A Bothersome Trend

[purple]

Many of you here who know me, know that I tend to say what I believe. Here's another one of those times....so if you think you aren't going to like it; stop reading now.

I see that several folks either claim or want to claim "medication side effects". Why not just tell your doc about the side effects and ask for a different med? You don't have to put up with side effects. I don't. Insist on a different med. It's your right to do that.

I just believe that filing claims for side effects of medications is not the intent of what the system was set up for.

{off soapbox now}

[Pete53]

Most of this post is hypothetical. My opinion is a Veteran has a right to file a claim if they think that medicine prescribed and issued by VA causes serious side affects. If the VA were to grant such a claim it would have to be something that they already rated and would be included in a device connected condition or possibly a new service rated condition.

All though I have many side affects due to medication I have never though about filing a claim but I could and I am not going to give up that right either.

I have never told any Veteran on Hadit that they should not file a claim and I never will. In the end its the VA's job to sort them out.

I really do not think that claims based on medicine affects are clogging up the system. I think it is because the VA is not focused on clearing out claims and from what I understand of claims filed about 1/3 to 1/2 are denied out of the chute.

Many would be surprised to learn how few 100% Veterans are.

So from this point on if people want to continue this thread I want to see some facts and a clear argument and not to hevy on hypotheticals.

As John mentioned earlier there are a lot of Veterans who are prescribed medication that makes them unemployable. Should they not include the medications they take as evidence. On my claim I had a list of the meds I take and a thourgh review of the side affects.

I also want Members who Post to cool down and definitely no personal attacks.

[Philip Rogers]

Purple - you stated: "The difference is with the VA, some vets are filing claims everytime they get a side effect they don't like just to get extra $$$."

What are your grounds for making this statement??? How many are some?? 2? 3? 10? 500? 1,000's?

pr

[carlie]

purple,

You posted to the board,

"Let's say you see a civilian provider. You are prescribed a med, you experience a side effect. Who do you file a claim with then? "

and

"I'll answer your question, even though you won't answer mine."

This question has been answered several times in this thread.

This topic deals with a secondary service connection issue,

really can not compare it equally, to the civilian population.

BTW - this is the second post in less 3 weeks that you chastise veterans about

filing claims.

http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28372&hl=

I really can't find a way to understand your angle and thought process.

On one hand you keep saying how terrible the Dayton VAMC

treats you and on the other hand you feel that if veteran's don't just get

VA doctor's to bow to our needs and change our medications as we

demand - then we are not being good medical advocates for ourselves.

One thing for sure - I will take my MH meds today - side-effects and all.

I need all the stability I can get.

All veterans - if you feel your claim has merit - submit it.

I'm going to try and retreat from this ludicrous topic.

carlie

[broncovet]

The "bothersome trend" I see is that whenever something goes wrong, the Veteran is blamed. Now, you are suggesting that the Veteran should be blamed if he is taking meds, prescribed by his doctor, which cause complications or side effects..and that no benefits should be due to him for these side effects, because it is the Veterans own fault that he could not or did not switch his meds to one with fewer side effects.

Should the Veteran be also blamed when the VA uses dirty equipment to do a colonoscopy? After all, the Veteran could theoretically have gone to school, and tested all that equipment for contamination before he allowed the doctors or nurses to insert in him. A Veteran being "pro active" in health care decisions does not mean that he should not be able to trust his doctors expertise. Veterans are a very diverse group and millions of them lack the knowledge and expertise to research the doctor's prescribed meds to ensure that the side effects do not outweigh the potential benefits.

The Veteran SHOULD be able to trust that the VA doctors prescribed meds that have the maximum benefit with the fewest risks of side effects, and that the medical equipment to be used on him is clean and free of contamination. JMHO

Edited June 18, 2009 by broncovet

[Wings]

x

x

x

Purple, I think your meds are affecting your judgement! Most recently, you have both contemplated filing a claim, whereby you suffered a heart condition as a result of chronic misdiagnosis by the VAMC. You also filed a claim for CHAMPVA payment for your son's dental trauma --and were supported by many members to file claim. One or two members might have felt the claims to be frivolous, but in all, judgement was suspended in favor of the veteran. A claim for secondary service-connection, or aggravation, or claim for higher rating due to Medications that cause disasterous side effects are part of the disability picture, the overall record. A claim for "side effects of medication" can never be a freestanding claim, it must be considered in the context of the already service-connected disability. ~Wings

Edited June 18, 2009 by Wings

[WHOLESALE]

Is that per person or household?

B) The average salary in America is around 50k, or almost double what a Veteran gets, even if he can get 100 per cent.

I dont begrude a disabled Vet his thirty k per year for getting injured protecting our country. I think maybe it should be the other way around. The Vet, who risked his life, should get fifty thousand a year, and the office GS employee working at the VA pushing paper should get thirty thousand a year. Perhaps the Veteran should delay the government workers paycheck for six months to a year, and the Vetran should get his disability check pronto and on time instead of the other way around.