Military health care

Marines based in Okinawa, Japan, fire an M136 AT-4 rocket launcher as part of a weapons training exercise on the Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility, in 2014.

Army 'Leans In' To Protect A Shooter's Brain From Blast Injury

5:42pm May 17, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

The Army tells NPR of plans to monitor blast exposure across a military career, to enforce limits on firing certain weapons, and to even look into whether special helmets could help stop blast waves.

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Veterans in Murfreesboro, Tenn., enjoy a wheelchair tai chi class; other alternative health programs now commonly offered at VA hospitals in the U.S. include yoga, mindfulness training and art therapy.

To Treat Pain, PTSD And Other Ills, Some Vets Try Tai Chi

6:42pm April 02, 2018

by Blake Farmer

In hopes of reducing some veterans' reliance on pills for physical pain and psychological trauma, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is taking a look at alternative therapies.

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A pilot prepares to launch an unmanned aerial vehicle from a ground control station earlier this year. The Air Force is moving to treat psychological stress faced by remote pilots and analysts a little more like the effects of traditional warfare.

The Warfare May Be Remote But The Trauma Is Real

7:38pm April 24, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

Drone pilots and intelligence analysts who work with them may not be in physical danger themselves but "no doubt are war fighters" who experience psychological stress, says the Air Force.

"Some days I wake up and go, 'Am I wasting time, when I could be on chemotherapy or getting a surgery?' " asks Tony Lapinski, a Montana veteran who worries about what is causing his back pain.

Despite $10B 'Fix,' Veterans Are Waiting Even Longer To See Doctors

12:52pm May 16, 2016

A $10 billion program to eliminate long wait times and other problems for veterans' health care hasn't worked out as planned. More veterans wait even longer for care now than they did a year ago.

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Rates of unintended pregnancy among young women in the military are about 50 percent higher than among young women in the general population, research suggests.

Women In Combat Zones Can Have Trouble Getting Contraceptives

9:14am August 11, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Fifteen percent of active duty service members are women, and 97 percent of those women are of childbearing age. So why is it still tough for many to get refills of contraceptives when deployed?

Many servicemen and women are prescribed a mountain of pills for PTSD, pain and other conditions. But some don't want to be on those meds, so they stop taking them — against doctors' orders.

Veterans Kick The Prescription Pill Habit, Against Doctors' Orders

6:28am July 13, 2014

by Quil Lawrence

There's overmedicating and self-medicating, but some vets are "de-medicating." Prescribed multiple drugs to deal with PTSD and pain, they've stopped taking them — without authorization.

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Sen. John McCain discussed the Veterans Choice Act at a news conference on Tuesday, with fellow Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake.

Can Civilian Health Care Help Fix The VA? Congress Weighs In

8:03pm June 03, 2014

by Quil Lawrence

In response to the crisis in lengthy wait times for medical care, Congress and veterans groups again are debating the proper role of private sector solutions.

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