barnesfoto
April-17-09, 06:57 PM
FORGOTTEN WARRIORS
Injured war zone contractors fight to get care
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They're crucial to U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but civilian workers wounded on the job must battle an insurance system marked by long delays and high costs, an investigation finds.
By T. Christian Miller and Doug Smith
April 17, 2009
Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington -- Civilian workers who suffered devastating injuries while supporting the U.S. war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan have come home to a grinding battle for basic medical care, artificial limbs, psychological counseling and other services.
The insurance companies responsible for their treatment under taxpayer-funded policies have routinely denied the most serious medical claims. Those insurers -- primarily American International Group (AIG) -- recorded hundreds of millions of dollars in profits on this business.
The civilian contractors have played an indispensable role in the two conflicts, delivering fuel to frontline troops, guarding U.S. diplomats and translating for soldiers during dangerous raids. More than 1,400 civilian workers have died and 31,000 have been wounded or injured in the two war zones.
Yet unlike wounded soldiers, who are offered healthcare, rehabilitation and support services by the military, the civilians have to battle a federally supervised insurance system marked by high costs and excessive delays, an investigation by the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica has found.
In contrast to the public outcry over squalid conditions at some military hospitals, the contractors' plight has drawn little attention.
more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-contractors17-2009apr17,0,5505250.story
Injured war zone contractors fight to get care
>
They're crucial to U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but civilian workers wounded on the job must battle an insurance system marked by long delays and high costs, an investigation finds.
By T. Christian Miller and Doug Smith
April 17, 2009
Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington -- Civilian workers who suffered devastating injuries while supporting the U.S. war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan have come home to a grinding battle for basic medical care, artificial limbs, psychological counseling and other services.
The insurance companies responsible for their treatment under taxpayer-funded policies have routinely denied the most serious medical claims. Those insurers -- primarily American International Group (AIG) -- recorded hundreds of millions of dollars in profits on this business.
The civilian contractors have played an indispensable role in the two conflicts, delivering fuel to frontline troops, guarding U.S. diplomats and translating for soldiers during dangerous raids. More than 1,400 civilian workers have died and 31,000 have been wounded or injured in the two war zones.
Yet unlike wounded soldiers, who are offered healthcare, rehabilitation and support services by the military, the civilians have to battle a federally supervised insurance system marked by high costs and excessive delays, an investigation by the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica has found.
In contrast to the public outcry over squalid conditions at some military hospitals, the contractors' plight has drawn little attention.
more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-contractors17-2009apr17,0,5505250.story