcome home, son. Your country is not through with you yet. Instead of dying FOR your country, you will now be imperiled BY your country.
Waitaminute... Didn't this very blog exalt Mike Moore's film Sicko? Didn't this blog post a video interview between Mike Moore and Chris Matthews where Moore held up the military medical system as a shining, glorious example of socialized medicine?
And now we are being told the military system is crap?
A equals B and B equals C, so then A equals C, right? If the military medical system is socialized medicine, and the military medical system sucks, then what should that tell us about socialized medicine?
Looks like this blog is trying to leverage supposed support for the military, yet at the same time is shooting itself in the foot on universal healthcare.
Tony @ 20:
Don't go pounding on this site. What it posts is the sheer hypocrisy of this entire administration and has nothing to do with advocating universal healthcare. It is pointing out here, the pure hypocrisy of flag waving "support our troops" political stooges, that do absolutely nothing to support those same troops when they are brutally injured and need help for the rest of their lives. It's damn tragic.
There isnt a moment in anyones life that is 'owned' by anyone else. Each individual is reponsible for every moment in their life.
This guy went into someone else's country - because Bush decided (he is the decider you know) that he 'wanted' something different in a country that wasnt the US - to kill people, destroy peoples lives and stand on their necks until they did exactly what Bush had 'decided' they should do.
He is in the condition he is in because someone - in their own country - tried to kill him to stop him from doing what Bush wanted. That people is self determination. Bush talks about what he wants - listen to that, what HE wants - for the Iraqi's but doesnt mention the self determination of the Iraqi people. I am a non-violent man, but this guy is in pieces because at least a few Iraqi's are excersizing self determination by force of arms IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
Because this guy was doing what Bush wanted, he is a good guy. Because some Iraqi's are doing what THEY want in their own country, they are bad guys.
Bush and his group -Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell, Gonzales and more - committed international crimes with this war and they are trying to argue:
1) If they can FORCE people into quiet subjugation, then they were right to begin with
2) They arent criminals - Hussein (and clinton) was a criminal
3) A trillion dollars for Bush's decision is just - 10 billion for the health of 7 million children is unjust (... just one example)
This injured fella IS NOT an innocent. He is the sword of the emperor who was acting in full personal responsibility. He was where he shouldnt have been doing something he shouldnt have been doing and was harmed by someone - IN THEIR HOME - that was trying to stop him and exhibit self determination.
Lets hear your argument - why exactly do the people of Iraq NOT have the right of self determination? Make it good, or you will only be answering ... because Bush, not they, is the decider.
Thanks Tony, you took the words right out of my mouth. Love the site but this seems to be a glaring contradiction.
The VA system and Tricare are still far better than what he would get here in California's health care system with private insurance. I've worked in both, and I can say for a fact that I really feel sorry for those patients without health care insurance who have to live in California and those with private insurance caught in the maze of insurance forms and limited coverage.
rocknerd @ 23:
I agree, however I suspect there are two issues apply here that didnt apply in Moores analogy.
1) The number of new 'patients' that need critical care is large and occured over a very short time. This transcends the behavior you could expect in a civilian setting. The system is clearly being stretched.
2) This fellow while in the military was given everything imaginable instantly without question. That is how the active military works. (To my knowledge) Any civilian system - including the VA - must identify and schedule services. I suspect this fellow is voicing both his frustration at the differences in services between active and 'civilian' military care and the restrictions on care due at least in part to stresses on the system.
Tony @ 20:
Well, I can't speak for anyone else here, but it has always been my belief that government programs are only as good as those who administrate it.
If you have an administration as we do that believes that government is inherently something to limit, you will see the failures that we have in the VA.
However, I have to believe that the administration that successfully brings us universal health care (and honestly, the infrastructure is there with Medicare--they just need to expand it to include non-seniors) will not be of the same philosophy and would not be liable to bring forth a program that they underfund and staff with cronies.
Too bad they do not get the socialized medicine the politicians that sent them there get.
I see Laura just had surgery for a pinched nerve and bet she got quick and excellent treatment. Cheney and w were not numbers for their procedures.
Always thought she was on pain killers.
Geez.
getalife @ 26:
Be fair - I dont have the actual numbers at hand - but I know the VA handles millions of patients. The active military handles thousands - maybe 10's of thousands. Scale alone requires that peoples needs be identified relative to services offered. That doesnt happen in the military. It does, however, happen in literally every other healthcare setting.
If this fellows care is lacking, then dont look closely at the care the rest of us is getting. I suspect his is better than mine.
Guy Fawkes @ 23:
After using Kaiser Permanente for the past 10 years out of pocket (costing me a small fortune )I recently applied and was accepted to the Veterans health services ( I am Viet Vet) I can attest to the fact the Veterans Health service has been much better in addressing my needs than those I received from the Insurance Extortionists masquerading as Health services.
Health service should not be governed by "The Market" like pork belly futures IMO!
I'm sad for all the kids who come home like this, they have a hard road ahead of them but at least they're still living. They should be seen and heard by all. That said ... who cries for the 1,000,000 Iraqi dead?
CensoredFan @ 31:
That is nonspecific and bigoted.
anon @ 31:
It's not patriotic to cry over foreign blood spilled and it's blind patriotism that keeps these wars going for the elite ruling class at the expense of the rest of us. See the circle?
Ruthless People @ 32:
The US is a slave state and a culture of death. Most americans are several paychecks from bankruptcy - which they can no longer declare.
About a third of the US is hard core fascist with about half more than willing to go along just as long as the boot stays off their necks. Most americans, regardless, have a choice - keep working or hit the street. In most of this country, speaking out against the champion of the corporation or aristocracy is a sure way to hit the street. Not speaking out doesnt proclaim support.
I would argue that even those redneck peckerwoods that act against their own self interests by their support of these fascists are victims.
Even in these conditions, you have to remember that many in the 'international community' which includes the UN and agencies of the UN are in fact Americans. WHO is lousy with Americans. The Red Cross is lousy with Americans. Two groups both of whom have spoken about the Iraqi casualties.
Be specific.
Other examples are greenpeace and human rights watch - also lousy with Americans. The ACLU which isnt tasked with internation issues per se even did this ...
http://www.aclu.org/natsec/foia/29316prs20070412.html
... its not that I disagree with much of the sentiment - this is a cracker state culture of death thug'ocracy - but 'americans' is too broad a brush. Personally, I dont see how - in the long run - the US can remain one state under these circumstances.
(unedited)
It's just so sad how veterans are discarded after they return. Thanks for the sacrifice, seeya later. Does anyone in Washington care? Obviously NOT!!
Is there any way that we can see a list of injured soldiers, not just the dead. 50,000+/- is not a number to be forgotten.
Edwin @ 34:
One of few "non MSM" sites:
http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/
Thousands of GIs cope with brain damage
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070909/ap_on_he_me/coming_home_wounded_brai...
bobswire @ 29:
Exactly. I have also worked with both Ticare and with the private sector carriers. What is not pointed out is that, although veteran HC services are vastly overloaded, they are still a more efficient system than the private insurance industry. And as Nicole points out, even the best system is only as good as the personnel that administer it.
My mom's (age 79) medical costs are covered by Tricare (my Dad was in the USNR in WWII and afterwards), and so far they're great, very efficient - I wish my own insurance was with Tricare, instead of my HMO.
Dave M @ 13:
Silly straw men transitive implications are just proof that you must have failed any sort of advanced class in logic (math). You need to be careful, because this is not an equality but a relation, and there are direction constraints on the relation.
A socialized system is only as good as the government behind it. Then try a better transitive relation, if a socialized programme is only as good as its government, and this government is crap. Then it follows that the socialized programme sucks because of the government, not because it is socialized.
Anyhow, nice try at establishing a logical fallacy. Do right wingers take any sort of decent math classes in college -or do they attend college at all for that matter?
Tony @ 20:
fuck you
the va should have the best healthcare in the world, but your cocksucker of a prez continues to cutback on vet benefits
so fuck you and the wingnuts that spawned you
and universal health care is not government run you numbnut...the insurance is
so fuck you again
now go run back to your wingnut blog and tell them how we libs are so uncivil
i dont give a shit anymore
im watching the doc right now
i am sick
i am crying
and gandolfini is just great
a couple more things
most of the soldiers were killed and wounded in the unarmored humvees
so our former defense minister is a war criminal
and it is only because of the progress of our medical system and er medicine that our casualites are not much higher
Dave M @ 13:
VA and TRICARE and not the same as the medical care received by active duty personnel who have access to base clinics and hospitals, where the system is really is like a socialized medical system.
TRICARE in particular is what you are stuck with once you are not active duty, or still active duty but not located in the catchment area of a base with its own hospital.
The military used to have an integrated system called CHAMPUS, which provided free universal healthcare to military and families, and actually worked. In fact, one of the big plusses that recruiters used in my day was that while in the military and after you retired, you and your family would always have free healthcare through the CHAMPUS system. Except that, after serving your 20 years and retiring from the military, you find that as a cost-cutting exercise the DoD has retroactively removed your promised health benefits and replaced CHAMPUS with the not-free and extremely bureaucratic crapfest that is TRICARE.
I was treated by a TRICARE doctor last week - after 10 weeks on a waiting list for an appointment - and it turned out he was a USAF retiree too. And we this exact same conversation, about what a disappointment it was that the nearest thing we had to socialized care had been thrown away in favor of a glorified HMO where authority lies in the hands of administrators who have no contact with the patients whose care they authorize, and treat them as a series of individual symptoms to be treated by the cheapest provider available.
Iraq And Brain Injuries
Where are the earlier posts such as mine?
ALL Neocon bushit artists should be tied down and forced to watch this HBO documentary.
This is a shame in every sense of the word. It makes me physically ill. There is no logic or reason left in this country. it's been drowned out by battle cries and emotional irrationality.
Someone needs to stop this madness. And that's what it is: sheer madness.
If you haven't seen the film WHEN I CAME HOME yet, check out the trailer at:
http://www.whenicamehome.com
It's a documentary all about homeless Iraq war veterans getting the run-around from the VA and ending up on the streets in New York City. With nearly 200,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan waiting for their disability benefits... it's no wonder they are ending up homeless. This is ridiculous.
Since the VA is so horribly broken and back-logged, I think every vet needs a $20,000 bonus AFTER they come home from a tour. If the gov't is giving that now to new recruits to fight the war, they can certainly dole it out to those who already have.
Support the Vets!
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