Australian forces faking stress for cash, claims surgeon commander - Polidicks

[img]http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2010/11/01/1225945/908480-australia-navy.jpg[/img] The surgeon commader estimated a staggering 90 per cent of recent mental illness pension claims could be false - and singled out Navy personnel as the worst offenders. Picture: AP Source: [url]http://www.news.com.au/national/australian-troops-rorting-mental-illness-and-stress-pension-claims-says-naval-surgeon/story-e6frfkvr-1225983284237[/url] [release]* Costing taxpayers millions of dollars * Claims by troops nowhere near combat * Stress claims costing $160m a year A SENIOR military doctor has blown the whistle on what he describes as the "mental illness gravy train" being exploited by Defence personnel. In an unprecedented attack on the military compensation system, navy reservist Surgeon Commander Doug McKenzie said the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) epidemic sweeping the Defence ranks featured a plethora of fake illness claims - costing taxpayers millions of dollars, reported The Daily Telegraph. He estimated a staggering 90 per cent of recent mental illness pension claims could be false. Cdr McKenzie said while there were some genuine PTSD cases, it defied belief that 20 per cent of a warship's crew, for example, could suffer from the disorder when they had not been within 200km of any fighting. The navy has the highest incidence of PTSD. Veterans Affairs has 27,500 PTSD sufferers on its books, including 20,000 from Vietnam, and it spends $160 million per annum on mental health care. There are 337,000 surviving Australian veterans and 186,000 of them receive benefits. Cdr McKenzie, who served in East Timor and Iraq, said the fact there were more than 3000 claims, with some 600 accepted, from soldiers who served in East Timor alone attested to the extent of the problem. A friend of his even fabricated a story about witnessing a fatal helicopter crash and was then diagnosed with the disorder. "He said to me, 'Mate the psychs will believe anything'." In the past 12 months, 738 veterans applied for PTSD under the Veterans Entitlements Act and 78 per cent were accepted. Vietnam Veterans Federation national president Tim McCombe defended the system, saying in all his years he had encountered very few rorters and that there were adequate checks and balances in place. Cdr McKenzie said anyone claiming a tax-free, life-long pension should have to prove their case. "My sense is that up to 90 per cent of these claims are not true. "People actually boast about getting PTSD claims through the system," he said. He said the "victims" were often manipulative and he knew of one case in which a soldier had taken 22 months sick leave for a disorder he does not have. Injured Service Persons Association president Ray Brown said there was no doubt that the disorder was used to rort the system.[/release]

Horrible abuse of a system meant to help people.

"My sense is that up to 90 per cent of these claims are not true." Ah, his sense says it. Well lads clearly he knows what's going on with a high degree of accuracy, better cut out the claims shit now that the surgeon commander is on the case! Also if I was getting free money I'd be boasting as well.

People abusing a system to get cash?! NO WAY!!

[QUOTE=bravehat;27242838] Well lads clearly he knows what's going on with a high degree of accuracy, [b]better cut out[/b] the claims shit now that the [b]surgeon commander[/b] is on the case! [/QUOTE] That's a real knee slapper. [QUOTE=Dr Kevorkian;27243495]People abusing a system to get cash?! NO WAY!![/QUOTE] At least someone is pointing it out.

"Sarge.......I'm sorry.....but the..the kangaroos were EVERYWHERE." "Don't worry son have some money!"

[quote]My sense is that up to 90 per cent of these claims are not true.[/quote] what a bold claim. does he have any evidence to back up his statement that 9 out of 10 of the people are faking it? I can understand saying that "some" people are faking it, but saying 90% without providing any evidence seems like a hyperbole

Sounds like they need better "psychs" since they seem to be rather gullible