ptsd Filing and SMR questions

[HowIWish]

Let me start off with saying this:

I understand now how some might have thought when I asked my question about a hospitalization at the Va helping my husband get his disability I was trying to game the system or something. I didn't mean it that way at all. Back then (it feels like a lifetime ago) I saw my husband completely falling apart and I was being told by friends and family that he needed to be hospitalized. I saw it coming, and I was naive how the mental health system worked. My thought was that if he needed to be hospitalized anyway, that using the VA would help the situation in its entirety.

Yes, I was very wrong. I had read how amazing the VA's PTSD programs were, and I guess I figured getting him into the Va system then would sort of kill two birds with one stone. He could start getting help in a place he felt more comfortable by being around other vets, he could get the hospitalization he needed for much less than $2,000 a day (the price of the private hospital he had his outpatient care at) and he could go ahead and be in the VA system.

Well, if you've read my other posts you know nothing good came out of his 18 day stay at our local VAMC. It's been a nightmare ever since and keeps getting worse.

Sorry if I sound defensive. Being married to a man (whom I love very much) that has major paranoia issues has kind of made me this way. His paranoia tends to focus on me... I'm poisoning him, I'm holding him hostage, and on and on... Sometimes he has good days, and other days I spend most of my time trying to convince him I'm not working with Barrack Obama to have him put in a straight jacket. 

 

Anyway- on to my current questions! First, my husband's FDC was ready to file, we were just waiting for his SMRs. They finally came today and I was so excited. But there are NO medical records in the envelope. There is also no records pertaining to his deployment. It is basically just his enlistment paperwork, his security clearance paperwork, and his discharge papers.

On the ebenefits site where we put in his paperwork, it says the VA can get all of his medical records from DoD hospitals. Should we go ahead and file and let the VA get those records? The website says it can still be submitted as an FDC and they have access to those records. That's my first question.

My second question has to do with his ongoing care at the VAMC. This past week they told him he is now ineligible for all care and they canceled everything. They refuse to give us anything in writing, but they have canceled every single appointment he had, including his support groups. They say it's because he makes to much money. But he was already enrolled and paying co-pays! 

I've read everything I can find, and he is completely eligible for care. We were fine with paying the copays for now. The first week of February his income will be dropping by 2/3's, and then he was going to file a hardship and then they said we wouldn't have the copays anymore. 

We we really need to file his claim. The faster we file the faster (hopefully) he can be service connected and we won't have to worry about them cutting his Health benefits. Would you guys just go ahead and file now without the rest of the SMRs? There isn't going to be anything in there to really help a whole lo anyway. He didn't have any mental health issues while enlisted. Nothing became an issue until a little while after his discharge. His deployment was towards the end of his enlistment.

Also, what's the best way to fight them canceling his health benefits? The VA flagged him as a high suicide risk for 60 days of "Enhanced care," and now they're refusing him ALL care! It seems we should have something in writing so we can file an appeal, but nobody will even tell us who made this decision. This all happened yesterday, and this coming week is Christmas. I'm thinking we need to go to the VA in person Monday or Tuesday and get some explanations. 

One more thing- my husband had a PTSD screening because his outpatient psychologist was trying to get him into the 8 week inpatient PTSD program. While inpatient his psychiatrist said he did not have PTSD. That's a crock because every single professional he has seen outside of the VA has said he undoubtedly has PTSD and it is greatly complicating his other MH issues. But that does us no good with the VA. So he had this PTSD screening at the request of his VA psychologist who has been trying to get him further help within the VA. The PTSD screen doesn't say anything. He was denied getting into the program, and his psychologist told him that she has been told to make sure not to chart any diagnosis in his chart. It's just frustrating. Isn't the point of a PTSD screening to see if he has it? 

Oh well, forward we go! As always, any help is extremely appreciated. This site is invaluable. I have learned more here than anywhere else! 

 

[HowIWish]

I hope, Buck, but honestly I don't have much faith that the president, or any other branch of government will straighten the VA up. From the little bit I've seen, the problem is way too big. 

But I truly hope I'm wrong!

[Buck52]

Yeah I understand your thoughts that's been my and many other veterans

but it sure seems like Mr Trump is going to be different... we all can til how he run his campaign   ..and some of the things he said  and still won the election....ect,,ect,,

The VA has always went in and covered up things for years just to come out smelling like roses , but Mr Trump is pretty smart business man to figured out how''wrong doer's'' are  and I'm hoping he can figure out how the VA is getting/has been getting by with all this non-sense.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Buck52

[wingnut73]

The root of VA problems is onions! oops misspelled that.