Monday, June 13, 2005

Democrats, veterans press for extended mental-health care for service members  Stars and Stripes article - "More mental health resources are needed to deal with stress from Iraq and Afghanistan now, before those veterans develop even more serious mental problems, according to Democrats and veteran support agencies. On Thursday both groups lobbied for legislation to increase funding for mental health treatment, to extend health-care coverage for veterans returning from war, and to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a long-term plan for treating troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. ... Earlier, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson offered a mixed reaction to a host of Democrat-sponsored bills, voicing support for general plans to improve mental health care but rebuffing most of their legislative efforts. He said a long-term mental health plan is already being developed by department officials, although no deadline has been set." See also Legislators seek to close gaps in veterans' mental health coverage in The Olympian (Washington).