Thank You Berta!

[john999]

I think the VA is just trying their best to not pay for PTSD claims if there is any way they can get out of it. They see the tidal wave coming at them, and they are bailing as fast as they can which means automatic denials. They know some will just give up, some will fight and lose and some will win. Anything to save a buck! Persistence and evidence will win the claims game. What is a crime is that vets have to go through the washer/dryer cycle to get their compensation. The stressor verification gambit is really a crock. It should be presumptive for anyone who was in a combat zone. If you were in a combat zone and have PTSD it should be presumptive. Yes, some will fake it, but most with real PTSD will benefit. The VA now punishes all vets for the sins of a few.

[yoggie2]

I think the VA is just trying their best to not pay for PTSD claims if there is any way they can get out of it. They see the tidal wave coming at them, and they are bailing as fast as they can which means automatic denials. They know some will just give up, some will fight and lose and some will win. Anything to save a buck! Persistence and evidence will win the claims game. What is a crime is that vets have to go through the washer/dryer cycle to get their compensation. The stressor verification gambit is really a crock. It should be presumptive for anyone who was in a combat zone. If you were in a combat zone and have PTSD it should be presumptive. Yes, some will fake it, but most with real PTSD will benefit. The VA now punishes all vets for the sins of a few.

I agree JOHN999, I was talking another board member the other night and I think he is correct, since the claims for PTSD and the help from VSO filing the claims for them right off the planes the VARO are going to put a Holt in some way to these PTSD claims. When I filed my claim it was by my self no "VSO" didn't even know what it was when I went for help (back when I didn't know crapola) I was told I had to be service connected, I stated I was treated in service but didn't matter so I did the paper work my self had no idea what I was doing but filed any ways, 3 months later I hooked up with VFW they told me I took the long way around so they put in the claim again for me 3 months after that I got a reply in NOV05 by then they started to treat me I waited since MAY05 then my claim got C&P'd JAN08 and denied in 12FEB08. Now with that being said 2006, 2007, 2008 has saw record PTSD claims. Don't take it personal you all but I felt screwed over I waited and waited was passed over, over because new veterans had priority and by it was my turn my claim was unimportant and by this time they have a PTSD epidemic going on and they just saw me filing a claim just cause everyone else was and it pisses me off to no end to get treated like a welfare case after 8 years of service. And in the end its your screwed up but its your parents fault kinda with the VA. I have 4 Doc's now that call it PTSD might fool 1 but not all and the VA calls it a BPD gaf 40, that makes 5 doc's and I have never paid for 1 IMO. I know I will win in the end...But I feel you are right someone farts and we all have to smell it.

[Chuck75]

I believe every denied claim should be reviewed by a review system that is not controlled by the VA.

Further, that only granted claims will be used to accumulate the "points" required by the VA production standards. After all, the VA is supposedly in existence to grant claims when reasonable and possible.

NOT to take the opposite path of denial whenever possible by any means at hand.

"None of this crap happened overnight either and I think every single denied claim should be suspect for some sort of VA shinanigans."

It really makes me wonder-

how they can damage OUR integrity is just unacceptable to me-

I found out recently that when I filed a Tort for wrongful death years ago -the VA had actually done 4 or 5 medical reviews on the claim-

I was aware of the first one- within months after filing the FTCA and Sec1511 claim the VA had obtained a medical review that supported my charges that they killed my husband-verified by the regional counsel and even the doctor who prepared the report-

The report which supported these claims vanished-so did they-

(the doc and the RC retired)

Then VACO prepared a report that was faulty and I questioned it aggressively and then -upon receipt of the evidence that I realised the RO had withheld from them(can you imagine that-the RO selectively sent the head cardiologist in DC only some of the C file and med recs)I won the FTCA and ultimately the DIC claim under 1151.

I just found out that two other medical reports were solicited by the VA-one from O LM VA in Buffalo and one fasked for by another VA attorney in VACO.I guess those reports too supported my claim- if they were negative this would have given the VA more Ammo to deny.

I have asked the VA Office of Legal Medical some tough questions.

Since when does the VA solicit medical reports on ANY type of claim and then the reports never see the light of day?

The more questions I have been asking lately , the more information I have found out as to just how determined VA was to deny my wrongful death claim.

This is wrong. And I believe this has happened to many others with FTCA or Section 1151 claims.

It just goes to show how defiant the VA is and this is a travesty against veterans and widows of vets.

Someone makes decisions at our ROs that determines whose claim will succeed and whose wont.(By determining if the evidence gets read)

That decision might be made by some new and yet fully untrained employee or an imbecle who can't read or perhaps by a very well seasoned employee with some bias against the claimant.

None of this crap happened overnight either and I think every single denied claim should be suspect for some sort of VA shinanigans.

[yoggie2]

I believe every denied claim should be reviewed by a review system that is not controlled by the VA.

Further, that only granted claims will be used to accumulate the "points" required by the VA production standards. After all, the VA is supposedly in existence to grant claims when reasonable and possible.

NOT to take the opposite path of denial whenever possible by any means at hand.

"None of this crap happened overnight either and I think every single denied claim should be suspect for some sort of VA shinanigans."

Chuck75 your absolutely right if they had some sort of system in place like a "QUALITY CONTROL" they would have caught this ugly DENIAL right off the bat, it was plan ridicules. I knew going into this I would have to prove my claim and evidence was ignored and evidence turned in by my self and listed and date stamped was not considered and a half ass denial was written up that only made sense if I submitted no evidence and a "QUALITY CONTROL" center or "QUALITY CHECKS" would have caught and rain hell on someone for not doing there job. But I think the sad fact of the matter is they (RO) was doing its job, deny, deny, deny and if that don't work Shred, shred, shred and I have to add this stuff in Kentucky again it goes on all the time they just got caught ....

Edited November 23, 2008 by yoggie2