Veterans examined by unqualified clinicians, denied TBI claims
According to KARE11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the VA there is sending out notices to a few hundred veterans who had their claims for traumatic brain injuries denied when the were examined by unqualified medical personnel.
Instead of being examined by a specialist, records reveal at least one case in which a veteran was denied TBI benefits based on an examination by a nurse practitioner.
[…]
According to VA documents obtained by KARE 11, the Minneapolis VA used unqualified staffers “from 2010 through 2014” to conduct initial TBI examinations for Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefits in violation of Department of Veterans Affairs policy.
“So that means hundreds of veterans didn’t get a fair shot to get competent medical opinions about their condition,” said Ben Krause, a Twin Cities based attorney specializing in veteran’s issues.
According to the KARE11 reporters, they started filing FOIAs to inquire into what they perceived as a problem back in the Spring and the VA started corresponding with Congressman Tim Waltz’ office in regards to the problem;
In a letter to the VA, Rep. Walz states he’d been told that “over 300 veteran-patients received initial examinations by doctors not authorized to perform TBI examinations”.
It was soon after Walz’ office got involved that veterans started getting notices that they were eligible to be reexamined. The VA is like a gigantic artichoke – the more you pick at it, the more gross, ugly stuff you find.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
The more I learn about the VA, the gladder I am that I have exactly zero to do with it.
^^^WORD^^^
Well, since nothing I would get from them is for anything service connected, and they don’t take Medicare, I see no reason to even go there any more.
In fact, I think I’d be better of making an appointment with my veterinarian than anyone at the VA.
At least your drugs would be cheaper through the Vet. Oh, and they would know your name when you showed up for the appointment!
And they would be able to quote you a firm price.
I have a buddy who got into college on a Veterinarian’s signature. My buddy had worked for the vet while in HS. When he showed him the form that required a “doctor’s” signature, the vet signed it with D.V.M. next to his signature. No one caught it.
And I might get a cookie out of it, too.
Human physiology is far easier than having to know such diverse species as cats, dogs, horses, guinea pigs, and snakes. Not to mention your patients can’t tell you what the problem is.
In many cases, I’d rather have services from veterinarians than human doctors. And like someone else mentioned, there’s no 3rd party shenanigans regarding the price either.
There’s a retired vet named Dr. John McCormack that has written some awesome books (3 I think). He started out as a country vet in Choctaw County, Alabama in 1963. That county had never had a “real” veterinarian before him. I have read the first two, they are great books full of great stories.
Meanwhile, has anyone heard even a peep about illegal aliens and welfare flunkies being denied anything?
Social Security Disability is the same way. They have MDs with no experience at all in the area of the disability someone has making the decision.
On the other had people are catching the TBI as much as they catch the PTSD.
At least they got examined. I’ve been trying to set an appointment for a TBI examination since March. They keep telling me that they can’t schedule me an appointment, but I can get my own MRI and CAT Scan at my own expense which will assist in any determination. You know, since I have the money to actually do that shit.
I think that some of you are jumping the gun when it come right down to knocking the VA.
We all know from the reports from both sides that the VA has and is in trouble in all respects when it comes down to health care for our Veterans.
First lets take a good look at how the VA handled some of us back in the early 50s, right after the Korean War ended. I for one was real happy to allow the VA to do Eye surgery on both of my eyes, now that was alittle over 57 years ago. I was 89 years old this pass March and going on 90 come March of 2016, I passed my driving test with flying colors with a 20/20 rating for seeing, the VA did one heck of a job with a gullstone removal that needed to be done back in 1989, and they located in my exmination in 1990 that I had COPD at which time they prescribed all the medication to control my breathing.
Now its been alittle over 15 years and my breathing has’nt gotten any worst, nor has it changed any, I still drive, I still go hunting. I still farm, and I still drink as much beer as I did before I contacted my COPD. As things stands at the present, I give the VA here in Des Moines, Iowa all the credit for the health care, maybe had I gone to a family doctor back then I might be 10 feet under by now. Bottom line!!!!!!!! Don’t kill the messenger if he’s bringing you good news. Enough said, end of story.
Sam Naomi (Where the tall corn grows)
You sir are describing events that would qualify as ancient history. I’m 73 and about ten years ago the VA reexamined me for my 20 percent service-connected back disability. I truthfully thought the doctor was going to fall asleep several times during his so called exam. He deemed me “healed” and tried to pull my disability. I went to an Army doctor who thankfully was a former WO PA. He x-rayed my back, marked up the x-ray with a red grease pencil and told me to take it back to the VA and have them call him if there was any question. I took it to the Little Rock VA regional office Inspector General, a retired AF E-9. Three weeks later I was notified my disability was increased to 40 percent. My wife nailed it when she said, maybe you deserved to go to 30 percent but the 40 percent was to keep you quiet. The Department of Veterans Affairs as a whole, not occasional outstanding facilities such as you experienced, has failed American veterans and I lay the blame squarely on the president, past and current, the Congress and the American people for tolerating it.
The VA has helped a lot of veterans. They have definately helped me. That is their Job, not a favor they are doing us.
They get a bad rap because they fuck up a lot of cases. Maybe not the majority. probably not even 1/4 in the end.
The fact is, that as an organization they are poorly run and have unacceptable overall customer service.
When I first came to the VA in 1995 after getting out of the Army, the care I received overall was subpar due to there being exorbitant wait times, inconsistency in specialist being seen, and overall an overworked staff unable to keep up with the workload they faced. It culminated in my having an incorrect procedure performed on my knee. At least it did no harm, but it stopped me from coming back to the VA for care until several years ago. In the time that I have been back in the system, my care has exceeded the care I received on the outside through an HMO. My Primary Care has been nothing short of amazing, all the specialist I have seen have been equally amazing, and the care provide to me has been top notch. I have had a few moments where I have experienced the things we all hear about. The lackluster, doing their time until they retire VA Employee. Nothing a call to the Patient Advocate did not resolve. Even an overbooked Clinic where I was shortchanged on my visit, I was able to obtain the right treatment, and a good follow up by the clinic staff. I think the major issue is, that it has always been a roll of the dice on medical Care, regardless of where it is that you obtain it. Not all VAMC’s are equal unfortunately, and that has an awful lot to do with the decentralized model VA has. Not every VA can provide the same level of services either, because let’s face it the budget does not allow for every possible medical condition to be treated at every VAMC. When it comes to the Comp and Pen system, it is and has been pretty well jacked up for a while, and that doesn’t look to be improving. They are apparently going to completely pass of responsibility to VBA, where it was VHA providing for all the Comp and Pen Exam services. What made this N.P. unqualified though, is a big question for me. I have been seen by P.A.’s and… Read more »
You know, if you look up physicians assistants, you will learn that their education and clinicals are akin to those of medical doctors. Says so right there. Andf there. And there. I was amazed at how much the PA-pluggers make them sound like there’s really no difference between them. So, why aren’t they doctors? ‘Cause. That’s why.
Let’s be clear, like medical professionals … not all pageant contestants are the same either!
Enjoy this painful lesson in “knowing what the fucht you are talking about … before opening your yap”!
The medical doctor that is the director of Minneapolis VA hospital comp and pension, at least the last one I’m aware of since I left Minnesota forever, is an administrative idiotic bastard who’d rather fuck young females and stroke his own ego at the expense of disabled warfighters, some of whom have suffered and died because of his bullshit. I worked there for a while, so I know this for a fact.
Checked with my Coprsman to see if anything changed. Nope, take Motrin, change your socks and walk if off.
Still works for everything.
No Shitter:
1984 … During a rugby match in Longford, Ireland between Longford RFC and Newport, RI RFC (I was a member and in attendance), a member of Newport sustained a traumatic ear lobe tear. He was immediately ushered off the field by a Longford medical professional to the club house that was perched above the pitch. He returned in about 15 mins fully bandaged port and larboard … fore and aft. He returned to the game. He is Chris, a/was fireman in Newport and a brother to and of a group of hard core Irishman.
Later at the traditional gentlemens’s dinner and social, dressed in Newport standard blue blazers (with Newport RFC patch) and khaki pants, some time during or after the songs, jokes and critigues of play, we learned the Longford RFC team doctor was the local veternarian.
NO SHITTER … I WAS THERE!
I consider myself quite fortunate; As a retiree that was seen and continues to be seen at the Minneapolis VA, my care has been top notch, and my claims were quickly ( under 4 months) processed and approved after I retired from the Army.
I know this isn’t always the case in the VA healthcare system….I can however say that the OIF/OEF clinical director ( also my primary care provider) has gone above and beyond in taking care of me and making it a point to pick up the phone to call clinics that reply with the “no appointments available ” mantra.
The current state of the VA system is a bit of a train wreck, but its individuals like this that make navigating that particular mess tolerable.
Doc, my question is why as a retired soldier with full benefits under TRICARE-For-Life and entitled to use a military treatment facility did you choose to use the VA as your primary care provider thereby depriving another veteran without your entitlements from your slot? That is the problem with the VA, too many needing their services.
CM. Doc can answer for himself but it seems to me that the choice is his and no explanation for his choice is necessary. As I understand it, retirees who incurred service-connected medical issues are better off (financially) going through the VA. And even if the issue is not service connected, a retiree who is happy with the VA facility he is accustomed to using may elect to be seen at that facility, even though his costs may be greater for issues not service connected. I guess my beef is that your question suggests that Veterans in need of VA services who avail themselves of those services are responsible for the VA’s overall piss-poor management of its workload. The suggestion is that they should go elsewhere because they can. If the government wants to further renege on the promises it made to Veterans who spent 20 or more years in service, it knows what to do from experience. Now, if you want to talk about the proliferation of imagined and compensable PTSD cases, I’m there.
Another reason may be, (like me) upon retirement he was told to sign up for care at VA Hosp by the VA rep. I get a letter once a year stating if I want to keep my VA care current, I need to be seen by my PCM. Also, have you tried making an appointment at the Army Hospital? Retirees are seen last. Plus, I am 40% service connected, what makes me different? Just because I am retired?
My first objection, CM, is to your use of the term entitlement to describe a benefit Doc earned, unlike folks who get subsidies simply for being able to extend a hand and take stuff.
Where any of us select to get our health care is one of the most personal decisions we can make. We base that on a lot of factors which may or may not translate to any other being – like regional differences, a long term relationship with a particular doctor, availability of emergency services, and many, many more to include our ability to travel and/or pay for stuff. I simply cannot fault anyone for taking advantage of a benefit they earned.
No, I don’t use the VA for anything, for a host of reasons which would add nothing to this conversation. But I do have a very nice civilian retirement income. Following your logic, CM, perhaps I should refuse my military retirement since someone else might need it more?
Thank you Gentlemen….you have all highlighted very good points.
But, to answer CM, let me point out the following;
1. I am depriving no other veteran of “their slot”….that slot is MINE…it belongs to ME..I earned it…ME, ME , and yes…ME.
2. You may view it as an entitlement, I view it as earned…I gave the Armed Forces 20 plus years knowing full well they could send me to bad places, with bad people, where bad things can happen to my body….and bad things did happen to my body to the tune of 60% disability…in return, the government agreed to take care of my medical issues…that was the deal I made with Uncle Sam.
3. The Minneapolis VA Medical center is 5 minutes from my home.
4. The Nearest Active duty Medical center of consequence is hundreds of miles away…I don’t care much for the commute.
5. I like my doctor and medical plan and I am going to keep them….regardless of the best efforts of this administration.
And lets not overlook one final point..
6. If I haven’t said it before, let me point it out now…that healthcare is MINE.
Tri-Care has co-pays that in my case cost me thousands for my back surgery..:.tricare isnt free. I would also point out that retirees cant just decide to get care at an MTF…if your outside the catchment area (50 miles in my case) going for treatment on base isnt an option.
Like others have said, I’m taking nothing from you, its my slot.
No Big Surprise Here…….
BHWHAHAHAHAHAHA ! ! ! ! !
I’m done being crazy
Like everything in life there is good and bad. The big difference with the VA is you are looking closely at one part while ignoring the heathcare industry as a whole. The military is the same way. You see a lot of finger pointing of what goes on within thie military, while statistics for the general population are pretty much the same. The VA has its faults and yes, I do use it. I also filed a comp claim for things that were documented over 30 some odd years of service, but were declined as not service related. The thing is, I have a full time job, military retirement, and do pretty darn well. Did putting a strain on my body and being exposed to weird stuff over the years affect me? Probably. However, I’m also really close to 60 so that has something to do with it, too. There is definitely some bad leadership in the VA (and elsewhere) and some people are not qualified or could care less about their job. I’ve seen that with government employees all over the place. I’ve said this in other posts that one of the bigger problems now is providing compensation over recovery. Someone close to me was a C&P examiner and is a degreed professional. They had to leave after eight months because they felt their integrity was being challenged. Not to mention the outright threats from “veterans” demanding money. Combat wounded, seriously injured, no problem. Drug users, alcoholics, “veterans” who never made it through basic training or were never deployed, etc. demanding they deserve compensation? Problem. Missing or no records. Problem. I gave a ride to a young guy one day who I met at the VA, was carrying this heavy backpack around (I picked it up, it weighed at least 40 lbs), and didn’t drive. During the 30 minute ride to his apartment I asked the typical questions about branch, MOS, etc. He could tell me Army, but mumbled something and didn’t answer any other of my questions. Bottom line in my opinion is the VA has problems, but… Read more »
So far as the regs on VA TBI C & P exams go there are only 4 types of docs considered qualified to sign off on INITAL exams:
Neurologist
Neurosurgeon
Physical Medicine and Rehab (PMR)
Psychiatrist
It is possible that the 300 exams were done by generalists/primary care MDs, NPs and/or PAs and some sort of QA review found they were done outside of SOP/regs regarding specialties and re-exam offered. (No personal knowledge here, just speculation/conjecture.)
The above limitation to the above 4 specialties applies only to initial TBI evaluations. Other types of providers (qualified C & P examiners from primary care, etc.) can do the later exams for increases, reviews, etc. but ONLY if they have taken specific additional training to do the C & P exam for TBI.