ptsd Veterans, I Salute You And Offer My Sincere Apologizes--you Deserve Better

[john999]

Will we get a better VA if democrates in Congress and White House get veto proof majority? If we don't get it under those conditions we will never get it.

[Berta]

Thanks for the PM George and I started to do what I said I would- to post this in the electronic vets community-

I was just talking to a vets advocate and he is spreading the word- and I will add to what I have suggested-

to write to the H VAC and to the Sub Committee on Oversight and Investigations -VA at

House Committee on Veterans Affairs October 25,2008

335 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations-VA

335 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.. 20515

Same address but you can send them a copy of what you send the H VAC.

When he heard I had written a letter to the VA OIG today-he said he will suggest that veterans and widows do that too-

Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Office of Inspector General Hotline (53E)

P.O. Box 50410

Washington, D.C. 20091-0410

Tell them how you were adversely affected by the VARO when your critical evidence was never used at all for your claim.

Tell them if you were remanded because the BVA recognized that either your critical evidence was ignored by the VARO or the VCAA letter you got failed to tell you exactly what evidence tha VA needed for you to send.

Tell them if you have bonafide proof that VA destroyed or lost your evidence.If they say you never sent it and you did obviously they lost or destroyed it.

Make sure these letters get to DC prior to the Nov 17th hearings on the latest VA fiasco.

Only if vets and widows take the time to do this-and this advocate I spoke to agrees with me that this whole latest SNAFU could finally alter the VA-if we are aggressive in approaching the H VAC and the OIG with our personal stories as to being denied due to these tactics- then the VA might sure be forced to change.

Otherwise we are sanctioning the VA to continue to do business as usual and are allowing them to get away with this crap regarding our servicemen and women disabled by the Iraq and Afganistan war as well as all of those veterans with other service disabilities or your sons and daughters who served and have yet to even file a VA claim.

[George Patton]

It is imperative that veterans keep every correspondence received from the VA; I usually write the date on the letters I receive. Also, you must educate yourself on the manner in which the claims process works. For instance, I was denied an issue that should have been an automatic grant. However, I will not appeal the issue--at least not yet. I will visit my physician again and have him or her give a medical opinion (after viewing my military medical records) that my disability is related to military service. Please note that if your physician has access to your service medical records as well as all other treatment records pertinent to the claimed disability and provides a positive opinion in your favor, you stand a greater chance of being granted benefits. In most situations, the evidence is equipose and reasonable doubt is given the veteran, unless the VA physician is an expert in the field, in which case his/her opinion may trump your treating physican's opinion.

Usually, veterans are denied benefits because the VA physician has access to the military medical records and the private physician may not. Thus, the VA physician's opinion is given slightly more weight because he/she has those records and the private doctor may be basing his/her medical opinion on what you tell him/her. Therefore, it is very important that your private treating physician view your medical records and provide an opinion acknowledging review of them.

As you all know, the VA receives an abundance amount of mail and in some (maybe most) instances loses it. And if they do not have your material, you must not have submitted it--this is the way the agency thinks. I suggest, if possible, going directly to the RO and submitting the materials in person and obtaining a receipt of the submittals. In any case, copy everything that you submit, especially if you are sending your military medical records, because if those are lost and you have no copies it is highly unlikely that you will be granted service connection--as buddy statements on go so far.

[purple]

I've written to the VAOIG many times regarding several issues. The main problem with the VAOIG is that they are the VAOIG. It's like the fox guarding the hen house.

[MARINEVET]

john999. I was wondering the same about the democrats.

Will we get a better VA if democrates in Congress and White House get veto proof majority? If we don't get it under those conditions we will never get it.

[MRRRR5]

GP,

I appreciate your coming forward and thank you for your service to the nation.

Since I have read in the past that many of the personnel at the VA are Veterans, I really had a hard time believing that the majority of them would deny fellow Vets claims just for the heck of it. For those employees in your office who don't know why a Vet submit a claim for a disorder, please remind them to read what the former President Abe Lincoln said about taking care of Vets and their orphans. Otherwise, they can support having the Ferris Doctrine overturned.

You have confirmed for me that there are VA personnel who "do the right thing" by the Vets despite the enormous pressure placed on them by management.

Again, thanks for sharing this information and speaking out. B)