Caregiver

[john999]

I was trying to get caregiver benefits for my wife. I submitted the application.  VA called me back for a social worker to talk to me.  The VA said that I must use skype or video phone to have the application processed.  I told them that I don't have access to smart phone or skype and they refused to continue to process my wife's application.  I think and I am sure they are violating my rights once again.  There is no reg that says I must use skype or phone video to process a claim.  What to do?  I have not gotten an official denial yet and I have contacted my congressman about this crap.  The VA can't force me to user skype or video instead of face-to-face meetings.  I know they are blowing smoke and are just too lazy to come out to my house.  Any suggestions?

[GBArmy]

John999 I would think your best option is to do what you did, which is call your Congressman. The only other thing I also would do is try to get hold of the director who would be responsible for providing the benefit at your RO. There is no way that they can get away with this. It could end up, however, as win the battle but lose the war. That is :ok veteran, you got the political guys involved, but we are going to deny. Hopefully, that won't happen. What they can get away with though is the excuse that they must protect their VA employees by using video conference, so we are delaying your claim until it is safe to meet face to face.

[john999]

GB

 

       VA tried the same thing with my actual medical appointments saying I must use video or skype.  This is absurd since how can doc do a full exam without touching the patient?  I know the VA is scared and cheap but I wonder how many patients are BS'ed by these lies?  VA wants me to keep track of my glucose readings, my weight, blood pressure and everything else so they don't have to do anything.  During Covid I did not get an appointment for one year.  When I did I had to go into the hospital  due to my DMII being out of control.  If I had not insisted on an appointment I probably would have died.

[brokensoldier244th]

FYI- most civilian agencies that use social workers aren't meeting face to face, either, they are doing it by phone, or video. Not everything is a conspiracy to deny benefits. I don't know of any of the RO's that are doing public outreach again, yet, and Im still working at home after over a year. You can, in part, thank the OPM (office personnel management) for that, along with the EO passed last year RE: govt agencies and covid. OPM hasn't decided yet how to completely structure re-opening and won't until sometime in mid July. What you attributed to laziness is more likely something governed way over the head of the social worker, or the caregiver administrators. 

 

The health side has been doing phone, video, skype/Teams, and they even have an application you can download onto your computer if you don't have skype, etc. They have had that for over a year. It's all done through the Telehealth dept, though not all providers in all VAMCs do telehealth. No idea why, outside my paygrade.  Ive been doing telehealth for over a year, though most of mine is mental stuff or endocrine/medication related. I don't see taking BP or glucose readings as a huge imposition, frankly, since Id be doing them anyway for myself, and they supplied the machines.

Edited June 22, 2021 by brokensoldier244th

[john999]

No way a doctor can give a complete exam over the phone or by video.  If we let the VA get away with this it will become SOP for them to save money.  To deny my claim because I don't want to use video or skype  is just wrong and nothing in the regs supports that.

[Buck52]

john999   I  am not sure if caregiver Claim  is the same as asking for A&A as your wife to be your caregiver.

but what you might want to do is file the claim and mail it to the Dept of Veterans Affairs , Janesville Wi pension claim intake center, they distribute these claims out to different R.O. Across the country..but like I said I am not certain caregiver claims would fall under the A&A Claims?

Its not fair they deny your claim due to you not having the tectical equipment  like skpy /zoom/ & computer.....virtual meetings are good for VA Appointments  with this covid still hanging around , but the truth is a lot of Veterans don't even own a computer  or smart phone  my brother don't know squat about a computer  that is all greek to him and smart phones  too,  he does have the old flip phone  but just uses it to call and take calls he knows nothing has to how to operate it   just more than a standard phone.

if your denied because you don't use this stuff they said you needed    call your congressman  or the White House Hot line   ask them what the hell can you do about that.? White House -Hot Line # 1-855-948-2311  This is why President Trump Created it.

[brokensoldier244th]

You don't even know if you are denied yet.

Not all exams can be done via telehealth, either, by reg, and aren't. You are making some big generalizations that aren't correct. I get that you are upset but you also don't have enough information to make assumptions that someone else will read and then get upset about for no reason.

What EXACTLY did the person say and who were they? The VA caregiver coordinator or someone from the VA social work side? Were they even VA employees? My Voc rehab social work review few years ago was done by a contractor, So when I had issues with them I contacted the Voc rehab Dept and they corrected it and redid the assessment.

Local conditions also dictates whether home visits are done and you aren't entitled to compromise someone else's health, or expect them to come to your home if their boss, VA or not, says they can't. 

As far as telehealth goes, grants are up over denials for the last year, so either the exams are fine or veterans are getting a break. Either way, you don't see the whole picture so you are opining on your limited pov, and that's fine, it's just limited. 

And yes, due to the prior executive order VA is authorized to suspend home visits. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.military.com/daily-news/2020/06/04/heres-how-va-doing-caregiver-home-check-ins-during-pandemic.html/amp

Edited June 23, 2021 by brokensoldier244th