ptsd Very Depressed, And Was Wondering If There Is A Time To Throw In The Towel.

[Papa]

I have been waiting for over 820 days for a claim that is still in gathering evidence. Appeals that no one knows about. P&C exams that I'm suppose to take, but the VA and QTC have no clue about this. The 1-800# were you make an appointment for them to call you back, but they do not. You can not get your Law Firm to call you back. My Parkinson's, DMII, PN, PTSD, etc. are taking its toll on me, and was wondering if there? What the crap am I talking about? Quit? My ass!! Never Never Never!! Just want to choke someone at the Houston RO.

Papa

[Papa]

Something very strange happened early this morning. My wife came into our bedroom and said the VA was on the line. I thought it may have been Washington DC, but it was the 1-800 Peggy number. So, after waiting for about 5 minutes, Peggy comes on the line and says how may I help you!! Told her that they called me, silence. So I told them what I wanted, and she said the average waiting time for claims to be in the "Development Stage" is a little over 310 days. Told her mine was almost triple that, and she said that was just an average. Mine must be playing hell with their averages.

Ask her about the PTSD claim for an increase that is almost 24 months old.

Response to both were the Houston RO will be calling me. Told the lady that the Houston office has never and most likely never respond to mine and/or the call center's inquiries.

You would think the Houston RO would want to get rid of claims like mine to get their timeline averages down. Like most government agencies you are graded on timelines for bonuses and promotions. But, now a days that does not seem to matter. JMHO

Papa

[#1Cavtrooper]

Papa, That is the one! I knew you would hear something! Mine still says Pending Decision Approval. Do you remember how long some of the others claims stayed in Pending Decision Approval?

[Papa]

Papa, That is the one! I knew you would hear something! Mine still says Pending Decision Approval. Do you remember how long some of the others claims stayed in Pending Decision Approval?

This older claim was in "preparing decision" for about 20 days, and it went back to "gathering evidence". I did receive a letter from the VA stating that that would set up an exam for me with QTC. 1800 Peggy told ne that all she sees is the letter, and QTC has no clue. JMHO, but if the VA can not find a way to deny a Veteran within one year, they need to award.

Papa

[tanker2]

it's kinda like back in the old days when you got short you knew that last day would come,,and like most things it did come!..cheers pops ..have faith..that day will come

[broncovet]

I agree with Papa. Entitlement to VA benefits is a RIGHT we earned by our service. The VA employees are charged with administering our earned benefits fairly. So, yes, if the VA cant think of a valid reason in a year as to "why to deny", then yes, they should award our benefits.

Social Security promises a decision in 120 days. My daughter worked for them, and, beleive me, they better have an extremely compelling reason as to why the claimants claim was not decided in 120 days. If an exam was not scheduled until day 100, then why? If the doc didnt send the exam, why didnt you call his office? If more evidence is needed, then why did you not call to find out why that evidence is not on file.

I never understood why civilians at social security get better treatment than Veterans. Its bull.

[Berta]

Autumn , something you stuck a cord with me personally:

"and they inform the local VA medical personnel in indirect ways on how to conduct their business."

Indeed they do.

When the VA began to malpractice on my husband (by misdiagnosing a heart attack as a sinus infection)

my husband was employed at the same VAMC and rushed from his station to the VAMC ER

When I discovered the malpractice I also seemed determined to try to find out why it even happened.It had a snowball affect and I know the exact hour and the day it began because the VA ER certificate was my first piece o evidence for my FTCA and 1151cases, dated August 13,1988.

In those days Internet was VERY limited and I used to go to Corning College law library to try to find M21- and any other regs that I didnt have.

I found something at one point that startled me and it also became part of my evidence.

M21- in their VA Physiciam's Guideline Manual dated early 1988 , actually stated that, when an employee is ill or injured or whatever and treated at the ER, the doctor must take steps to have them be able to return to work as soon as possible.

Bingo- no wonder they treated Rod inappropriately!

A few years ago they told a civilian employee who slipped on a piece of pie in the MC hallway that she had simply sprained her ankle and told her ice packs and aspirin would help and then she was presured to return to work 3 days later (as my husband was in 1988) ----but she could hardly walk. She had in fact broken her ankle and VA paid her a settlement when she got a lawyer (FTCA).

They almost killed a friend of ours, another Vietnam vet too, who was also a VA employee,same hospital.

In his case they told him he had hemorroids but it was cancer, that rapidly advanced I got him his money for that. 100% plus SMC.

The very fact that a good IMO can totally overcome a negative C & P ,in many cases, tells me that these C & P doctors are not adequately doing C & P s and worse yet, what kind of care do they give to VA patients in a non C & P situation?

Then again how many C & Ps are done by non MDs these days at VA. Something is wrong with the whole picture and things started to get bad ,or some reason , in my opinion, when the VA became a Cabinet post.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Berta