Veteran Issues Paper 2

Veteran Health Issues

Barriers and Health Issues Facing Veterans

There are various health problems facing veterans. First, veterans continue to grapple with challenges that are related to posttraumatic stress disorder. This problem is partly brought by the negative experiences that they had while at war. As a result, they are among people who run the highest risk of suicide (Marvasti, 2012). It is an anxiety disorder that has several symptoms. This especially happens among veterans who are disabled or lost their friends while at war with another country. Veterans who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder normally seek to revive the experiences that they had via occurrences such as nightmares and flashbacks. Another major health concern is access to health services. This is partly brought to the fact that nearly over a million veterans are still uninsured or lack alternate health insurance coverage. As a result, those who leave beyond poverty levels are likely to face health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, as well as posttraumatic stress disorder. Moreover, in the absence of veterans’ capability to pay for the required health care services, their access to health care is highly restricted. Finally, veterans suffer from alcohol and substance abuse disorder. This group of people forms a major fraction of the population in the United States who suffer from alcohol and substance abuse disorder. What motivates veterans to consume a lot of alcohol and drugs is to escape the negative experiences that they had during war. As such, they are among the heaviest consumers of alcohol and substances.

Proposed Solution for Each Problem

In light of the above problems, several viable solutions can help veterans to come out of these challenges. First, to effectively overcome the challenge of access to health problems can be addressed through the utilization of various approaches. To begin with, it is important to expand the outreach to medically underserved veteran populations. One such group in the socioeconomically disempowered veteran population who are the hardest hit by health challenges. For instance, homeless veterans can benefit from expanded outreach services. In addition, access to health can be addressed by expanding programs that address special care needs and contracting for hospitals and other services for lower-income and uninsured veterans who do not live near veteran services (Younce, 2013). The remaining major health concerns include alcohol and substance abuse disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. To tackle the above challenges, there is an urgent need to integrate the trauma treatment and the veterans’ other psychiatric and substance abuse disorder.

In as much as a certain extent of presumed to be required, it is uncertain if such integration is effectively attained by having the same clinician treatments for the same disorders. Thus, there should be a program that is funded by the government and other concerned stakeholders such as veterans’ relatives, the corporate world, as well as non-profit making institutions that are concerned with tackling the health challenges that are facing the veterans (Younce, 2013). One program that can work is the introduction of trauma recovery initiatives such for the veterans at both local and national level. Community and national-level policymakers need to be brought on board to address the above challenges.

Ethical, legal and Accreditation Issues

There are various laws that concern health issues that face the veterans. One such law is the Health Care Public Law of 1981. This law sought to expand the legibility for health care services to incorporate veterans who are exposed to the Vietnam war. The impact of such a law was to offer health care for Vietnam veteran for conditions that need treatment. Other laws recommended for the establishment of the Department of Veterans Affairs that recommend for compensation and benefits of veterans in terms of health and finances.

References

Marvasti, J. A. (2012). War trauma in veterans and their families: Diagnosis and

Management of PTSD, TBI and Comorbidities of Combat Trauma-From

Pharmacotherapy to a 12-Step Self-Help Program for Combat Veterans. New York:

Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Younce, E. (2013). The Praeger handbook of veteran's health: history, challenges, issues, and

developments. Santa Barbara: Praeger.