Public pressure brought on by reports and the media forced Congress to increase funding for both the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Since 2006, billions of dollars have been poured into DoD and VHA health care systems with specific mandates to improve treatment for wounded veterans. There were specific allocations in expanding mental health and researching PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Burnam et. al, 2009). The DoD and VHA quickly responded by implementing appropriate interventions, screenings and assessing, creating a new oversight committee, hiring clinical providers, and establishing platforms to present these issues. Burnam, Meredith, Tanielian, and Jaycox (2009), claim that one key policy action was the inspection of the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, because of this, the DoD and VHA are able to work in collaboration to address the important issues surrounding prevention, recognition, and treatment of combat-related psychological and cognitive injuries. Improving the quality of mental health benefits and services offered at the DoD and VHA …show more content…
The VHA has a total of 877 hospitals and clinics, with an estimated 200 outpatient and day treatment programs for PTSD, as well as inpatient units focused on PTSD. The primary care out patient setting is where the VHA delivers care for depression (http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall07_sharepoint.pdf). Veterans with combat service after November 11, 1998 (this includes OEF/OIF veterans) are eligible to receive cost-free health care through the VHA for five years and after separations of conditions that are potentially service connected; those who enroll during this five year period could potentially continue to receive services, although there is a possibility that some may be charged copayments for non-service-connected care (http://www.oefoif.va.gov). Service-connected disabilities are the highest priority on the VHA’s eight level priority system. In layman’s terms, service-connected disabilities (any injury or aggravation to previous