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.