Veterans "gaming" the system for PTSD claims?

[Jimmer]

Hi Everyone, I wanted to share with you a article that I read on military.com in which a Bruce (whatever his last name is) testified to a group on how the veterans are "gaming" the system, and getting PTSD claims approved.  First of all, I would like to meet this guy face-to-face and tell him what an idiot he is. (I would like to do more, but restraint  would be necessary).  First of all a V.A. doctor has to determine that you have PTSD, not someone from the outside.  Does this clown think the V.A. doctors are willing to "look the other way" on claims?  Quite the opposite.  Then you have to have a "stressor", that ties the PTSD with an military event related to the PTSD.  It took me four years to get PTSD disability, and the V.A. went thru everything with a fine tooth comb.  Lucky, I c-file confirmed my "stressor", and I had been going to the V.A. mental health facilities, meeting with various doctors, sessions, etc.  I still see them three times a month, and take five different  medications.  This guy, Bruce, based his information on veterans talking to one other about applying, saying it was easy, blah, blah, blah.  I don't know of any vet that has received disability compensation for PTSD, that had an easy road, and I have talked to a lot of them.   It is comments like this, that really anger, me, and gives the false impression, that vets are just "scamming" the system, and a way to give fuel to cut disability benefits.   I would love to here you comments, especially those of you getting PTSD disability benefits.  I am sure you did not have any easy road, the V.A. makes sure of that!

[pwrslm]

I deal with a lot of folks with addiction problems. I got clean 25 years ago. Every time I find a Vet with a serious issue, the first thing I go to is to find out if there are stressors involved. Many of them who are out there with PTSD cover it up for years and decades until it gets to be too much to handle for them, then they fall apart. Addiction is a symptom of PTSD. I get these guys to the closest VAMC MH center first step, then I put them on track for medical help and show them how to file a claim. I got 3 Vets into domiciliary and rehab in the last 2 years, and 8 more into long term recovery programs. Small steps, big results.

For the ones that accept the help, it changes their lives. For those who dont, in the worse cases I have seen them die.

Edited July 13, 2018 by pwrslm

[Buck52]

your welcome victor

I listen in on the show and listen to your conversation with James and Jerald  an John

I had thought  you  call your congressman and or senator and the white house hot line # but I for some reason had thought you had already exhausted those options?

 The Voc Rehab would be good to get in as for as applying for the IU, And like James mention after you answer those questions and they can't find you any type work, then the rehab councilor will write a letter for you  that'' because of your S.C. Disability's  it is not feasible to retrain this veteran at this time.''

Again for some reason I had thought you had already did all this?

i FIND ITS BETTER WE WORK OUR OWN CLAIMS BECAUSE THE VFW/DAV AND OTHER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS/VSO's  DON'T DO A LOT OF THINGS THERE SUPPOSE TO AND IT ONLY GETS US IN THOSE LONG APPEALS LINES.

but  now you know what you need to do, try to do all this ASAP....The sooner the better  but as for as the EED. I am not so sure they will go back to the earlier date  unless you did file for the IU back then if you did then you got a lot of retro coming,   you just need to prove that you filed for it when you did. 

If you can't find a record of when you filed for the IU Then they will probably go by the new IU Claim  so dig deep for that IU filing date.

You can call into the show any time and ask any question you have  this is why they have these shows.

you see how well they all like Alex..He is Good at getting these claims Approved. he knows the VA Law very well.

maybe this put a little ease on your burden & for you to be able to concentrate a little better, (hopefully)

it still may take a while but at least your on a better track now. if you have any other contentions (claims) if I was you I'd file on all of them at once plus what you have in the pot already...the thing is if you have 10 claims going  you take a 50/50 chance of getting them approved  if denied on some   just keep fighting   Once you file for a claim rather or not approved or denied  you will start your EED  clock when you do get them approved. they go back to your first file date.and remember if something happens to you during your Appeals your spouse can take over your claims process. try to remember that. and you may want to get her involved with hadit and or the VA Claims process or let her know whats what.  keep everything from the VA IN A FILE FOLDER THERE AT HOME.

I wish you the best with all this and just keep hanging in  and remember to call into the show...some times things get more clear to us when we talk to some one and not be confuse or mis- understood in a post or in emails.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Buck52

[Victor Ray]

Buck.

You are correct. I had written Sen, Claire McCaskills office and she had an assistant look into my records. Unfortunately they didn’t do well, basically nothing. She has 5 offices staffed all over and it took a year plus to hear from her.

I did call the White House hot line, and the fellow I talked to apparently did not know what he was suppose to do. That guy did not belong there, and getting him to reply to the conversation was like pulling teeth, hard. Yes, no, and I don’t know.

i even emailed then Secretary David Shulkin several times, and once got a call back from a staff member who offered to try and get my missing records, but I never heard from her or received anything, even acknowledgement. 

The vets.gov site said there was 208,000 vets ahead of me. I wrote and ask to be advanced on the docket because the Army deceived me in 1972 saying my records had been lost in transit preventing me from filing for disability before being discharged, the VA  refused to release them again in 1983 when I officially filed, and since 2012, I have filed over a dozen FOIA REQUESTS, with a little success, getting some hospital records showing me there as an inpatient for 28 days straight in Vietnam, Japan, and USA. INPATIENT in RVN for 21 days before medivac’d out. I was told they found good and sufficient cause to advance me, but my place in line never moved. The VFW is full of it and want you off of the phone. I don’t believe I was advanced at all.

I think you had it correct. I have done most of those first things mentioned, but with no success. Senator McCaskill, Secretary Shulkin did nothing. The White House hot line was a failure, and VSOs were worthless. I will call the White House again and try to find the “Joe “ mentioned by James. I al also going to revisit my doctor and ask him point blank if in his opinion, is is likely that my issues are due to the herbicide exposure in Vietnam. That’s what is hard because they don’t even know what it is. They’ve heard of it, that’s it!

I “do” have some sense of relief too though, so calling in was a great stress reliever, and I will call in again periodically. Thanks again Buck, 

victor ray

[Buck52]

victor, you need to check on the environmental testing.

I know the VA has a A.O. EXAM After the exam your name and claim # is placed in the A.O. Registry  

I think veterans need to request it now, back then I got a letter telling me about the A.O. exam and an appointment has been made.

I Did the A.O. Exam  in 1989.. The examiner didn't find anything A.O  Related on me ( *thank God) but if I ever come down with a CONDITION that is A.O. Related   it makes the claim process a lot easier  although I still have to go through the claims process ,  its proving boots on the ground in the RVN that makes it easier. and that I was exposed.

they read most of your medical and in service records  if no record then they are suppose to use your lay statements and presumption of facts.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Buck52

[Victor Ray]

Buck,

Boots on Ground is the easiest part of my claim, and there is no doubt about it, or my hospitalization, with the papular rash around my eyes, rash on ears, and neck. I got a Register number in Vietnam, and got on the AO Registry in 1983 (as far as I know), and had an exam, because they sent me a letter too. The dr told me I had “Atopic Dermatitis “ and my lungs were spotty and to quit smoking. I quit a hundred times but officially quit about six years ago. I developed Lung problems after Vietnam and the ETS physical documents that fact as chronic at 20 years old. The 1983 exam left all that out, and only said the finding was “Atopic Dermatitis with Generalized Pruritus”. 

The VA said the condition the exam found has not in any way to do with any condition found in my military service so I was denied all SC. They totally ignored the Army doctors report of  “ Flexural Atopic Dermatitis “, discovered at the 24TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL on May 25th 1971, along with abdominal cramps and Large Wheals on the body. A doctor said Flexural Atopic Dermatitis is in the flexible parts is all, like elbows, behind knees and I have the record from that exam on 5-25-71. I sent in four letters from all my siblings that grew up with me stating that I never had a skin issue, never seen by a doctor for any skin condition, and never mentioned any skin condition before Vietnam. The VA knows all this. My claim was sent from St. Louis to Atlanta Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, and I think Ohio the last time. Unbelievable, and Atlanta is where they fired a lot of rating officers for setting up vets disability payments going to phony direct deposit accounts, and the vets getting scammed. The VA paid the rater who used the vets info showing approved but the rater sent a denial letter. So so much corruption. They called me to tell me I got an increase, but my file wasn’t even in the system yet, and I had no rating, and never did up to that point. A rater scammed the government, but the government didn’t want to hear about it when I reported it. 

I had another Registry Exam in April 2014, because I wanted the 1983 claim reopened. That doctor refused my surgeons medical report after my stroke, that I had Coronary Artery Disease and Atherosclerosis. He would not accept it nor the report of 24 intentional tumors I had removed (which proved environmentally acquired, not hereditary) after they were tested, and luckily non cancerous. He refused most all the evidence fo everything even actually raising his hand up and hollaring STOP,  I have heard enough, and refused the rest, and I wrote him a paper letter telling him about it too, for the record. He was a liar and still works. Test results showed Low HDL of 33 or 28

I requested another one six months later because they discovered I have a calcium score of 958 four years ago, which makes me 29 times more likely to die from a massive heart attack than most, and contributes to my chest pain. I take Plavix to thin the blood and hopefully prevent more clots and strokes. I bet I have had at least 6 or more strokes when I think back. Mrs Richardson-Jackson refused saying it wouldn’t change anything anyway. I thought when something new was discovered, you were entitled, but I am in Kansas City jurisdictions, which says tons. 

I will look into the environmental testing, and I already know the abdominal tumors were environmentally acquired, so maybe they can see that, the skin conditions, Neuropathy and figure it out. Thanks Buck

victor rayRay

[Buck52]

 Okay, well without a DD 214  or any service records it would be hard to prove boots on the ground.

 but its all good if you have any record putting your military service in The RVN.

Some brown water vets/&blue water vets have a hard time with it.

with the records you do have showing these conditions while in the military especially Vietnam ask the specialist read  them in part.                                                                                                                                    Go get a IMO/IME from a Specialist ask the Dr to rebuttal what these VA Dr's are saying and let him know why  , that you are trying to receive your benefits . THE SPECIALIST NEEDS TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL EXPLANATION THAN THE VA Dr's

  Just be honest with this specialist  (most will understand) and to state in their  professional opinion that  I have examine this veteran and read his pertaint Military records as well as private medical records and it is my professional opinion  his current  conditioning was likely as not caused by his military service from Vietnam and mention the A.O. TOXINS you were exposed to.

The Dr specialist needs to give his credentials and years experience for his credibility.

Even when a VA Dr give an medical opinion and you have a specialist to dispute the facts and goes into more detail about your condition and opinion from the cause   the VA 95% of the time will go with your specialist.

I had to do that on one of my claims years ago...this is what they call Equipoise and they generally take the specialist word as the Expert . 

Edited July 13, 2018 by Buck52