Visiting a wounded soldier forced me to think about the human cost and the financial cost of war. This soldier may live a long time. With therapy, his quality of life could improve. For him to receive quality care and therapy for the rest of his life will be expensive. I worry that with time, some politicians may decide that it is not important to provide this soldier and others like him with the quality of care and therapy that he has earned as a veteran.
The numbers are scary, an estimated 360,000 US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered from TBI. Of the 360,000, 45,000 to 90,000 may need some long term care. Care and therapy for a "mild TBI" is almost $30,000 in the first year. Thirty percent of soldiers taken to a US Military Hospital, like Walter Reed, have suffered a TBI.
Treating and caring for our Veterans with this "signature injury" of the war will be very costly and is going to require a long term commitment by caregivers and society at large.
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