VA won't pay for cost of service dogs for PTSD

[no kudzu]

Originally Posted by jasper12

Yes, it is...because this decision has the potential to trickle down into other health care, and open up a proverbial "Pandora's box" of other victims of PTSD or other mental illnesses to want healthcare, ie...Medicaid, to provide the same level of service that the VA does. Not that they do, even now, but it would create a precedence.

Wait are you being facetious? I don't see the head smack smilie.
Are you saying PTSD should not be treated medically? Surely not!
VA is for medical care of Veterans and most of the PTSD claims are from combat duty so VD should service those individuals the best way possible.
While many folks suffer from PTSD who are not veterans, I don't think anybody should propose Medicaid pay for Service Dogs for PTSD victims.

I've seen 2 Service Dogs with their Veteran PTSD masters. Once a panic attack was imminent and the dog calmly put his paws up on his master and started to lick his face. It was beautiful. Another Service Dog jumped in his masters lap and gave a soft bark to get the guy's attention when he started withdrawing and his eyes rolled back into his head.

Both dogs were bought by family and the community.

[foxywench]

a service dog performs a tast to assist its DISABLED owner in NORMAL EVERY DAY life...it does not have to be a "phsycial" limitiation.

just because "your" PTSD does not present in such a way you coudl see a usefull task to train a servie dog does NOT make that the ame for others...
again anxiety disorders present in MANY ways and theres already been a list of TRAINED taks sposted by a few posters that list TRAINED tasks this particular type of service dog CAN perform for someone with an anxiety disorder...
ust because a man can walk norally on a regular day does NOT mean that when an anxiety attack hits he has good blance or stability...
just ebcause soemone Looks "normal" one minute in the produce department does not mean 5 mins later somethigns going to trigger a flash back or episode where a trained task like interupt would be usefull...

A service dog is NOT a dog trained to assist people with PHYSCIAL disabilities...a service dog is a dog TRAINED to assist ANY truly disabled person with EVERY day tasks in order to make their daily lives more "normal"

do i belive a dog soley for emotional suprt ( i feel depressed today so come snuggle with me) is a service Dog NO...its not...
but assuming all PTSD dogs are simply EMOTIONAL SUPPORT animals is undersighted....how many genuine PTSD service dog handlers do you know?! saying most PTSD handlers just want a snuggle buddy is like saying most epileptics are just faking it...

i know many who try to "cheat" the system...
but i also knwo MANY with both physical and mental disabilities (myself included) who have legitimate need for a set of helping paws...
ALL my ogs provide me with emotional support...but i need a dog specially trained to help me with certian aspects of my disability...

now should the VA (or any health insurance) PAY for the dog... or its care? not nesicarily, but i do think there should be organizations in place to asist low income disabled people (military or not) in the purchase and care of their service dogs (assuming the dog is an ACTUAL service dog that being a dog TASK TRAINED to assist its handler in day to day aspects of living a "normal" life...snuggling is not a trained task, but interupting an OCD attack would be for example)