kimmig

i believe there are some good disabled service officers out there i just didnt happen to have assistance with the ones i encountered. needless to say i am totally disappointed with the DAV. YES, 17 MONTHS. I made sure that i sent everything certified mail. the DAV wouldnt even call me back......or rather in december i called and spoke to my appointed vso WHOM STATED HE WOULD CALL me back and as of april four months later no call, that is when i contacted washington. they couldnt even tell me anything about the claim because they didnt have the power of attorney uploaded in the system. and no when i first filed the claim not one veteran rep told me anything about filing a possible tort claim. it was here on this sight that i received that information (thank you thank you thank you).....in fact after my husband died i was out of it for about a week, could barely function but i did go to the veteran service office to get things started. on the day of my husbands death the va had denied his upgrade request on his back . i wanted to file an appeal on that and i was told NO I COULDNT DO THAT that the veterans claim died with the veteran. the dav supervisor informed me of that. i do believe that is not true....

i believe that anthrax can trigger an autoimmune disease.

read my poem.......the va had my 43 year old husband on 14 medications.....he is now deceased...many were the same type you are taking.,,,,

Promises of free care, its a token The Soldier reups, his body soon will become broken Broken down old at such a young age The soldier lives his life, while building a rage The rage comes full circle, as the V.A. begins its plan To kill off its soldiers just because it can More pills to give forget the cure Just give more pills, they will die for sure Forget that he is a Desert Storm Vet Memories of that time cant be swept Just give another pill, not one but three Until he can't walk, but must hold onto a tree Three becomes six. give another to the old man More and more just because you can Death comes to the young old man The V.A. never falters just because it can Forsake not my Desert Storm Vet run while you can For I will take the stand No MORE!! something will be done NO MORE!! dying of Americas young The V.A. must answer ....but...then again Most likely it will lie in squander just because it can Written by Kimberly Green dedicated to her Desert Storm Vet SFC Ricky W. Green Jan 5 201

Promises of free care, its a token The Soldier reups, his body soon will become broken Broken down old at such a young age The soldier lives his life, while building a rage The rage comes full circle, as the V.A. begins its plan To kill off its soldiers just because it can More pills to give forget the cure Just give more pills, they will die for sure Forget that he is a Desert Storm Vet Memories of that time cant be swept Just give another pill, not one but three Until he can't walk, but must hold onto a tree Three becomes six. give another to the old man More and more just because you can Death comes to the young old man The V.A. never falters just because it can Forsake not my Desert Storm Vet run while you can For I will take the stand No MORE!! something will be done NO MORE!! dying of Americas young The V.A. must answer ....but...then again Most likely it will lie in squander just because it can Written by Kimberly Green dedicated to her Desert Storm Vet SFC Ricky W. Green Jan 5 2013  

Thank you for the nice comments of my poem. I LOVED/LOVE my husband sooo much. i find it better for me to express myself by poetry. it had been 17 months since my husbands death. so i finally made a decision and contacted the survivors benefits dept out of washington d.c. they immediatly got back with me and within a few days i received several phone calls and actually on april 12th (which was our 22 wedding anniversary) a lady from the va contacted me to tell me that i had been approved for dic. amazing....also received a letter from the dav stating the approval, however am still waiting on an official notification from the va on the dic. . i have also filed an sf 95 have got six months to wait on a response on that......i do have attorneys... just disgusted with what my husband endured. total medical negligence, pathetic.

Promises of free care, its a token The Soldier reups, his body soon will become broken Broken down old at such a young age The soldier lives his life, while building a rage The rage comes full circle, as the V.A. begins its plan To kill off its soldiers just because it can More pills to give forget the cure Just give more pills, they will die for sure Forget that he is a Desert Storm Vet Memories of that time cant be swept Just give another pill, not one but three Until he can't walk, but must hold onto a tree Three becomes six. give another to the old man More and more just because you can Death comes to the young old man The V.A. never falters just because it can Forsake not my Desert Storm Vet run while you can For I will take the stand No MORE!! something will be done NO MORE!! dying of Americas young The V.A. must answer ....but...then again Most likely it will lie in squander just because it can KIM GREEN

My husband, whom was a Desert Storm Veteran and 80% service connected Veteran died unexpectedly on 29 October 2011 following lumbar surgery for his service connected back injury. I filed a claim for DIC in November 2011 with the DAV mobile unit. In Jan 2012, I received a notice from VA that they were working on my claim but they however needed additional information. I provided them with everything in order for a decision to be made. I provided an autopsy report, a list of medications that my husband took (all VA), all the medical records from the VA, everything. Again I received another letter from the VA in March 2012 that they were working on my claim. I called to the DAV inquiring about my claim in February 2012, March 2012 and again in April 2012. Each month I was told that the DAV office couldn’t tell me anything due to the Power of Attorney that I had provided had not been uploaded into the system. I again submitted another Power of Attorney. I finally got thru to a DAV REP whom sent a letter to Wisconsin. The DAV rep requested that a status be made to me. WELL, the next day a decision was mailed out stating that my claim was closed. . I contacted the National Service Officer whom is the Supervisor over that office and he requested that I forward him all of the documents (again) and he would see that my claim be reopened. I again forwarded all the documents and again certified the mail and received confirmation that the DAV received it. I have heard nothing until December of 2012 when I contacted the DAV. The National Service Officer stated to me that the was checking on the claim and would call me back. He has failed to contact me and I have heard nothing until I called in March 2012 and again I am getting no response. I have done everything in order for a decision to be made. I have provided all documentation in the required time period and have confirmation of that fact. It has been over 17 months since my husband’s death. I feel like the whole system is terribly flawed and i have lost all faith in the DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS. I did get in touch with the Survivor Benefit's Dept in D.C and did receive a quick response with a phone call. I am hoping that a decision on my claim can be made.. Has anyone else had this much trouble?

Promises Promised the Vet free health care for life Just sign your name, a pen like a knife Free care for life you say Run Veteran,Run, stay far away For the free care promises that were made To young men and women for their services the price they will pay My Veteran at combat and at war Now he struggles no more For he trusted a select few To full fill that promise but who really knew That promises are like tokens thrown to the wind So easily they spend My Veteran now lies underneath a grave The sacrifices like many others he made So many Veterans both alive and dead They lie spent in their unmade beds So Veteran take heed ask questions instead Don't take for granted, trust in yourself, or you to will be dead Kimberly Green Dedicated to SFC Ricky W. Green (whom passed away after having service connected surgery via the VA) dissapointed in the whole system..

Here is my dilemma. please help me out there. i am slowly sinking....the VA enrolled my husband into a pilot program called Project Hero, This program was established to take care of veteran medical needs and get them to a care provider if the va couldnt provide the services. the doctors are federal contracters apparently contracted thru Humana. They have to meet the same regulations as a federal employee and they are "supposed" to provide the same standards of care. So a federal tort claim can not be pursued apparently because they are contractors. i am just about broken. how can this be. now i am sooo afraid that the VA is going to come back on my DIC claim and say well, it was a federal contracter whom prescribed the drugs that killed my husband and deny it....

what does bumping it up again mean? where is the template?? im sorry i am so ignorant to alot of things on this site. i am trying to learn. thank you so much for your help!

i will NOT be silent about any of this. My husband doesnt have a voice therefore I am his voice. I want to see that this over drugging of our Veterans Stops AND that there IS accountability for these physicians actions. Prescribing sleeping pills,valium,tramadol,oxy,hydrocodoine, to my husband was nothing but a death sentence. This is happening more and more and this has to STOP!

update call to dav- poa is finally uploaded....they can "now" see whats there. had to leave message for call back. my case has been assigned to the director....whhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyy?? am i trouble????? i am not trouble, i am just asking them to do what anyone else would expect them to do for them as a veteran myself and as a widow of a service connected Veteran. my husband served his country for 23 years, he utilized his well earned VA medical benefits and he is now dead, druged to death among other things....my Gulf War Veteran whom was healthy when he was deployed to the Gulf, whom six months after returning had elevated liver enzymes, which was unexplanable and upon death at the age of 43, had an enlarged heart,enlarged liver, enlarged spleen,carotoid arteries,30% blockage,lung congestion and 14 ACTIVE prescriptions to include oxy,valium,flexiral,zoloft,hydro,tramadol,gabatroipim for nerve damage,sleeping pills ....need i say more...??

And thennnnnnnnn.....working as a disabled veterans employment representative as a state employee, a 100% service connected veteran comes into my office, he is interested in becoming a service officer...just wanted to ask questions, so i invite him to sit down and we chated.. i answered his questions. then he tells me when he goes across the street to the county veteran service office, the receptionist yes the receptionist will not even let him see or ask a service officer questions. she at first asks me if the veteran is over at my office..of course this is confidential....i dont say anything, then i say, i am inquiring about my DIC claim..SHE tells me to call the 1-800 number....finally i get thru to him...., the service officer tells me to send him back over and ask for him by name....so i do this...this time he sees the service officer, when he is done my phone rings from the receptionist and the service officer...when speaking to him he basically tells me he is afraid of losing his job.....yes, can you believe this....this has happened several times before. with veterans rudely treated . what a disservice....the veteran calls me back and tells me thank you however he did tell me that the second time he went over again the receptionist was again rude but this time was hostile...what is this world coming to??? this is unacceptable behavior...how sad! ....he gets in to see the service officer ONLY after the receptionist is rude and according to the veteran HOSTILE.... THEN, they both call

i mean does this happen alot to other people??

My husband died on 29 October 2011. A few days after his death i received in the mail an answer to his upgrade request which was "we have denied your request for upgrade on your back" . I had my son take me into the local veteran service officer and i requested to file an appeal of the decision. The service officer went ahead and filed the appeal HOWEVER when the regional office got it the service officer called me to tell me that "the claim died upon death of the veteran". He told me that he would send me the paperwork to file for DIC...He never not one time mentioned anything about substitiing myself for my husband. Could i have substited myself for my husband to go ahead with the appeal? Also not one time did anyone mention filing an 1151 claim. Now i am sitting here with a denied DIC because of this: 1. Husbands death due to mixed drug intoxication complicating recent lumbar surgery- service connected back surgery 26 october 2011 2.released to home on 27 october 2011 va pharmacy filled and va doctors prescribed oxy,valium,sleeping pills filled on same release day. also va doctors had him on hydrocodiene ,tramadol,flexeral among others. all active prescriptions. 3. died in his sleep on 29 october 2011 4. filed in early november appeal to VA on denial for back upgrade. filed at the county veteran service office. 5. November 2011- Regional office called me sent me documents to file for DIC telling me the claim died when husband died 6. 23 november 2011-filed DIC with DAV mobile van 7. jan 23 2012- receive in mail letter requesting additional information. due date one month from 23 jan 2012. 8. feburary 2012-call to regional office. feburary 17, 2012-sent to wisconsin documents such as updated death certificate,autopsy report, medical records, and pharmacy records. sent by certified mail. documents picked up by va rep on 21 feb 2012, timely. 10. march 2012-call to regional office-still cant tell me anything POA not in system 11. april 11 2012-call to local county service office-spoke to service officer-told me he would check into it-spoke to him again on 18 april 2012-he forgot about me, forgot to do what he said he would do. 12. april 18 2012-call to regional office-poa stil not uploaded-cant tell me anything-but she says she will check on it 13 april 23 2012-receive letter from regional office requesting wisconsin upload POA 14. april 27 2012-receive in mail letter denying me DIC with a deniel date of 19 April (day after regional office contacted them) The DAV has totally dissapointed me. Any suggestions anyone?

My husband died on 29 October 2011. A few days after his death i received in the mail an answer to his upgrade request which was "we have denied your request for upgrade on your back" . I had my son take me into the local veteran service officer and i requested to file an appeal of the decision. The service officer went ahead and filed the appeal HOWEVER when the regional office got it the service officer called me to tell me that "the claim died upon death of the veteran". He told me that he would send me the paperwork to file for DIC...He never not one time mentioned anything about substitiing myself for my husband. Could i have substited myself for my husband to go ahead with the appeal? Also not one time did anyone mention filing an 1151 claim. Now i am sitting here with a denied DIC because of this: 1. Husbands death due to mixed drug intoxication complicating recent lumbar surgery- service connected back surgery 26 october 2011 2.released to home on 27 october 2011 va pharmacyfilled and va doctors prescribed oxy,valium,sleeping pills filled on same release day. also va doctors had him on hydrocodiend,tramadol,flexeral among others. all active prescriptions. 3. died in his sleep on 29 october 2011 4. filed in early november appeal to VA on back thru county veteran service officer 5. November 2011- Regional office called me sent me documents to file for DIC telling me the claim died when husband died 6. 23 november 2011-filed DIC with DAV mobile van 7. jan 23 2012- receive in mail letter requesting additional information. due date one month from 23 jan 2012. 8. feburary 2012-call to regional office-cant tell me anything-POA not in system 9. feburary 17, 2012-sent to wisconsin documents such as updated death certificate,autopsy report, medical records, and pharmacy records. sent by certified mail. documents picked up by va rep on 21 feb 2012, timely. 10. march 2012-call to regional office-still cant tell me anything POA not in system 11. april 11 2012-call to local county service office-spoke to service officer-told me he would check into it-spoke to him again on 18 april 2012-he forgot about me, forgot to do what he said he would do. 12. april 18 2012-call to regional office-poa stil not uploaded-cant tell me anything-but she says she will check on it 13 april 23 2012-receive letter from regional office requesting wisconsin upload POA 14. april 27 2012-receive in mail letter denying me DIC with a deniel date of 19 April (day after regional office contacted them) The DAV has totally dissapointed me. Any suggestions anyoneZ?

well, to me it is obvious what is going on. I had called the regional office several times before this all occured and the same response was " va in wisconsin hasnt loaded the poa....i will check on it" and that is it i wouldnt hear anything else back. I like many other veterans and their spouses had relied on the DAV, thinking that they of all organizations would do the right thing, do their job,help guide the Veteran or the Widow of the Veteran in claim purposes. I was wrong...wrong....wrong...i am so dissapointed... But....i am not MAD, what i am is DETERMINED. i will NEVER NEVER NEVER let this die, i will read every regulation out there, seek advice on here from people like Berta whom have nothing but the best intentions at heart and that is to ASSIST AND SERVE VETERANS, seel legal assistance and above all will not take NO for an answer. I also will make what is happening known to everyone and if that includes newspaper,tv, congressional compliants so be it... My husband was steadily given narcotics beginning in 2009, to include hydrocodoine, oxy,tramdaol, sleeping pills,antidepressants,valium and the VA knew about it When questioning the Doctor, he advised yes its ok to take all of these....My God...They prescribed it over and over again and then at the last after back surgery sent him home the day after and filled his prescriptions at the VA Pharmacy without so much as a consultation.... My husband said to me one time, you know i think the VA would rather have me dead..well, i am beginning to believe how right he was.....What a disgrace to our Veterans...This is nothing but sad. But I am not giving up.....NEVER NEVER NEVER.

Also VA had just sent me a letter in March stating that they were "working" on my claim soooo why didnt they make a decision then denying rather than on 19 April a day after the Regional Office in Little Rock sent them a request on the POA. This sounds really fishy to me

i havent filed an 1151 yet. our county veteran office didnt have a clue about how to handle it. remember he forgot about me, i called and a week later he had forgotten.

i am so upset right now. my husband suffered for years and years. six months after he got home from the gulf he had elevated liver enzymes, noone could explain why. upon death the autopsy revealed enlarged heart,liver and spleen, blockage in one of his arteries,calification of the arteries,.....TH e va had to have known yet they did nothing and told us nothing about any of the enlargements. i am sooo tired of having to fight all of this.

dept of veteran affairs pension managment center po. box 342000 milwaukee wisconsin we have denied death pension,acrued benefits and dic

My husband, SFC Ricky W. Green (retired) died on 28 October 2011 at the age of 43. My husband was a Persian War Gulf Veteran whom served his country on active duty and reserve status for 23 years, just recently retiring in December of 2010. My husband had a service connected back injury and was operated on 26 October 2011, the operation was contracted thru the VA and performed at the Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville. He was released home the next day. During the time frame that my husband began to utilize the VA for his medical needs (2008) up until death he was placed on 14 different medications, at the same time to include : hydrocodoine,tramadal, ,gab, valium, oxycodone and sleeping pills. My husband died in his sleep three days later, an autopsy was performed which revealed “mixed drug intoxication complicating recent lumbar surgery”. The toxicology report reveals that valium,oxy,Zoloft and sleeping pills were in his system. These were all prescribed by the VA and prescribed by the two physicians one as the consultant Neurologist and the other whom performed the operation on my husband who is also a Neurologist. On 23 November 2011, I filed a claim for Death Indemnity Compensation via the DAV. My husband was an 80% service connected veteran and his surgery was due to one of his service connected injuries. On 23 January 2012, I received a notice from the Department of Veteran Affairs stating that they were working on my claim and what pertinent documentation was lacking. On 17 February 2012, by certified mail, I submitted to the Milwaukee Wisconsin Dept of Veteran Affairs an autopsy report, a current updated death certificate, VA prescription records and medical records from the most recent surgery. The deadline was 23 February 2012. The certified mail receipt shows it was picked up by Corey Stephens, a representative of the VA, on 21 February 2012. On 28 April 2012, I received in the mail a document stating that a decision had been made on my claim denying DIC due to I had never sent them the information requested. The date of the decision was 19 April 2012. On 18 April 2012, I had contacted the Little Rock DAV regional office inquiring about the claim and to determine if there was anything else needed for a decision to be made. The regional office could not tell me anything because the Power of Attorney in the system had never been uploaded by the Pension Management Office ( VA Form 21-22) allowing the DAV as the accredited representative authorization to release claim status information. Calling to the 1-800 number to the VA is pointless because you can never talk to anyone. I am requesting assistance with my claim. My husband died an untimely death which has devastated our family. I am a widow with two children and also a Veteran of 21 years and work for the State of Arkansas as a Disabled Veterans Employment Representative. My husband loved his country and honorably served, devoting his life to service before self. Respectfully, Kimberly Green My husband, SFC Ricky W. Green (retired) died on 28 October 2011 at the age of 43. My husband was a Persian War Gulf Veteran whom served his country on active duty and reserve status for 23 years, just recently retiring in December of 2010. My husband had a service connected back injury and was operated on 26 October 2011, the operation was contracted thru the VA and performed at the Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville. He was released home the next day. During the time frame that my husband began to utilize the VA for his medical needs (2008) up until death he was placed on 14 different medications, at the same time to include : hydrocodoine,tramadal, ,gab, valium, oxycodone and sleeping pills. My husband died in his sleep three days later, an autopsy was performed which revealed “mixed drug intoxication complicating recent lumbar surgery”. The toxicology report reveals that valium,oxy,Zoloft and sleeping pills were in his system. These were all prescribed by the VA and prescribed by the two physicians one as the consultant Neurologist and the other whom performed the operation on my husband who is also a Neurologist. On 23 November 2011, I filed a claim for Death Indemnity Compensation via the DAV. My husband was an 80% service connected veteran and his surgery was due to one of his service connected injuries. On 23 January 2012, I received a notice from the Department of Veteran Affairs stating that they were working on my claim and what pertinent documentation was lacking. On 17 February 2012, by certified mail, I submitted to the Milwaukee Wisconsin Dept of Veteran Affairs an autopsy report, a current updated death certificate, VA prescription records and medical records from the most recent surgery. The deadline was 23 February 2012. The certified mail receipt shows it was picked up by Corey Stephens, a representative of the VA, on 21 February 2012. On 28 April 2012, I received in the mail a document stating that a decision had been made on my claim denying DIC due to I had never sent them the information requested. The date of the decision was 19 April 2012. On 18 April 2012, I had contacted the Little Rock DAV regional office inquiring about the claim and to determine if there was anything else needed for a decision to be made. The regional office could not tell me anything because the Power of Attorney in the system had never been uploaded by the Pension Management Office ( VA Form 21-22) allowing the DAV as the accredited representative authorization to release claim status information. Calling to the 1-800 number to the VA is pointless because you can never talk to anyone. I am requesting assistance with my claim. My husband died an untimely death which has devastated our family. I am a widow with two children and also a Veteran of 21 years and work for the State of Arkansas as a Disabled Veterans Employment Representative. My husband loved his country and honorably served, devoting his life to service before self. Respectfully, Kimberly Green

I received in the mail a letter from the pension management center that i was denied DIC because they had not received all pertienant information. On 23 jan 2012, they sent me a request for additional information, i sent by certified mail all documents needed such as autopsy report,copies of service connected drugs given (that assisted in my husbands death) and an updated death certificate that shows "mixed drug intoxication complicating recent lumbar surgery"...... on 19 april 2012 i called the regional office in little rock to follow up to see if i needed to do anything else, the regional office couldnt tell me anything because the power of attorney hadnt been squared away.......anyways, its funny that the decision is dated the same day that i talked to the little rock arkansas regional office. I guess i should obtain an attorney i have a copy of the certified mail receipt. i knew this would happen..... this is disgusting.

I went back to work this week after being away from my job on FMLA. Just dealing with my husbands death had physically taken the toll on me physically and mentally. I believe I told you I am a Disabled Veterans Employment Representative for a state agency. Last week i called my county's veteran service officer,,whom i happen to know personally and believe it or not had assisted him in obtaining his job. I asked him if he could check on my claim, i cant get thru to the 1-800 number and every time i call the regional office they are not able to really tell me anything. He assured me he would make some phone calls and assist me , i felt confident that i might get some answers. I hadnt heard from him in over a week, so I called him. Well, he forgot all about me, forgot what I even called for and had the nerve to actually tell me that he "forgot"........forgot.....................forgot.............and thought it was funny. I do not think this is a laughing matter, my whole world crashed down around me, my husband whom served honorably for 23 years, was a combat veteran died after a VA surgery for his service connected injuries. How dare he.... As i have said before....I am alone on this...I know i am not "alone"as far as other spouses that are actually going thru the same thing as I. How hurt I felt, for a Veterans Representative to tell me that my husband was so easily forgotten.... this is what it is like for me and i am sure others, the ball is so easily dropped, time and time again.... God bless those whom take the time such as this forum and reach out to those whom need it. Thank you!!!