broncovet

I recently got a VARO decision from Cleveland RO with a St. Petersburg RO cover page. This seemed more than a little peculiar, and I have been thinking why would this would happen? I am fairly sure these decisions are printed on computer, with the "default" cover page, being the local Regional Office. Of course, this is a mistake, and I cant help but wonder why one RO would log into another RO's database? To help Veterans? To speed up the claim? Frankly the RO does not give a rip about Veterans. (Yes I know RO's "farm out" their claims to other RO's, and mine has been farmed out to Virginia and Philadelphia. However, in each case, they told me about it. This time, they did not "farm me out" to St. Pete) Also, when I was "farmed out" to Roanoake RO, Roanoke did all the development and leg work, but then it was sent back to Cleveland for a decision. I think the most likely reason is VA employee related fraud. To me, it is a "smoking gun". When I put it in context, the whole thing makes sense: The VARO's denies deserving Veterans, funnels this money into "fake" claims, with large retros, (they have already been caught at doing this!), then "covers it up" by spreading the fake claims, with large retros over multiple Regional Offices, so it does not look like it is coming from one particular VARO. Of course, this would take lots of people in different cities all working this fraud together, but the "fraud pie" would be big enough for many to partake. YES, I know this all sounds crazy, BUT WHY ELSE would regional Offices be so motivated to delay and deny our claims by the bushel basket full and even shred them? I would like opinions! I have no proof..just a decision from Cleveland with ST. Pete cover page and THOUSANDS of DEserving VETS being denied and delayed.

Commander.. TDIU either P&T or not P&T seems to not be that easy to get..the Va isnt handing them out like S&H green stamps...for most of us it takes years to get..if they get it at all.

I have sleep Apnea and use CPAP. However, it is not service connected. I asked my sleep doc what causes my sleep apnea. He said obesity..specifically, in my case, my throat has excess tissue..fat.. and when I relax during sleep, it occludes (closes up) my airway so that I can not breathe. Then I wake up, breath..fall asleep..stop breathing..the cycle continues. He also said that if I lose weight, it would help or even cure my sleep apnea. I applied for SC for sleep apnea secondary to depression. It goes like this..depression..causes food addiction (obesity) causes sleep apnea. VA denied SC for sleep apnea, but I have appealed..Since my depression is SC, I dont think it is a stretch to think that depression, in at least some people, can cause obesity. And, since my sleep doc already opined that obesity contributed to, or even caused sleep apnea, then, for me, I think it is my best shot. There are different kinds of apnea, mine is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, OSA. Hope this helps a Vet.

Sunfish.. I have discovered that "what the Va is supposed to do, or what they are required by regulation to do", is not necessarily the same as what they do. I certainly can appreciate that you want the claim you have not to NOT be delayed. However, you will have better luck trying to stop it from raining than trying to prevent a delay in your claim by not filing for TDIU now. THEY can delay it anyway..for any reason. IMHO, I recommend that you immediately file a claim for TDIU, because any delay could cost you retro of about $2500 per month...they could easily NOT automatically file you for TDIU..and easily "low ball" your hubbie with 30% disability or less..then you would not be eligible for TDIU. Finally, you need to realize the most likely outcome is that your hubbies claim is denied, and that you have to appeal. I dont mean to sound negative, but the VA's motto is "Delay the claim as long as possible, then Deny it, and when the Veteran appeals, Discredit him" ..the 3d's. I figure you should be prepared for this denial now..and then be happy when you get your claim approved the first go around rather than hope you will get the money six months after applying and wind up 7 years later, like me, still trying to get my benefits. Then, when you appeal, you will have to start the TDIU thing all over again. Commander Bob.. Thanks for your positive comments..however, it appears to be a bit unrealistic for sunfish to get TDIU or even close in less than a year..does anyone know anyone that has ever happened for? It takes most Vets years, and years and years to get TDIU..I would say the average is more than 10 years counting appeals, and implementation of the appeals, etc.

Mike.. I agree with Berta pretty much. I sent you a private message about what I did.

Great. You will need to "maintain" your hearing aids. Most of them have vent holes..and those tend to get clogged with wax. I use one of those nylon "price tag" holders off of a pair of jeans. You can push that piece of nylon (fishing line may also work) through the vent in the hearing aids to help keep the wax out of there. Your hearing aids wont work if the vent clogs up with wax. Also, you can order your aid batteries from the VA. Your audiologist should give you a card..you mail that card to VA probably in Denver..do that a couple months before you run out of batteries. I think they send you six months supply of batteries and then you have to order another six months supply. Dont let your hearing aids get wet, if possible. If you do wash them in the washing machine, they might still work..I did that once but dont recommend it. If you have trouble with your hearing aids..and you tried cleaning em, and new batteries, then take them to your audiologist..sometimes they have to send em back to get fixed. Be real careful about loosing your aids..mine do not work well with the phone, and I usually have to take them out when talking on the phone...so I tend to leave my aids near the phone. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND a class called "Living with hearing loss" in our area. It lasts about a week, but is worth it. Finally, if your wife yells at you turn off your hearing aids! Your family may notice YOU talk more quieter when you have your hearing aids in.

Allen..thanks for the "heads up" on Vietnam vets. There is no doubt in my mind that we 'nam Vets get the shaft over the new vets. Though I certainly appreciate the OIF, Gulf Vets, Iraq Vets (my son in law is serving in Iraq right now!), I do not feel they deserve "priority" over Vietnam era Vets. I picked my son up from the airport in his army uniform a couple weeks ago. People "clapped" for him and his Army buddies at the airport. Even tho their applause moved me, and I am proud of my son's service, I remember that I was "boooood" at the airport in uniform in the early 1970's. I am pleased we are now "supporting our troops" but I certainly do not feel that Vietnam Vets somehow deserve less support than Iraq or Gulf war Vets.

Notime.. I agree with Berta and poolguy. The VA is like the IRS. For example, if you call the IRS and say, "Is this deductable" and they say, "sure", then you can hold em to that, right?..wrong. Same with the VA. The 800 number people can tell you your check is in the mail..and then you get a decline lettter, and you can do nothing about it. IRIS is an abbreviation for a secure email the VA uses to answer claims questions. To ask the VA a question about your claim, via iris email, do this: go to www.va.gov Then click "contact us" in the upper right hand corner. Then click "Ask a Question" You will have to give them information, then you can submit a question via IRIS. How long it takes them to answer depends..I have heard 53 days, on hadit, and I have, on occassion, been answered in less than one day. Thanks for your service to our country.

You have what you need to get your claim approved! Your audiologist statement might need a little tweaking..make sure he or she states these EXACT WORDS, "Veterans hearing loss most likely as a result of military service" (such as "gunfire at Lackland"). My hearing loss was declined by the Cleveland Regional Office and declined again by the decision review officer. The BVA, however, weighed most heavily on the audiologists opinion, and not the unsubstantiated guess of the rating specialist. This is why we Vets say that the VARO has rubber stamps of "claim denied". There has to be compelling evidence to overturn your audiologists opinion. A rating specialists opinion that has never tested your hearing is NOT that compelling evidence. They would have to order TWO comp and pension audio exams and both of the audiologists state to the effect that your music caused the hearing loss, and not the military, in order to "overturn" your audiologists opinion. The reason it would take TWO is because your lawyer can argue to "favor the Veteran" rule..if 2 docs offer differing opinions, the rule says they must accept the opinion most favorable to the Veteran. It is called "the doctrine of equipose"...if you can prove there is a 50/50 chance it happened, then regulations require the Veteran be given the benefit of the doubt. However, be careful, because if your doc says "hearing loss may have been caused by military service" it will be declined, because that is speculative, and benefits are not awarded on "maybe" something happened. You audiologist is your friend and they hooked you up. It is Very difficult to get some of them to say that..even if it is true. I recommend you carefully prepare a "Statement in Support of Claim" ..for your appeal. Explain why your hearing loss was caused by the military..(you shot guns at Lackland and played the trumpet in the military band..you also listened every day to loud printer system noises..if that is the case) Also explain why it was not caused with your civilian career. For example, if you worked in an office as a civilian that was much quieter room than your military printer job, state so! You may also explain things like, none of your family members suffer hearing loss, etc, etc.

Stillhere: Yes, I know what you mean. I am in my late 50's..and my hearing deteriorates by about 3-5% per year also..so I am going deaf, too. Like you, I want to get my VA claim settled before I go deaf. So far I have worked on it since 2002..seven years. I have worn hearing aids since about 1995, but, according to a course I took (callled "Living with hearing loss"), the average Hard of hearing (HOH) person struggles with hearing loss for 10 years before getting hearing aids. So, my guess is that you had symptoms of hearing loss about 10 years before 1984...or about 1974. Even though I have only been 40% successful (I am rated 0% for hearing loss, 30% for depression, and 10% for tinnitus), I will still offer this advice for you that I have learned over the past 7 years of dealing with the VA: 1. ASK your audiologist to write in your report these words: "Veterans hearing loss most likely due to noise exposure during military service"...if you indeed feel that is the case. 2. DO NOT lie, ever, and dont even try to "fake" that your hearing loss is worse than it is. At least part of the reason I was awarded benefits by the BVA is that they stated to the effect that the Veterans statements were fully consistent with the evidence of record. That is, the BVA was not with me in Boot camp. they did not hear the jet engine noise, etc..etc, but I printed a googlemap of my barracks, showing its close proximity to the San Diego airport and highlighted it in yellow. I also pointed out my audiologists opinion, "most likely due to military service". 3. However, DO tell the truths that are "favorable to the Veteran". Look up regulations. Browse Hadit. Read all you can. In about 2002, the VA published a manual on hearing loss which relates hearing loss, depression, and unemployability. I am having a little trouble finding this report, the VA may well have removed it, since it works well with Veterans claims. 4. The 7p's beat the 3 D's from the VA. "Delay, Deny, and Discredit the Veteran," are the VA's motto, but ours needs to be: "Proper Preperation Prevents Poor Performance, then Persist, and aPPEAL" Thank you for serving our country and good luck to you.

TEAC I really would like to believe what you say is true..that there is no fraud in the VA. However, "just in case", I did a google search on "Veterans Affairs Fraud" and came up with 276,000 hits. Of course, not every single instance of VA fraud is reported, and, there is always a possibility that when it has been reported, it "could" be "covered up". It may even be possible that some Veterans dont even know how to report fraud..or report it to the wrong place and it falls through the cracks. You say you need "proof" of this VA fraud? Rather than cite individual examples of VA employees convicted of fraud, go to the following link, and pick YOUR Favorite Example of VA Fraud, then post it on hadit! http://www.va.gov/oig/publications/news-list.asp Your statement about there being no fraud with the VA merely shows that the VA is doing a much better job at covering up their fraud, and keeping it from the media, than they are at eliminating fraud. I am very pleased that the VA apparently has not defrauded you, however, the office of Attorney General says they have defrauded others.

"It takes the amount of time the VA wants it to take." It is unfortunate, but it depends on your regional office. I heard of one Veterans claim taking a month. My claim has taken more than 7 years, and I understand there are people who have waited MORE THAN 20 years to finally get their claim settled. I personally do not think ONE employee in the VA deserves a bonus as long as there are claims out there longer than a year old. If the regional office has claims over 2 years old, then, instead of a bonus, they should deduct 10%. If bonuses were awarded based on claim time, those claims would be hurried up.

DaNang Yes, I agree those numbers are rather suspicious. However, it does not necessarily mean that you cannot be awarded SC for hearing loss. Like you, my hearing was rated "normal" upon separation, but I am now SC for hearing loss because my audiologist offered the opinion that my hearing loss was "most likely due to military service". Even more important than the degree of hearing loss to your rating is "speech differentiation". Let me explain what "speech differentiation" means. The brain "converts", for example, the word "fork" into an image of a three pronged object for eating. If someone said "fork" to you in Chinese, you may hear what they said, but you probably would not understand (speech discriminate) they wanted you to pass them the fork..you just would not make that connection. In a similar way, people who are hard of hearing loose speech discrimination over time. The brain looses its ability to know what a "fork" is..almost like they heard the word, but it was spoken in Chinese. I have about 90% speech discrimination. That means 10% of what I hear falls into cyberspace, and I dont get it. The VA does understand this, in their ratings, and speech discrimination is more heavily weighted than actual hearing loss. The speech discrimination test is when the audiologist asks you to "say the word popcorn"..if you say popcorn, you got it. But if you say, "tin horn" you heard the word..but did not get it. Of course, the VARO still tried, at least twice, to deny my benefits. However, by the time people reach the BVA, they require they know how to read and write! Regional Office employees do not have to know how to read and write, they put on the "Claim Denied" rubber stamp so they can tell which one to use. Seriously, the regulations state, to the effect, that the rating specialist can not use his unsubstantiated opinion to "trump" a qualified Audiologist's opinion about your hearing loss. The only one qualified to oveturn the above opinion, is ANOTHER Audiologist. This is often why the VA calls for C&P exams. In a C&P exam, the VARO decides who the examiner is to be, not the Veteran, so they often hire and pick someone who will be on their side..not the Veterans side. This is just one way that some states pay Veterans less compensation than other states...they hire "consultant" physicians to do C&P exams. They then give that physician a rubber stamp that says either, "Veterans disability due to Veterans own misconduct" or, if the doc likes you, "Veterans disability not likely caused by military service". At the end of the year, "bonuses" are paid, not to how many Veterans are helped, or whether or not the claims backlog was reduced, but based on how brown your nose is. I had to put a little humor in there to keep from going nuttier....

Da Nang Thank you, also, for taking the time to reply. And, I tend to agree with you that hiring a lawyer is in order. Altho I should not have to pay 20% to get what I have already been awarded by the BVA (they awarded me a complete grant of benefit sought in 2004), I will do so. However, it is not easy to find a VA lawyer! I have checked with 3 lawyers in Ohio, all of them are so busy trying to fix the Cleveland Regional Office errors, none of them are accepting new clients! As far as I know, there are NO OHIO lawyers, experienced in Veterans law, accepting clients. Can anyone recommend a VA lawyer that is accepting clients, that has won your case? I would be most happy to talk to him! Yes, Pro Bono would be fantastic. One lawyer, In Illinois, advertises, "NO CHARGE TO VETERANS FOR REPRESENTATION AT COURT OF APPEALS". (Unfortunately, I called this lawyer and he is not taking new cases either) I recall reading something to the effect that, when your case goes to CAVC, the lawyer can ask (and usually gets) his money from the VA when the Veteran wins, so it costs the Vet nothing.

Carlie.. Thanks for your input. When I filed the NOD in March, 2004, the REGIONAL OFFICE had not acknowldedged my claim for tinnitus..my audiologist had..the BVA had also mentioned it, but the Regional Office "forgot" about it until 2005.. even then, they did not make it effective when I applied for it, but 3 years later when they "remembered" it. That is why I NOD'd it, at least in part, because they failed to consider my tinnitus claim. The VA is required to consider all the evidence and claims before deciding a claim and they cant just "blow it off", as they did to me. Roberson vs Principi points out this in mandated by Congress, as follows: "VA’s requirement that TDIU be specifically requested “loses sight of the Congressional mandate that the VA is to ‘fully and sympathetically develop the veteran’s claim to its optimum before decision on its merits.’” Norris, 12 Vet. App. at 420 (citing Hodge v. West, 155 F.3d 1356, 1362-63 (Fed. Cir. 1998)). Although Norris does not bind this court as precedent, it is both on-point and informative."

Berta.. I dont know what a 2138 is..I looked it up and it said something about an order for supplies, but I dont know what that has to do with a NOD?

Thanks Everyone on your good advice. A NOD was defined in the Supreme court, Gallegos vs Principii as follows: the regulation specifically states that "special wording is not required." 38 C.F.R. 20.201. It requires only that an NOD that serves to initiate the appellate review process contain language "which can be reasonably construed as * * * a desire for appellate review." Ibid. Moreover, the VA construes 38 C.F.R. 20.201 liberally in favor of triggering appeal rights. As it explained when the regulation was promulgated:VA has always been, and will continue to be, liberal in determining what constitutes a Notice of Disagreement. The continuation of this policy is demonstrated by the lack of a requirement for special wording and the use of the phrase "can be reasonably construed." Nevertheless, some indication which reasonable persons can construe as disagreement with a determination by an agency of original jurisdiction and a desire to appeal that determination is at the very heart of what constitutes a Notice of Disagreement. Without such an expression, the communication may be something, but it is not a Notice of Disagreement. Not much is required, but the communication must be recognizable as a Notice of Disagreement. In my case, this is what I wrote: "I believe the Regional Office Decision dated February 20, 2004 is in error for the following reasons:..."...I further stated that "the "disability rating should be adjusted to include tinnitus" and EVEN used the word "appeal process" I would like to point out that my NOD had a Regional Office "Stamp" on it with the word "appeals" circled and initialed by a VA employee. On the top of the NOD it says "CVA" (which stands for Court of Veterans appeals). My NOD meets the 2 regulatory requirements..1) The Veteran expresses disagreement or dissatisfaction with the decision, and 2) The Veteran indicates a desire to contest the result. I would like to also point out that I have filed TWO OTHER timely filed NOD's, those with my Veteran Service Officer with bold lettering "Notice of Disagreement" on top, and The Cleveland Regional Office has refused to process those NOD's either, but have given no excuse as to why not. So as to remove all doubt, I filed a clarification of the NOD (the RO is required to ask for clarification in the event the NOD is unclear, per regulations), and Clarified that I was alleging Clear, Unmistakable Error. The "Cue" part is important in that, CUE claims ARE NOT limited by the one year period, and CUE claims can be filed anytime, though CUE is harder to prove than a regular appeal. I am confident that I can prove CUE, however, the Cleveland Regional Office steadfastly refuses to consider my NOD with CUE, which is contrary to the regulations, but I cant seem to be able to make them follow their own laws.

I have copies of the NOD which was stamped received by the Cleveland Regional Office in a timely manner. Where I got the copy, is that I requested a complete copy of my C-file, and it was sent to me by the regional office, so there is no dispute as to whether or not they received it. I got upset and filed a Writ of Mandamus 4 years later, largely due to inaction on the NOD. In their response to the Writ, the Cleveland Regional Office claimed that my NOD was "interpreted as a claim for benefits" and therefore not valid. However, this is actually false because there was never any benefits awarded or denied on that date. However, my appeal has been effectively terminated as they steadfastly refuse to take any action on in, in spite of my protests. It looks like the Regional Office can interpret regulations in any manner they see fit, and I can not do anything about it. If they can just say that the Veterans NOD was interpreted as something else, they can (and have) simply ignored the Veterans NOD. It is like the wolf guarding the chicken house, and giving any count they want on the chickens.

I agree with Skunk. Your appeal could take years. And if you wait until its done, you will be loosing out on the potential of your "new" claim. Your appeal is in Washington, DC (if it is a BVA appeal) and a new claim at the Regional Office wont affect your Washington DC appeal, imho. I dont think they will do anything with your new claim until your file comes back from the BVA, however, it will preserve your effective date. So, I would go ahead and file it now.

What can we Vets do when the Regional Office Fails to follow Regulations? Example: The Cleveland Regional Office is supposed to consider all claims and evidence before rendering a decision. Moody vs Principii says it this way: "the VA has a duty to “fully and sympathetically develop a veteran’s claim to its optimum,” 251 F.3d at 1384 (quoting Hodge v. West, 155 F.3d 1356, 1362 (Fed. Cir. 1998)), and that this requires the VA to “determine all potential claims raised by the evidence, applying all relevant laws and regulations.” So, what do I do now that the Cleveland Regional Office "overlooked" my claim for more than 5 years, and refuses to acknowledge it? I filed a NOD in 2004, and the Regional Office ignored my NOD and "interpreted it as a claim for benefits" instead. What can we Vets do to force the Regional Office to obey its regulations? All my "Statements in support of claim" as well as 3 NOD's from 2004-2008 have simply been ignored.

Among other things, it may depend on your age. I recall reading where they arent supposed to require reexams if you are over 55. Of course, there is always their "weasel" clause.."under most circumstances". I think it also depends a lot on your regional office, too. The VA is a Heinz 57 Regional Office flavors, with a wide variety of results among regional offices. Then Congressman Obama got mad when Illinois was at the bottom of the list, and raised a stink about it. After a couple years, Illinois moved up several spots and is no longer in the bottom 5 states. . Now that he is not in Illinois anymore, I wonder if Illinois Regional Office will settle back into last place..right down there with Ohio and Indiana. Oh, Il, and Indiana pay Vets about $4000 per year less than Vets in New Mexico or New England (according to the Attorney General's report) The VA has tried to explain these differences, but few people have bought the VA's excuses. The excuse I heard was that Really sick Vets..the 100% kind, dont like cold weather so they move south, and that is why the cold midwest states pay less. In other words the 100% disabled Vets congregate in the south. However, Maine is about as far North as you can get, and it is one of the highest paying states..except for New Mexico.

Rentalguy..I agree with most or all of what you say. However, "calling the VA on their mistakes" has not worked with me. I called them..and they hung up on me, if you know what I mean. The "VA" is actually Heinz 57 varieties of Regional Offices, with 57 different managers, and different training, and different results! Of course, what works in One Regional Office SHOULD work in another, but, in my case it has not worked that way. I cant even get the Cleveland VARO to EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE my NOD filed in 2004. Of course, they broke the rules doing so..but The Cleveland RO doesnt give a rip what the rules are because they interpret the rules in any way the see fit, as they know many Vets wont appeal, others who do appeal, dont know the regs. Even those who do know the regs, and appeal..it takes years for the appeal to ever happen, and there is simply no risk to them at all for the VARO to simply deny every claim. They can cut and paste the denial letter, then go on coffee break for two hours. Even if they do get caught, there is no accountability, and no discipline for them. Cleveland Regional Office has "interpreted" the "favor the Veteran rule" to mean "forget the Veteran". I was awarded a "complete grant of benefit sought" by the BVA in 2004, and they have interepreted "complete" to mean zero percent. And I called em on it, and NOD'd them. So what do they do? They decided to "interpret" my NOD as a claim for benefits, and blow it off. Sure..that is against the rules, but so far they have jockeyed me around for 4 years, and I havent so much as been able to START with the appeal yet...much less finish it. I really would like to know what you think about this mess.

I agree with Rental guy and Berta. Moody vs Principi (quoting Roberson vs Principii) says it this way: “Roberson requires . . . that the VA give a sympathetic reading to the veteran’s filings by ‘determin[ing] all potential claims raised by the evidence, applying all relevant laws and regulations.’” There is no "escape clause" that the VARO can ignore evidence just because the regional office deems it not relevant, but they MUST CONSIDER ALL THE EVIDENCE and even "give it a sympathetic reading". Whether or not evidence is relevant depends on the point of view, while the Veteran may consider it quite relevant, the Regional office could then say any evidence is irrelevant in their opinion. They are referring to the relevance of applicable regulations, not the relevance of the evidence..all the evidence must be considered!

Tankerjoe I used to be in the insurance business..I wont tell YOU what to do, but I tell you what I did. I dropped my insurance and use the VA exclusively. I dont think you will have any hundred grand copays..these "hundred grand stories," tho they do happen on occasion, are mostly marketing ploys by the insurance companies. Even if you had an 80/20 policy, and you had a million dollar health bill, you would still owe 200 grand..even with insurance! Even worse, many companies pay 80% of what THEY think the hospital bill SHOULD be, not necessarily what it actually is. The other thing to remember is that all insurance has "weasel" clauses..wont pay for "experimental procedures", wont pay over a specified limit, often does not pay for things like weight loss surgery....the list goes on and on and will likely be several pages. Frankly most insurance companies are more interested in protecting their own profits than they are at protecting you and your family and will burn you to save them a claim, if they get half a chance. The only catch 22 is usually your own "worry" factor..insurance is about eliminating that worry, and most people just figure something else to worry about even if they have Prudential, Metropolitan, Blue Cross, Medicaid and VA combined. Medical insurance wont let you "make" money on getting sick, so having multiple policies is not gonna help. The most it would save you is the deductable, which VA calls the Copay. You know your own familys health better than I do..but I dropped mine..its your call. You are never going to have any REAL security with any insurance company. The danger, however is if you have assets to protect. If your net worth is under a hundred grand, then I am not sure you really need to "protect" something you dont even have. If you have the money, and if it makes you feel good, then buy insurance..just dont go without shoes or milk to pay for your insurance.

Yes, I saw the Dr. Phil show. I do thank Congressman Filner..and Dr. Phil they appears to be a true friend of the Vet. It is absolutely ridiculous for Veterans to have to go on Dr. Phil to get medical benefits when those should be provided by the VA. I appreciated the show and those guys not sugar coating the truth like the VA does. This "shredder gate" has been going on much too long. I think that probably the Regional Office "higher ups" are SELLING disability ratings, kind of like the governor of Illinois tried to sell Obamas senate seat. So, when they "sell" a VA disability rating, that means a deserving Veteran has to be denied. That is the crux of the reason so many Vets get the shaft, I think.