Now, try and get them
Last year, the Democrats passed some great benefit packages – almost ambitious you might say. We all know that they’ve been unable to deliver on the new GI Bill and thousands are still waiting on their first checks to pay off their education expenses for the last semester and the next semester looms. The Washington Times writes this morning about Vietnam veterans who are trying to get the health benefits that they are owed;
VBA, the branch of the Department of Veterans Affairs that dispenses aid and assistance to veterans and their families, is simply overwhelmed. It reported on Monday that there are 481,751 pending claims, some of which will take more than a year to be processed.
Among those flooding the VBA’s facilities with claims are retirement-aged Vietnam veterans and elderly World War II veterans, middle-aged Gulf War veterans, and younger Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. All of these groups are applying in larger numbers because of the weak economy, said Larry Scott, the founder of the advocacy group VAwatchdog.org.
These things didn’t happen overnight, of course, and the blame can probably be spread out evenly over every administration since Woodrow Wilson – but it’s disingenuous for the Obama Administration to run a campaign targeting veterans with a promise of better administration of their health care and then a year later, nothing has changed except the depth of the incompetence.
And the VA dodges reporters;
Efforts to speak with someone at the VA about these matters on the record were not fruitful. The only person the VA would make available was a high-level technology officer at the VA, and that interview was canceled twice at the last minute.
Probably because, like everything else this administration has failed at accomplishing, they realize that it’s a lot easier to campaign for something than actually accompishing something.
Category: Veteran Health Care
Is this the VA taking a page from Obama’s playbook and voting ‘present’?
I have to point out that this is the same administration that thinks it can run healthcare for the entire population of the US.
That being said, I believe, through my travels and interactions with patients and staff within the VA system, that they have been woefully unprepared for the amount of claims that have come in. I can’t put the blame squarely on Obama’s shoulders by any stretch, because this has been brewing for decades. However, if you are going to jump up to the podium and start working over the previous administration while thumping your chest about how you are sooo much more capable and will do a better job, blah, blah, blah; you better deliver and stop making excuses.
My mantra during the campaign was that Obama is more interested in being elected President than doing the job of President. That sentiment still holds true today.
When I’m out at my local VA, I try to talk with many of the people, from patients to staff, and find out how the system in my city is working (occupational hazard since I’m a Post Service Officer, so I try to stay on top of issues and concerns of the Vets and staff, whether I’m there for myself or on other business). I have heard both good and bad by both Vets and staff. More importantly, it gives me a look at what can be improved, or recommended for improvement and what the reasons or limitations to said improvements can be from the VA side.
One thing I noticed is that I finally was assigned a doctor that I really liked and felt comfortable with and then less than a year later; the SOB tells me he’s joined the Navy so I will be losing him as my primary care doctor!! Oh well, my loss is the swabbies gain.
Only 481,000 claims? To put this in perspective, since this is what I do now for one of those private insurance companies that makes an obscene profit of 2.2% a year, we process over 2 million claims a month.
For the state of Georgia.
Did I mention that is only one of the 15 states in which we do business. Do the math.
Yup, there is nothing the government can’t FUBAR.
Oh my…now that is such a surprise! Whodda thought?
Well, everyone who has been paying attention for the past couple of decades, maybe…
Old Trooper: “My mantra during the campaign was that Obama is more interested in being elected President than doing the job of President. That sentiment still holds true today.”
Spot on!!
Isn’t amateur hour fun?
I applied for a disability rating increase in October of 2008. The majority of my claim was denied, although my rate was increased by 10%. I got word of the decision in November of 2009. I have given up trying to get any more assistance from the VA. The paperwork is overwhelming, and you can never actually TALK to anyone about specific issues.
I can’t even get to the VA hospital for treatment I need. The DAV has only one volunteer driver in my area, and he’s only available on Wednesdays of each week. I can’t drive right now, so I’m pretty well stuck, as the hospital is over 30 miles from where I live.
I asked for help from the local low-income transportation folks, and they refused to help, saying it’s a “VA problem”. I have a friends who can occasionally give me a lift, but it has to have plenty of advanced planning.
I have had absolutely wonderful medical care from the Doctors & Nurses at the VA. No complaints there. It’s just trying to get there, trying to wade through the bureaucracy, the long wait times, the scheduling conflicts that can’t be resolved by their own departments, and in general, being unable to get help when I need it, rather than wait 4-6 weeks for an appointment.
I am truly greatful for everything the VA has done for me. Don’t misunderstand. However, if this is what National Health Care will look like, it would be better if we all just resigned ourselves to self-medication and early deaths.
Tim, talk to your local American Legion or VFW, they will know if your County provides transportation to the VA. If you don’t get anywhere with that, let TSO, or myself, know and we will work a solution for you. You can get my email from Jonn or TSO.
I have to share a story. My mother in law had to go to a conference for health care workers in Washington D.C. The last day of the conference Howard Dean was bragging how great the VA health system was. She had to leave quickly afterwards or she was going to get sick. He was using it as an example of how great the government would run healthcare. I can honestly say that if they cut out just a little bit of the bullshit buerocracy that goes on there things would run so smoothly. Right now it is set up that you have to be your own advocate and navigate the system on your own. I don’t know how many times I have talked to a vet who just said fuck it and gave up. There is little accountability at the VA. I’ll have to find a link to the story, but six months ago the government offered amnesty to workers and all of a sudden thousands of claims and letters showed up. The workers had actually hid them in drawers and filing cabnets. Just because someone was too freaking lazy to do their job. Obviously this is a problem from the top down. The supervisors are too lazy to make sure the people are working, and if they are not lazy they have little recourse against the employees. On a personal note, I had something happen at a VA Emergency room that should have resulted in the employee at least getting a severe reprimand. I had just had a seizure and my wife brought me to the ER like we were told by my doctor. Obviously I was confused and I wanted my wife to stay with me. They said she wasn’t allowed in the ER, because of “HIPAA”. My wife knew this was bullshit and I got a little assed out and told the ER Nurse that she wasn’t leaving. He looked at me and said, “you are going to have to leave if she doesn’t, so you need to make up your mind if you want treatment.”… Read more »
JPJ, I hope the ones who’ve posted here about how great it’ll be when the Feds take over healthcare, Joey, are reading posts like yours. I doubt it, and I’m sure they’ll figure it’s just not true.
I don’t know what they are thinking. I will be willing to be that before the regulations go into effect that insureance prices will go through the roof (just like credit card rates…fuck you Barney Frank). If anyone just doesn’t want to buy insurance then just fine them and lock them up (fuck you Nancy Pelosi). The rest of the country is going to have to pick up the tab for Nebraska (fuck you Ben Nelson). Can’t people just learn from Massachusetts’ mistake… Oh no lets just plug our ears and shut our eyes and sing lalalallal. Now I got my blood pressure all up…
AW1 Tim, also contact your local service clubs (Elks, Moose, Eagles, Odd Fellows etc) They will have a Veterans Committee, and man have free transport for local Vets. You do not have to be a member of the club.
I was tested and put in for hearing aids, due to a 60% loss in both ears from too close mortar hits. I also broke my ankle falling off a roof at the NECP and Balad Air Base. It never healed right, and I have a claim for that too. Both have been in the black hole of backlog since late 2008…..
…not that I expect to see them for a while.
Oooops! “AT Balad Air Base”.
SSG David Medzyk, when were you at balad? I was there April-November 2006.
We need to all get together, from all sides, and demand better treatment. Forget the left-right bullshit and stand together on vets issues. When they play divide and conquer we all lose.
I’m lucky to have an awsome VA Rep here in CA I agree with AS that this should not be a left/right issue. Too bad IVAW, Vote Vets and IAVA don’t think that way.
The IAVA doesn’t think that way.