ptsd New Proposed Ptsd Regs

[Berta]

I noticed today they still have not posted my comments at the Fed Reg site and per Colonel Dan on the ALLVETS site-he knows of other commenters too whose comments have not been posted.

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/hom...A-2009-VBA-0023

What gets me is that once you post at the Fed Register site on any proposed VA rule- they usually dont have to screen or take much time to post your additional comments to something else.

Before I gripe to the Fed Register people -has anyone here had this happen to their comment too regarding the relaxation of proof of stressors in certain PTSD claims?

[carlie]

Berta,

I have not done an outline yet for my comments

but will be working on it this coming week.

carlie

[Ricky]

Berta, I just posted tonight and it said it could take several weeks. However, on previous comments that I have made it seem like it only took 7-8 days.

Ricky

[Berta]

Yeah me too- I sure dont think they censor the comments -there have been some pretty strong comments from vets and even wacky ones published at the Fed Reg site-

guess our comments will show up eventually.

[MikeR]

Don't see that they posted mine either.

[Berta]

I just checked and they have posted 43 comments so far -I think they heard us complaining.

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/hom...A-2009-VBA-0023

[magician2000]

The cutoff date for comments is 10-23-09.

[broncovet]

I just read the Summary of the Proposed Ammendment, as well as Berta's comment.

While I am definately in favor of doing anything to help PTSD Veterans, it appears that this amendment is far too little and too late, or, even worse, could be manipulated by the Va to delay and deny even more. Frankly, I do not think that more regulations are the answer.

In the past year, the backlog of Veterans claims has risen by 15% in spite of promises to reduce the backlog. Even worse, there is now a Brand New set of Backlogs by the VA for Education Benefits. The VA blames the Post 9-11 GI Bill for flooding them with applications.

If you combine the 254,000 backlog of education benefits, with the 905,000 backlog in Veterans disability compensation claims, there are now more than 1.1 million Veterans waiting...and waiting..on the VA to "process" their claims. Clearly, the present management policies are not only ineffective, but they appear to be exacerbating an already enormous problem.

Something needs to happen. Right now, what IS happening is that Veteran homelessness and suicide are at record levels. Has anyone ever figured out that the poverty these 1.1 million Veteran's are in, while waiting for the Va to "process" their claim, contributes to increases in homelessness and suicide?

We dont need any more studies on Veteran homelessness, or more studies on Veteran suicide. We dont need any more committee's to "look into" the problem. We dont want any more promises by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that he will reduce homeless by 131,000. The time for promises to help Veterans is over, and Veterans need someone to actually KEEP Abraham Lincoln's promise to care for the Veteran and his widow.

People have proposed that the VA simply do what the IRS does..they send the tax refund check in a matter of 2 weeks..millions and millions of tax returns. Those 1.1 million Veterans waiting on their benefits need their money, not more empty promises or committees.

[deltaj]

I noticed today they still have not posted my comments at the Fed Reg site and per Colonel Dan on the ALLVETS site-he knows of other commenters too whose comments have not been posted.

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/hom...A-2009-VBA-0023

What gets me is that once you post at the Fed Register site on any proposed VA rule- they usually dont have to screen or take much time to post your additional comments to something else.

Before I gripe to the Fed Register people -has anyone here had this happen to their comment too regarding the relaxation of proof of stressors in certain PTSD claims?

I went to the Federal Register site and searched under PTSD and could not find the proposed PTSD regulation in which public comment is being sought. Could someone put up a link to it? The link given just shows comments of people about the proposed regulation.

Edited September 14, 2009 by deltaj (see edit history)

[Berta]

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/hom...A-2009-VBA-0023

Or just click on the top Title of the regulation on the comment page

[john999]

I was reading the comments and many of them dispute the military definition of stressors, and the way the VA uses stressor verification to weed out vets who have the DX, but don't have the verifiable stressor that the VA will accept. Acutally, there are very few comments from vets. I bet this is because so few know about this proposed rule change, and about their ability to comment. They also probably believe their comments will be ignored.