News-Info-Alerts

Re: Former POW Benefits Extended

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: June 27, 2003

"Former POWs entitled to additional benefits

New evaluation guidelines have been established.

By Jennifer L. Boen of The News-Sentinel

POW benefits
Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Health Dr. Robert Roswell spoke Monday, June 23, at a conference at the Marriott Inn on care and benefits for former prisoners of war.

A high-ranking official with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was in Fort Wayne on Monday to introduce a new program aimed at reaching thousands of former prisoners of war with health care and benefits.

Dr. Robert Roswell, undersecretary for health for the VA, discussed the program with regional members of the POW Care Benefit Team. Physicians, nurses, social workers and claims managers participated in a three-day conference at the Marriott covering aspects of care and benefits for former POWs.

The VA has instituted comprehensive guidelines for team members to identify and evaluate veterans on a full spectrum of military duty, health and other criteria.

POWs receive priority treatment for VA health care, according to benefit guidelines. In World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War there were, respectively, 132,000, 7,000 and about 1,000 POWs. No one could say how many could be living in Fort Wayne or the surrounding area.

Conference participants were challenged to "look for a link - one thing may cause something else - years later," said Ronald J. Henke, director of Compensation and Pension Service for the Veterans Benefits Administration.

"Have (veterans) come in and talk about their experiences," he said, acknowledging evaluators should be cautious of "POW wannabes," those who try to obtain benefits as an ex-POW but were never held captive. Spouses could have the best insight and understanding of a POW.

"Research has found a higher prevalence of cirrhosis of the liver in POWs, regardless of their history of alcohol or drug abuse," Henke said.

POWs are some of the last to access benefits because "they tend to be very withdrawn," Roswell said. They often do not advocate for themselves.

Although 23,000 POWs are receiving monetary benefits, 16,000 are seeing nothing, Boswell said. The problem is especially critical for World War II POWs. Few medical records were kept on them, and most did not receive follow-up physical or psychological care. When the war ended and they were freed, most went home to start life over on their own.

Their average age now is 81. Many need long-term care, prescription drugs and other health-care benefits but do not realize they qualify for POW benefit status. With the number of veterans 85 and older tripling in the next decade, Roswell said the VA is actively developing long-term care choices, including assisted living and home care for all veterans.

Some conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis and stroke, are under consideration as service-related diseases. Psychological and emotional problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, are most common among POWs.

Each conflict has its own symptomology and problems, Roswell said.

Former POW Bob Fletcher of Ann Arbor, Mich., said Korean POWs faced cruelty and hardships unlike those experienced by others. He was imprisoned in extremely cold temperatures in which frostbite and other problems affected soldiers' health.

At VA sites where the new guidelines have been tried, the combined disability/pension benefit for a veteran evaluated under the system is 70 percent, compared with 37 percent benefit for POWs evaluated under the old system, said Henke.


POW benefits and services

For more information on benefits and services for former prisoners of war, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs at

www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/POW/powpam.htm on the Web."