Want To Know How Much The VA Loves Our Wounded Vets?

[mgifford]

Here's a story about the abuses that the VA are involved in concerning bonuses they're giving their employees, as they fail to send out checks to our wounded who need the funds very badly. Bureaucrats are always looking out for other bureaucrats, no matter what. What do you Military guys think?

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/aug/21/wounded-vets-face-hardship-awaiting-checks-va-work/

[Kegler300]

I think Obamacare...

[mgifford]

I think Obamacare...

Yes sir!

[SFC(R)L]

I think this is an isolated case in one VA center of many around the country where some less than stellar employees worked. It also seems that the VA IG caught it. I think that employees who earn incentive bonuses deserve them, and that the VA is understafed and overwhelmed with initial and secondary claims from OIF/OEF, and it takes about 60-90 minues to work an initial claim to completion and start the process towards compensating the veteran. I also understand that the majority of the time there is a delay in processing a claim, it is due to lack of evidence in the claim file which must be recovered by VA from the veteran or from a medical treatment facility outside of the VA system. Basically, you can process a claim correctly and completely, or you can process it fast.

[bobci]

SFC, you are pretty right. I belong to a PTSD group in Calif. All of us are Vietnam combat vets. Some of the guys in the group have had their claims in for a year and have not heard anything. One guy went to the VA court last year and had not heard of anything yet.
It's a shame what is happening to all vets. The Iraq & Afgan vets are also getting the shaft as some of their claims are being rejected because the gov. says that they had a mental condition before their service.

[bobci]

I had a triple bypass at the VA hospital in Los Angeles last Sept. It didn't cost me a dime. I also had great Doctors and the best of care. The VA is my healthcare

[SFC(R)L]

SFC, you are pretty right. I belong to a PTSD group in Calif. All of us are Vietnam combat vets. Some of the guys in the group have had their claims in for a year and have not heard anything. One guy went to the VA court last year and had not heard of anything yet.
It's a shame what is happening to all vets. The Iraq & Afgan vets are also getting the shaft as some of their claims are being rejected because the gov. says that they had a mental condition before their service.

On behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home and thank you for your service to your country in the Republic of Vietnam.

The problem with PTSD claims is that they require corroborating evidence, including witness accounts or official reports that the veteran endured that which he or she claims. These take time and must be thoroughly reviewed to avoid fraud or payment of an unsubstantiated claim. Further, once the mattter goes into appeal, the wait can be ponderous due to evidence rules and the waiting list of claims. I myself have an appeal pending and it has been well over a year as I am asking for a case review officer.

The problem with our OIF/OEF vets is that they have come home and they are stressed. They mistakenly believe that their problems will be "solved" by their immediate discharge from AD. Some well-meaning but significantly misguided persons on AD suggest that if the Soldier accepts a discharge for "personality disorder", they can be discharged almost immediately. These Soldiers see this as the answer, as they lack the patience to deal with the evaluation/treatment system. What this does is it creates a situation that the defect existed prior to service, eliminating the veteran, by law, from receiving compensation for PTSD resultant from his/her AD experiences.

Pass the word.

[bobci]

SFC...Thanks for the info. You seem to know what is going on. I read VA Watchdog.org. It seems to be a useful site. I feel for those OIF/OEF Vets. When I run into one I always tell them to get to the VA and get that hospital card asap

[busy-bee]

Here's a story about the abuses that the VA are involved in concerning bonuses they're giving their employees, as they fail to send out checks to our wounded who need the funds very badly. Bureaucrats are always looking out for other bureaucrats, no matter what. What do you Military guys think?

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/aug/21/wounded-vets-face-hardship-awaiting-checks-va-work/

Bureaucrats are always looking out for other bureaucrats. These people, are they state or federal employees? But what does it matter. They obviously did not care for our Veterans! All they care about is themselves - looks like they learned from the politicians!!!

I hope the IG takes them all to court and fires them.

[SFC(R)L]

SFC...Thanks for the info. You seem to know what is going on. I read VA Watchdog.org. It seems to be a useful site. I feel for those OIF/OEF Vets. When I run into one I always tell them to get to the VA and get that hospital card asap

you are welcome

[mgifford]

Bureaucrats are always looking out for other bureaucrats. These people, are they state or federal employees? But what does it matter. They obviously did not care for our Veterans! All they care about is themselves - looks like they learned from the politicians!!!

I hope the IG takes them all to court and fires them.

Fat chance on that!

BTW, I'm pretty happy with my VA Hospital treatment. However, the US ARMY during Vietnam, purposely sprayed dangerous "Chemicals" on me as a test, which has caused me to depend on the VA to keep me alive as long as possible.

[Rick Rhetoric]

The VA pays tons of money in bonuses to legions of worthless bureacrats who do nothing all day long except prop their feet on desktops and read comic books. The VA should use this money to hire paid staffers to man the reception desks and telephones at local VA hospitals.

I don't know how it is everywhere, but at this VA hospital the receptionists and telephone appointment takers are mostly young men who for some reason volunteer to do those tasks. Of course they are to be commended and saluted for volunteering their services. But they have a tendency to engage in a lot of horseplay and mess with the elderly disabled veterans who try to make medical appointments.

Old veterans say that when they try to call for an appointment, a young man answers and says something to the effect "Hey mon, what's your phone number?" The old vets states his phone number and the playful character on the other end then says "Okay mon, we gotcha covered" and hangs up. Often times, laughter can be heard in the background.

[stodr]

I think this is an isolated case in one VA center of many around the country where some less than stellar employees worked. It also seems that the VA IG caught it. I think that employees who earn incentive bonuses deserve them, and that the VA is understafed and overwhelmed with initial and secondary claims from OIF/OEF, and it takes about 60-90 minues to work an initial claim to completion and start the process towards compensating the veteran. I also understand that the majority of the time there is a delay in processing a claim, it is due to lack of evidence in the claim file which must be recovered by VA from the veteran or from a medical treatment facility outside of the VA system. Basically, you can process a claim correctly and completely, or you can process it fast.

I think it has more to do with the center itself. I tried to get my claims through in Waco for over a year. They didn't need anymore info. toward the end of that time I moved to Las Vegas. Because it was not completed in a year the process started all over again in Reno. I handed them the same package and it was complete in about 3 weeks.

I am very happy with the VA here in NV

[SFC(R)L]

I think it has more to do with the center itself. I tried to get my claims through in Waco for over a year. They didn't need anymore info. toward the end of that time I moved to Las Vegas. Because it was not completed in a year the process started all over again in Reno. I handed them the same package and it was complete in about 3 weeks.

I am very happy with the VA here in NV

Waco is the 2d largest regional office in the country, based upon number of veterans served, second only to an office in Florida.

As such, it is not surprising that moving to another region accelerated the process.