I found out a new scandalous Veteran Affairs problem


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I would like to "request" if those of you who'd be willing to get involved to spread this video around so we can inform other veterans who have disability claims so if they come to realize that their disability pension just up and stops, this is why.

 

the Veterans Affairs is embroiled already in a scandal, the last one, about the terrible backlog of disability claims, now, vets dying due to inadequate care. this breaks my heart as a fellow vet and am putting myself out therefor my fellow veterans, male or female, doesn't matter, you are all my brothers and sisters.

 

GOD BLess!

 

~Chris

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GOD BLess!

 

he can talk, and use a computer and be passionate about this kinda stuff, but yet he is unemployable? From the surface, looks like he is abusing the system.

 

side note: if god blessed you, then this probably would not have this happened right? ;)

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if god blessed you, then this probably would not have this happened right? ;)

 

well, I mean this in a good way. because I care that this is even happening. but I understand your point. i appreciate your reply

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As someone who works for the VA on the healthcare side, I feel the need to explain how the VA is structured. The VA section that has backlogged claims is not the same section that handles healthcare. Healthcare is VHA or Veterans Healthcare Administration. Claims, compensation, and pensions are handled by VBA or Veterans Benefit Administration. Veterans Cemetery Administration is the third section of the whole Cabinet level department of Veterans Affairs. There is no crossover between the three. You apply for a claim with VBA, then you are sent to VHA to be examined for that claim. The majority of issues are with VHA, which I can tell you is a cluster######. Claims should never take as long as they have. Im a veteran, and employee and im still sitting on 19 months so far for my increase in compensation. The majority of issues are having non-vets running these hospitals, and non medical personel in charge of healthcare decisions. I know people who need knee surgery who are told since it will not impact their quality of life right now, it wont be done. Yeah its ######, but I will tell you this, alert your local media, and your regional office, and call the Inspector Generals hotline.

he can talk, and use a computer and be passionate about this kinda stuff, but yet he is unemployable? From the surface, looks like he is abusing the system.

side note: if god blessed you, then this probably would not have this happened right? ;)

PTSD is something that can make you unemployable.
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PTSD is something that can make you unemployable.

 i was only observing, i know nothing about it or claim to know anything about it, just seems like normal everyday guy from appearance alone.

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 i was only observing, i know nothing about it or claim to know anything about it, just seems like normal everyday guy from appearance alone.

 

Until you get him in a room full of coworkers and he gets flash backs of a having intel of a possible suicide bomber in a market that he's about to patrol through.

 

I was listening to the news and sounds like a bill might be passed next week allowing vets to go to a private doctor if they can't get seen through VA.

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he can talk, and use a computer and be passionate about this kinda stuff, but yet he is unemployable? From the surface, looks like he is abusing the system.

 

 

 

As a foreigner, you have no experience with our VA, you have no idea what qualifises a veteran for disability benefits, you have no idea what you are talking about!!

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As a foreigner, you have no experience with our VA, you have no idea what qualifises a veteran for disability benefits, you have no idea what you are talking about!!

 

You are correct, I say IN THE THREAD that i do not know anything about it.. hence the comments:

 

1) "From the surface",

2) "i was only observing, i know nothing about it or claim to know anything about it, just seems like normal everyday guy from appearance alone." 

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here is my interview with my local NBC4 affiliate

 

http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/25530/5166751

 

alot as cutout for time constraints but the digitzation of vets records is kicking veterans disability compensation they are getting now out.

 

so it isn't some small issue when it is nation wide. Yet the VA is being disnhonest in not telling vets why and are forced to re-file new disability claims because of the VA screw-up. coincidentally a recent audit shows that the reno VA regional office is the worst in the nation

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As someone who works for the VA on the healthcare side, I feel the need to explain how the VA is structured. The VA section that has backlogged claims is not the same section that handles healthcare. Healthcare is VHA or Veterans Healthcare Administration. Claims, compensation, and pensions are handled by VBA or Veterans Benefit Administration. Veterans Cemetery Administration is the third section of the whole Cabinet level department of Veterans Affairs. There is no crossover between the three. You apply for a claim with VBA, then you are sent to VHA to be examined for that claim. The majority of issues are with VHA, which I can tell you is a cluster######. Claims should never take as long as they have. Im a veteran, and employee and im still sitting on 19 months so far for my increase in compensation. The majority of issues are having non-vets running these hospitals, and non medical personel in charge of healthcare decisions. I know people who need knee surgery who are told since it will not impact their quality of life right now, it wont be done. Yeah its ######, but I will tell you this, alert your local media, and your regional office, and call the Inspector Generals hotline.

PTSD is something that can make you unemployable.

 

I haven't put a claim in, yet, the backlog for helping vets with bigger issues than mine is one reason, but yeah, the health side of things is getting ridiculous, used to be able to get a same  day appointment at my local branch clinic and be seen, now other than my biyearly checkups they are all done in the main Hospital a 45 min drive away. They even made me go in to the main hospital to get a replacement CPAP mask I was due for replacement, they used to mail them out, and since I'm not disabled it's my time, and my gas to go there for a less than 5 min visit instead of sending it to me like they used to, and the CT VA system is half decent, I can only imagine how bad is in other states, if PA is a guide, they were 100% worse than a clinic in the ghetto 

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Does the US military take these post-conflict costs into account when they plan their latest invasion?

 

ROFLMAO

 

Well actually I bet military the does plan/account for things like this, as does the VA. But the politicians - I doubt it...

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 i was only observing, i know nothing about it or claim to know anything about it, just seems like normal everyday guy from appearance alone.

Yet you still decided to comment, making no contribution to the thread whatsoever. Speaks volumes about the type of character you are...

 

 

See what I did there? ;)

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Yet you still decided to comment, making no contribution to the thread whatsoever. Speaks volumes about the type of character you are...

 

 

this is where i typically copy-and-paste but nahh... life goes on.

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he can talk, and use a computer and be passionate about this kinda stuff, but yet he is unemployable? From the surface, looks like he is abusing the system.

 

side note: if god blessed you, then this probably would not have this happened right? ;)

 

I haven't watched the video yet, but disability claims get a "rating" depending on the severity of service connected issues.  As a recipient of VA disability, I am perfectly employable, but am limited in certain ways.  My right ear rings constantly, day and night, like you just shot a gun off next to my head.  I have kind of gotten used to it actually, and I can hear through the ringing, pretty well actually, but it rings constantly, and is especially sensitive to loud noises.  Hitting a nail with a hammer escalates it to the point that I can't hear through it at all for a few minutes.  Nowadays, to try and keep it from getting worse, I wear an earplug in that ear when hunting, using a hammer, etc.  My right foot was broken at one point, which prevents me from working in places that require me to stand stationary or crouch for long periods of time.  I can walk around and work hard all day long, but anything that requires me to bend that foot or to stand in one place for long makes it hurt.

 

There are a few other issues, but these things "limit" me, and would not exist had it not been for military service.  That is what VA disability benefits are for, to compensate you for service connected injuries that limit your ability to work or enjoy life.  For that reason, the VA gives me a small check once a month as compensation for injuries acquired while in the military.  They're trying to cut costs is what these scandals are all about, but rather than cut expenditures in areas where it would help things, one of the things they're doing is going under the table and screwing veterans, and hoping nobody complains.  I personally know people that were in my unit that came out with all sorts of issues, got diagnosed with PTSD, and then had those decisions reversed because the hospital was trying to save money.  Here's another example.  On my disability, I was supposed to have appointments scheduled to have my foot examined by the VA for use on my record.  I got a phone call on the morning of the appointment, 30 minutes prior to the appointment time.  The VA clinic is 100 miles away.  When I tried to call them back to re-schedule, and write them a letter, they didn't answer me.  They finalized my disability without ever adding my foot to it, so right now the only things listed are "combat stress" and the ringing in my ear (tinnitus).  When I filed the paperwork, I listed my son and wife as dependents, because you get extra pay for dependents.  In the section that asked for previous marriages I wrote "N/A" because my wife and I have never been divorced.  They finalized my claim without adding her, and "then" told me that I'd filled out the form wrong.  I filled out the form 2 additional times, per instructions, called the VA, called the DAV, and FINALLY got the form accepted and filed, but it's been about a year since then and still hasn't actually been processed and applied to my account.  I called again about 2 weeks ago and had the DAV check on the status of the filing update and they told me that it had been accepted, and when asked why it was taking so long the answer I got was, "It's the VA".  I only recently got somebody to see about scheduling me an appointment to have my foot looked at and added to my disability.

 

The VA medical personnel though have been especially helpful and professional, but the dept. that handles the disability paperwork needs a serious overhaul.

 

I'm not saying that there aren't people gaming the system, but personally, my own service aside, I think if soldiers serve in a combat zone and receive an honorable discharge, they should automatically qualify for some kind of lifetime disability.  If we can afford to give billions of dollars in foreign aid to countries that hate us, and pay our politicians 6 digit salaries for their entire life, then we can afford to help our veterans buy groceries and pay rent after they serve their country with honor.

 

My personal opinion on the matter is this.  If you can't afford to pay and take care of your soldiers/marines/airmen/sailors for the rest of their life, then maybe you shouldn't go to war.

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I haven't watched the video yet, but 

 

in a way, you can think i am giving him a compliment by saying he looks, act, appears 100% better then most normal working people i know.. Sorry for the things that are happing to you. Wishing you the best.

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Just to add to this, my father was on VA benefits for a while and admitted to me once that he didn't need a penny of it and could go back to work any day but just didn't want to. If I were to have said that around ANY family members I would of gotten a lecture etc, the truth vets can and have defrauded the VA easily for benefits. Not all or even most im sure, but we should be able to question peoples claims without being attacked for not believing them.

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Does the US military take these post-conflict costs into account when they plan their latest invasion?

Of course they do but other subsidies gobble up any money allocated before it ever gets to where it's needed.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

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the reason for my unemployability is that, the disability that I sustained, I lost a combined 15 feet of small intestine and over 2 feet of my large approx that, with all my bouts of bowel problems, obstructions, abdominal pain and more, no employer would hire me because, he/she wouldn't know from a day to day basis if I'd be in for work so the VA determined that my problem is so severe from the proof of my medical problems in my records that, I'm 70% due to my conditions and with 70% or higher one can automatically apply for the extra 30% for IU (individual unemployability). I was about to be fired from my government job which i know is illegal but, I saved my 21.5 years of government service by resigning. But I was given the extra 30% for unemployability for a total of 100% Temp.

 

I recently applied for 100% permanent and total and my next exam in 2017 will establish the P&T,permanent and total. But I was under a congressional and financial hardship due to my extenuating circumstances.

 

But from my experience to help others, and someone here said they work at the VA, I'm not saying all VA people are bad. They are ALOT of great people, it's usually those in charge who set the tone for the entire regional office or medical center depending on where the problem is.

 

 

Of course they do but other subsidies gobble up any money allocated before it ever gets to where it's needed.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

 

No. to be honest, I do not think they even considered such an influx of so many injured veterans. I guess they figured for a 100 day war like the first bush president during gulf war I.

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Your wife witnessed you watching an internet video...

 

no she was in the office at the time the VA employee scoured 2 or 3 different VA systems to locate the 4140 form for individual unemployability  that was submitted back in August 2013 while the claim was being built. The claim was in one system while the 4140 form was in another and the decision was was reduce my disability to 70%, i saw it on the screen. however, someone within the system and access FOUND the 4140 and readjusted the decision accordingly.

 

here's the big issue. while records are being digitized, the system inadvertently kicks out a given vets disability he/she is receiving. however what needs to be done is, if this happens is, the vet should be able to bring their official VA decision letter to the regional office and have it reinstated. instead, Vets have to re-file a new claim and wait the backlog for a benefit that they had to begin with which, is a real tragedy because the backlog is somewhere in the ballpark of 2-4 years. which isn't fair to the vet who had the compensation to begin with.

 

this isn't saying all VA employees are bad. there are alot of great employees who are trapped in a system they know is broken and need guys like, in this case, dean heller who is a senator on the Va committee in congress to step in and rectify the issue.

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My medical knowledge of bowel problems is pretty good, so what your saying is you've lost 75% of your small intestine (from your description I would imagine you have a portion of your duodenum, and none of your jenjunum or ileim left) and youved lost a full 50% of your large intestine. Either you have had bowel cancer, got eviscerated in a war, or managed to kill it somehow (which is hard to believe given a knot in the small intestine can generally be fixed by a resection). Either way if your numbers are accurate then you must have a colostomy of some type period, otherwise you would have dumping syndrome with every meal and be malnourished. If you do have a colostomy and claim that makes you unemployable think again, the main problem I see on med surge outside of cholestectomies is bowel issues and 99% of those with even illeostomies (horrible gas issues frequently) hold jobs just fine. The ones that done generally refuse to take care of there bowel care usually are given a nursing diagnoses of "self care deficit" which in this case would be a type of denial. How exactly does this bowel issue keep you from working?

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he can talk, and use a computer and be passionate about this kinda stuff, but yet he is unemployable? From the surface, looks like he is abusing the system.

 

side note: if god blessed you, then this probably would not have this happened right? ;)

 i was only observing, i know nothing about it or claim to know anything about it, just seems like normal everyday guy from appearance alone.

I have a relative who is retired Air Force. She has MS and if she made this video, you'd probably see the same thing. Not too much obviously wrong in the short time of the video but that's a callous and superficial view point you have. Best learn some compassion or at least not make stupid assumptions.

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If anyone has been following the VA, you would know crap like this is pretty typical. The scandal is that nobody... neither GOP or democrat ... will do anything to fix it.

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