TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2010//
TI  - Department of Veterans Affairs compensation and medical care benefits accorded to veterans with major limb loss
JO  - Journal of rehabilitation research and development
A1  - Maynard, Charles
A1  - Flohr, Brad
A1  - Guagliardo, Tony A.
A1  - Martin, Chris H.
A1  - McFarland, Lynne V.
A1  - Pruden, Jonathan D.
A1  - Reiber, Gayle E.
SP  - 403
EP  - 408
VL  - 47
IS  - 4
N2  - Veterans injured in theaters of combat operations are eligible for benefits, including medical care and compensation. This article describes veterans with service-connected disability for major lower- and/or upper-limb loss resulting from combat-field-associated injuries sustained in the Vietnam war, Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). Using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Compensation and Pension Mini-Master file, we identified 2,690 veterans who in August 2007 received compensation for loss of one or more limbs. More than 97% sustained their injuries in Vietnam; most were young men who served in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps. All but 5% had at least 50% combined service-connected disability and nearly half had a 100% rating. In addition to limb loss, one of the most prevalent compensable conditions was posttraumatic stress disorder, present in 46% of OIF/OEF and 20% of Vietnam veterans. Of these veterans, 82% visited VA outpatient clinics in 2007, although only 4% were hospitalized. A special obligation exists to those who have sustained serious injuries related to combat; this responsibility extends for the life of the servicemember and beyond to his or her spouse and dependents.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0748-7711
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -