title: Department of Veterans Affairs compensation and medical care benefits accorded to veterans with major limb loss.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maynard
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flohr
authors.forename: Tony A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Guagliardo
authors.forename: Chris H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Lynne V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Pruden
authors.forename: Gayle E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Reiber
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000191:economics*; D018868:Insurance, Disability / Q000191:economics*; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000191:economics*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans; D014729:Veterans Disability Claims; D047829:Vietnam Conflict; D055815:Young Adult