Anyone ever dealt with the VA?

[lonegunman762x51]

God I hate these people. I retired in late 2009 and have spent two years sending them paperwork and watching the make decisions that utterly boggle the mind. I had figured with complete documentation and a 27 year career it would be easy enough to review this stuff and decide something,,,,,,,,,man was I wrong.

With a DD214 showing service in Iraq, a picture of me and General Patreaus standing in the Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, copies of my orders, medical reports from the EMEDS, an Iraqi Campaign medal and a Commendation medal approved by my commanding BG, they still asked me to get a letter from a "witness" who saw me there.

As we slip into month 25 of this adventure one of my friends is retiring and saying, "I have complete documentation and cannot imagine this will be a problem". Man is he in for a surprise!

Now my congressman is working on it and after that I am sure I will need a lawyer in a year or two. I really just hate these people. Complaining on the internet is less bothersome to the neighbors than yelling to the sky in my back yard.

I'm glad I served and proud of my time in the service, sadly less than 1/2 of 1% of Americans serve in the military anymore. I just really hate people who send you a letter "thanking you for your service in Iraq" one day and deny the service on the next day.

And yes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I sent them copies of those damned letters as well.

Ahhhhhhh vent complete.

[C5M1]

Have had mostly good luck going through a local VA rep. Still a bunch of bureaucratic bs to wade through. should be used to it after 27 yrs....grin.. Don't let em grind ya down, thanks for your service.


regards, dennis

[RED]

I had a bureaucrat at the VA tell me that my DD214 only showed 31 days of active service. He was only off by 6 years!

Actually the bureaucracy hasn't bothered me as much as the poor quality of the care I have received. The VA hospital I go to has a Legion Service Rep on the premises and he pretty well knows which strings to pull. He helped get me the 10% service related disability rating that got me hearing aids and a pair of glasses. In the final analysis it all boils down to a crap shoot. If you are lucky you get somebody that actually does their job, or you may wind up like the OP... and that is SOL.

[raymeketa]

Just wait until you get a little older and have to deal with the Social Security Administration. You ain't seen nothing yet!

I live in a small town and the staff at the local VA office are all Vets or wives of Vets. I've never had a problem with them and they are always ready to help me when I have problems with the kids at the Regional office.

Ray

[amber]

No trouble with the va or ssa

Maybe I was very lucky, but I had NO TROUBLE with the VA or the Social Security Adm. When I became too disabled to work anymore, I hired an attorney who specialized in getting SS disability for folks who really deserve it. Only took about 3 months and the SS people paid the attorny's fees -- no joke!! Even got back disability benefits.

For my Viet Nam related disabilities, I went to the local state SO (service officer). She is a disabled former marine and had all set with the VA in short order. I am in Priority Group 1 and in addition to getting full disability, I (and my wife, if she should ever need to use it), get 100% of out medical care at the VA Hospital for free. That's everything, eye glasses, dental, etc. etc. everything.

I could not be more happy with the VA and their service to me. I can not imagine why so many people complain about the VA, getting benefits, health care, etc. Perhaps you are going about it in the wrong way.

[Michaelp]

42 years experience with them.

No real problems and overall excellent care.
I draw 70% for wound residuals and other stuff.

A lot of vets stroll in with a "you owe me atitude" and the fun begins.

There are better places to go if you can afford them, but I am satisfied.

Like any beurocracy, there are hoops to jump and one has to earn the ropes.

It is adviseable to get a good VSO-they range from so-o to outstanding.

[joem]

I to have had no problems with the VA or the care and treatment I've had so far. It takes time to get into the system and they are overwhelmed by the number of vets applying. Just sit back and relax. Respond to their requests for information as soon as possible and Don't ever miss a appointment or be late without calling in!

[Johnny P]

My wife's father was a WWII vet, and after he died my wife's mother required help to come to her home. The VA paid part of this expense, and getting all the required paper work and information took several months to get the benefit started. After about a year of this her mother had to go into a nursing home, which the VA didn't pay on. My wife and her brother contacted the VA to let them know their mother was in a nursing home so the checks would be discontinued. After several months, during which the checks kept coming, they had no success in getting the payment stopped. My wife finally contacted our U.S. Representative about the problem, and it still took his office another three or four months to get the payments stopped. None of the checks had been deposited, and finally a request came from the VA for the return of the checks from the time her mother went in the nursing home.

It seemed they could never get the right office or the right person. They were constantly being referred to another office, and nothing was happening.

[Sean P Gilday]

So far so good with the VA. When I came home in 2005 the Demob station, Ft. Dix couldnt be bothered to do any physicals or checks even on the guys like myself who had been wounded. Was told to go to the VA. Northport Long Island VAMC was superb. Went to physical therapy 4 times a week and regained the use of my right arm again. Had to beg off free eyeglasses since I bought my own, they sent me for all kinds of tests.

My Only quibble was the PTSD co-ordinator tried to get me to file for 30% disability and I have no symptoms at all. I told him, but his answer was free money which frankly pissed me off.

[amber]

Maybe you should have listened to him. The PTSD can really sneak up on you!!

[m1grunt]

The VA can be a roll of the dice

A good friend ( awarded a DSC in Nam) had symptoms of an organic brain problem and went to the Pittsburgh VA. Was rotated through several different Doctors and treated for MS. After several years he ended up with a young fellow from the University of Pittsburgh who correctly found that the problem was a brain stem tumor. Had it been found earlier it could have been removed, but by then it was inoperable and he died . When I retired from the military I became a nurse and I know that this can happen anywhere. On the trips where I took my friend for treatment, I couldnt help but notice that there was a system that is over taxed, under funded and staffed by professional people that are in survival mode to get through the day. as with most sad remembrances, why it happened matters little as the end result is that a good man died before his time. I do not blame the VA but I do damn the system. Healthcare professionals do not make most of the decisions today. Medical facilities are run by twinkies with degrees in healthcare administration who couldnt tell the difference between a urinary catheter and a breathing tube. All healthcare is suffering but the VA has the double curse of also being government run. God help all of us older people in Obama care stays in effect.

[John Sukey]

Probably a good idea as obummer thinks you shouldn't own a gun if you have PTSD and the VA is required to report that.

[Busterman]

I really never thought I'd want to or need to use VA services but recently applied due to the need for medical coverage. I lost a great job in 2011 that I had for years in financial services due to "Complications with the Dodd-Frank Financial reform Act". I worked in the senior products division of a national bank, we did good work there and I still get calls from customers with referrals. I was a bit surprised to see that complete financial statements are now required for applicants in certain categories. I didn't see combat in 6 years of service and don't have a problem with the VA doing a financial analylis of my ability to pay, just have to wonder how much I will be required to contribute. I'm now 63 and have an older brother using VA services for years and is quite satisfied but he didn't have to provide financials. How long has this been a requirement? I have been waiting a response to my application for a month, from what I read here I think I'll be waiting awhile longer before I hear anything.

[gwp]

In 2002 the application had a check box to apply without providing financial information. Checking this box indicated you would pay the co-pay for services and this exemption continued on the yearly Benefits Renewal Form (10-10EZ). This was changed several years ago and now only specific individuals are exempt from filing the financial information.

The co-pay is reasonable $8 per month for each prescription and $50 for doctors or clinics. For the 5-6 day hospitalizations I received the co-pay was $1100 each. If your income is under the minimum requirement the prescription co-pay is the only cost.

Sign up now because the availability may change for those not in the system.

[holdover]

Ah the VA, here is my story; Hurt my RT knee in the service and have all the documentation, witness statements etc. Have limped since 1969. Over the years it got worse, but I had a good job that made accomodations so I lived with it, in 2008 I joined the VFW and the American Legion, walked into my first VFW meeting and someone said what’s wrong with your knee, told them and they said I should file a claim. Went home looked up the info on the internet and filed a claim for my knee disability, First mistake, do not ever file a claim without the assistance of a service officer from one of the service orgs like the AL, VFW, DAV etc. That was Nov. 2008, in April 2010 discovered I had type 2 diabetes, and being a Vietnam vet I knew that they linked it to agent orange.. This time I went to the DAV and filed the claim, they asked me if I had hearing loss, tinnus , numbness in my feet etc which I did. Within 3 months had a physical at the VA and an assessment for the disabilities. They gave me hearing aids, glasses, diabetes supplies and medications and anything else I need plus a disability rating. At the same time I filed with the DAV for the diabetes told them about my unsettled claim for my knee. They got on it and before long the VA sent me a letter of rejection for the claim. THEY NEVER gave me a physical, so I appealed the findings. The morning I was suppose to have the appeal hearing I get a call and my DAV rep said that the VA called and wants to give me a physical for the knee injury, well how about that, now that was back in July 2011and has not been settled yet.

In conclusion the care I get at the VA hospital in Salem VA is top notch. I have private insurance and the Docs and nurses I see at the VA are head and shoulders above the ones I have seen in private practice. Example my urologist in private practice spends about 30 seconds with you in a bend over and touch your toes finger wave exam, and then is gone to see his many other patients, where-as the VA docs spend time to get to know you and your problems. A routine physical with my private doc is about 5-10 minutes , I went to the VA and it is over 30 minutes with no stone left unturned.. I feel they really care. I have a doctor assigned to me. Now the administrative section of the VA sucks big time, I know that they have a lot of claims, but 3.5 years and still not settled, give me a break. I think they wait for the patient to die.. And why is it that in many instances you need a service officer or a lawyer to get them to move. The hospital part gets an A+ from me, the administrative part gets an F