Army Lax on Mental Health Coverag

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Army Lax on Mental Health Coverag
May 31, 2008
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

WASHINGTON - Across America, Soldiers, veterans and their families are running into red tape and roadblocks when they try to use their military insurance to get treatment for ailments such as post traumatic stress disorder.

Since 2003, some 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with PTSD. The number of cases rose by roughly 50 percent in 2007, according to Pentagon statistics released Tuesday.

The deployment of hundreds of doctors and therapists to Iraq and Afghanistan and the shortage of military health care providers have forced patients at U.S. installations to wait for months for appointments -- and longer if they need to see a specialist, according to advocacy groups for members of the military and their families.

Meanwhile, civilian doctors and psychiatrists say they're often faced with tough decisions about whether to turn away patients on Tricare -- the Defense Department program that insures 9.2 million current and former service members and their dependents -- because its reimbursement rates are low and its claims process is cumbersome.

Others volunteer their time and services rather than navigate Tricare's red tape for what may ultimately prove to be a small reimbursement for services.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/army-lax-on-mental-health-coverage.html