ptsd $37,000 Retro

[Berta]

Men and women- this is something we have not discussed much in years here.

Last night my SVR guest was highly regarded veteran's attorney Bob Walsh.

He mentioned a case on the air that he has discussed with me-

The veteran had a FTCA and 1151 issue-

In all the time all that took he continued to pay Co payments for medications which untimately were for disabilities service connected under Sec 1151.

With Bob Walsh as his attorney, they successfully got a refund of years of co pay of this veteran's medications -all directly related to his malpracticed conditions.

It is actually a litle higher than 37,000 I think-that he got back

The VA of course never reveals that in many cases these co pays are refundable-

as matter of fact when VA out my husband on ice, they continued to bill me for a small amount of co pays that I refused to pay for- the letters became more aggressive-and threatening.

When I won Sec 1151 award-the same week I got another threatening Co pay bill.

I sent them copy of my 1151 award and told them that they would have to determine exactly what medication killed Rod and what was for his SC PTSD and I woud pay the balance.

(this was really only maybe $25-30 of late 1990 co -pay amounts he owed with interest continually added but there was a principle involved).

They ignored my letter and sent in a few months Another co pay bill-

by then I had a copy of the VACO medical report confirming my charges that one med had contributed to Rod's death-

I sent them that and no bills ever came again.

Another thing and this is important too-----

if you get an award letter and EED for SC- go back and check to see if you if fact have paid the VA for meds that ultimately fell under your SC EED for the disability the meds were for-

in this case you could write directly to VA finance (I think) I am not too sure where you should write-but I wrote directly to the billing dept of co-pay-

and tell them (enclose a co pay documentation sheet if you can-and a copy of your award letter) you feel you should be re-imbursed for the SC meds you had to co pay.

Edited January 17, 2008 by Berta

[Pete53]

The VA will sure hound you though to make you pay them.

[Speaking Out]

Great show last night! I wish we could clone your guest! We need a few more of him around. I am contacting Indiana University to try and get them to start a Veterans Law Project like Michigan and Illinois have.

[Berta]

Speaking Out- Thank you for joining the show----!!!

I tried to be careful to not identify you too much when I asked Bob Walsh your question-

I think we are reaching over 50,000 or more via PC-stateside and in Europe and Iraq and Afganistan.

and every once in a while I wonder who might be listening in with bad intent-but it comes with the territory-

then again most of us on the air tell plenty about ourselves anyhow like Chas Kelley-

Jeerel Cook has asked VA employees to join us and I have asked some to be my guest and they always decline.

The local VA Chaplain- another man I know who would be a good guest with 30 years-Commander -Navy Reserves-with helpful transition info-for newly discharged men and women-

told me it is possibly a conflict of interest or something for VA people to go on this type of talk show-

He will brief me on his next TDY with the USMC in Pendleton as to more info I can share here or at Stardust for transition info for new vets.

It was awful -I could not read the chat for most of the show!

Good thing I watched the clock for the station breaks and I could hear the station phone ring with call ins-and Jeff had to cue me by phone-

and he didnt have my phone number when the show began-geeeeezzzzz-had to call Jeerel to get it---

(behind the scenes some really unusual stuff goes on in live radio-and it makes it a lot of fun too- but it is a lot of work too)

[Pete53]

I can imagine that it takes a lot of time to prepare for a show like this. 50,000 is a huge audience for an internet radio show.

[Berta]

Yep especially a few shows I got emergency calls to do -in less than 24 hours from air time-Yikes!

They also asked me to do the July 4th show- man I had lots of goodies lined up for that one-

but the show couldn't go on the air- the station is in a tornado zone and its roof blew off and we lost power-

Stardust and his wife fixed the roof and we were cooking with gas on the air again in a day or two-

Mike "stretch", and Mike Harris and Kurt-all hadit members- have done some GREAT SHOWS there too.And Chas Kelley and others!