How To Report Retailiation By Varo Due To Veteran Whistleblowing?

[TiredVeteran]

Hi,

My husband has been retailiated against by the Nashville VARO since he reported the illegal activity and malpractice at the VA hospital. His claim is 11 years old. The BVA found it to be malpractice. He has a R rating.

The VARO is refusing to pay his retro, he only had a few months backpay.

My source says the Nashville VARO has a policy in place to do this to patient who are victims of medical malpractice. He is likely not going to live long enough to go through another BVA appeal.

Employees of the hospitals are protected. Who protects the veterans? We proved our case. Shameful delays, addicted doctor, even the Augusta Spinal Cord hospital tried to cover all this up.

Any ideas appreciated!

Debbie

Edited June 13, 2014 by TiredVeteran

[Berta]

I dont know what the high ranking official meant....VAOIG doesn't handle claims issues,

but they do handle Patient Safety issues.

I shaped my complaint to their Hotline into a Patient Safety Issue , as you could possibly do too.

I replied to your other post as well. If we have more info we can possibly help more with the wrong EED they gave your husband.

[TiredVeteran]

Berta,

Thanks! That is when I really got confused. Went to the IG site and couldn't find an area, but yes this could be patient safety.

[RichL]

Contact your congressmen and provide them the details of your situation.

[TiredVeteran]

Rich, thank you for the response. From what I hear our Congressman is really into budget cuts for veterans. Do you think he might be helpful?

I did call the White House and they have requested hard copies to be mailed.

Has anyone had success contacting the White House?

Finding more paperwork and getting more confused. Looks as though the statement of the case decision will come after the NOD is decided.

I did find a letter sent to PVA explicitly asking for an APPEAL. Tomorrow I will call PVA and ask for copies of a few things to be sent and somehow get a friend to post the letters here.

When I was calling people last week, I ended up talking to the Office of the General Counsel. They were really nice and were going to report all this to the IG. Then, he called back and explained it would be best if I do it.

I really appreciate all of you taking time to advise me. You have likely picked up that I am not nearly as smart as you all are. I am trying my best.

Debbie

[Berta]

Debbie, I suggest that you focus on what the PVA is trying to do......they have filed the NOD already , I guess, and they have read the actual decision. They will advise you of what kind of additional evidence you might need to obtain at some point.

At first I certainly thought this was a case of the RO withholding retro for spite.They have done that to some of us, for sure.

But after reading the BVA decision over and over again...I dont see this as a retro hostage crisis at all.

The PVA knows why they didn't award more retro back to 2003.

It should be stated in the decision your husband received.

[TiredVeteran]

Hi Berta,

Thank you for the response. The PVA said that VARO witholds payments to veterans who report and win malpractice claims. I am in the process of getting copies of the reason VARO gave. Best I recall, it said there was not enough evidence, which PVA said yes there was and I know there was because I mailed it in. Jimmy had been fee basis out to another nuerosurgeon (referrred to the the BVA ruling as DW). He ripped the VA apart and called Jimmy's treatment there a travesty.

VARO has been malicious toward Jimmy the entire time. It should not be that way. Jimmy is not their enemy. He is just a veteran who had the

horrible experience of being maimed by an impaired doc and then told he was fine.

I read on another topic here that the NOD was not enough to keep his original claim date? That there had to be an appeal? I have a certified letter we sent to PVA and stated for them to appeal the case. I get more confused with this every day/

Edited June 16, 2014 by TiredVeteran