This sums up some of it for VA and VHA

[Meddac]

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/04/17/newt-gingrich-veterans-administration-grievously-sick/

I'm not real in-tune with the VHA side of things, but I do know that it is severely broken. On the VBA side of the house I agree that the Appeals backlog is huge as reported in the story. If VA shifts resources to address it then the claims backlog will once again skyrocket. The see-saw of priorities goes on and the taxpayers are funding it.

In the VA they literally refer to all of this type of news as "job security", and it really is just that. The Union protects employees, but too often it's the wrong employees. The internal process is so far gone that I don't think it can ever recover. Not even a complete sweep of management will solve the VA's problems because it goes much higher and lower than that.

I could spend all day on this forum trying to educate, inform, and expose.....but I don't want to be on some TV show with my wife telling the world how I failed to get stuff done around the house!! 

 

Edited April 18, 2016 by Meddac

[Berta]

Would she be able to join us here or give you permission to attach here their denial?

That is very sad about the daughter.

Was this also an accrued claim for a rating higher than the 40% ? What was the 40% for?  Was an autopsy done?

Asknod (Alex) is our Hep C Guru and the very first air gun Hep claim was won by the VVA.

" the VA basically said THEIR doctor was better than his private doctor. He did NOT have a private doctor.  "

Odd, did they refer to anything the private doctor who he didn't have, document? They might have been looking at someone else's IMO.

The widow sure might need an IMO herself.

 "cirrhosis of the liver, and finally hepatocellular carcinoma cancer "...was this the exact prime and secondary causes of death per the death certificate?   Did it say anything about consequences of the hepatitis?

 

 

[broncovet]

Bobby...Contact Alex Graham..(aka "Asknod").  He is the undisputed expert on Hep C claims and knows them backward and forward.  He has read every case ever published on hep c.  

[bobbyq]

the VA on the denial hepatitis (also claimed as cirrhosis) The evidence from Dr. Blah Blka Blah is not new and material evidence because it does not establish a fact necessary to substantiate the claim and does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.  The medical opinion we receieved from the VA Medical Center was more persuasive than your private physician's opinion because it was based on a thorough review of your relevant military and /or personal history and contained a more convincing rationale.

 

[Meddac]

Oh, fight that one to the final breath. If there are indeed 2 conflicting opinions then VA is supposed to obtain a third opinion to reconcile which it did not do.

BVA will generally force this action, but like the others have said, seeing the VA denial document would help.

[bobbyq]

The last letter of denial 9-14 says "the evidence from Dr ??? is not new and material evidence because it does not establish a fact necessary to substantiate the claim and does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.  The medical opinion we received from the VA Medical Center was more persuasive than your private physician's opinion because it was based on a thorough review of your relevant military and/or personal history and contained a more convincing rationale. 

#1 The letter from Dr. ?? is new!!  Dr. ?? is a D.O., FACG and the Assistant Chief of Gastroenterology, at the VA Medical Center his not PRIVATE!!

The doctor ?? wrote "since the veteran has been under my care since 2-2009 he was diagnosed with chronic hepaptis B and C induced cirrhosis.His military service while on the Saratoga may have played an even greater role.  It is more likely than not that the veteran's condition is linked to his military service experience. 

I cannot seem to locate his death certificate right now but I believe his cause of death was hepatocellular carcinoma and he was NOT a candidate for a liver transfer.

Like I said he has SMR that mention the Hep C and we have the deck logs where the ship was quarantined he did get the air gun innoculations. 

[Meddac]

So there are 2 differing opinions by 2 different doctors.

VA should still be held to obtain a third opinion to reconcile.

The 686 is a mystery to me. If the widow was on the award prior to death then they should already have a 686 on file.