VA Facing Huge Bill For Injured Soldiers Care

Ron Shinkman | FierceHealthFinance | October 17, 2013

Combat injury costs expected to top $3B next year and continue to rise

The Veterans Affairs healthcare system is likely facing a huge bill in the coming decades to treat soldiers severely wounded in action during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Kaiser Health News reported.

Altogether, those soldiers cost the VA $2.8 billion last year, about 4.5 percent of its total budget. Their costs are expected to rise to more than $3.3 billion this year.

Among the factors driving up the costs: High survival rates of soldiers wounded in combat, the fact many lost their limbs and longer tours of duty. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are also using VA services at a higher rate than veterans of prior conflicts: Currently, 56 percent of them use VA services, and the number is expected to grow nearly 10 percent in 2013 and another 7.2 percent in 2014.