Treating veterans with PTSD costs more

Published: March. 14, 2012 at 12:54 PM

WASHINGTON, March 14 (UPI) -- Treating U.S. combat veterans with post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or both costs more than treatments for other veterans, officials say.

A report by the Congressional Budget Office said the Veterans Health Administration spent about $2 billion in fiscal year 2010 to provide medical care to all recent combat veterans.

One-in-4 recent combat veterans treated at Veterans Health Administration from 2004 to 2009 had a diagnosis of PTSD; 7 percent had a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, the report said.

Using data for recent veterans treated by Veterans Health Administration from 2004 to 2009, the report found:

-- 21 percent were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder but not traumatic brain injury.

-- 2 percent were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury but not PTSD.

-- An additional 5 percent had both PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

-- The remaining 72 percent had neither diagnosis.

The report also found the average cost for the first year of treatment:

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Treating veterans with PTSD costs more