Veterans Receive False Health Scare

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USA Today reports: "More than 1,800 Gulf War veterans were sent letters from the Veterans Administration this month informing them that they had Lou Gehrig's disease - a fatal neurological disease. But at least some of the letters - and the diagnoses - were a mistake."

"Jim Bunker, president of the National Gulf War Resource Center, said VA officials told him the letters dated Aug. 12 were the result of a computer coding error that mistakenly labeled the veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Katie Roberts, a spokeswoman for the VA, said the letters were simply to inform veterans with ALS of disability compensation available to them and were not intended to deliver a medical diagnosis of ALS" (Welch, 8/24).

This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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