Walter Reed

[WAKO/VN-65-66]

Does anyone on this board think that the new investigations at Walter Reed, will have any effect on

the claims that have been put on hold for so long. Just waiting for my determination.

WAKO

[Vike17]

WAKO,

First, I have to ask what claims have been put on hold for so long? If you just mean the time it takes to process a claim at VA, then that is just do to the enormous backlog of claims and probably not enough staff at the regional offices to handle them.

The investigations going on at Walter Reed have nothing to do with the compensation end of it at the regional offices. The investigations are having a look see at all DoD hospitals and to a certain extent the VA health care side of things. For what it's worth, in the early review of proceedures with soldiers getting evaluations from the MEB/PEB process, it was noted that the DoD was assigning substantially lower ratings for the same disability as the VA was assigning. This is happening even though the DoD uses the VA's rating schedule for their evaluations.

Vike 17

[CSM-H]

WAKO,

"For what it's worth, in the early review of proceedures with soldiers getting evaluations from the MEB/PEB process, it was noted that the DoD was assigning substantially lower ratings for the same disability as the VA was assigning. This is happening even though the DoD uses the VA's rating schedule for their evaluations".

Vike 17

Actually you are mixing apples and oranges, it is true that DoD, specifically the Army does give "lower ratings" BUT they only rate ONE issue and they (DoD) pick the issue. I have personally sat in on MEB/PEB's (as a DAV NSO) and it is unbelievable that a young man or woman will go in front of this board (three people) and a decision will be made that affects a person life forever. Then the same vet will go to the VA and have ALL their issues rated and receive the higher rating. I am not defending DoD I am just letting you know how "the Board" works.

[Berta]

"Does anyone on this board think that the new investigations at Walter Reed, will have any effect on

the claims that have been put on hold for so long"

I say Yes- if veterans call this all to the attention of their Congressmen/women and Senators,

and anyone else who will listen-Veterans Disability Commission , Inspector General-etc I have done all of the above

The whole VA is a runaway train-

It would be one thing if VA says these newly returning vets have priority in claims procedure-

I will gladly stand aside -even after 4 years now of no proper VA resolve-

but the fact remains this Backlog claims situation started long ago-

I didnt even mention WAlter Reed in my latest complaint letter- I dont have to- as soon as a person in a state or fed agency sees "veteran" in any letter these days- they all associate the latest VA fiascos with this word-

Walter Reed, the Data theft,

the vets who died recently when turned away from VA,

the LATEST data fiasco-in addition to the theft,

Sec Nicholson's responses-

develop another "committee" yeah right -we are being committee--ed to death and nothing gets resolved.

If I was Secretary of the VA , on the first day of fed employment -I would:

Ask VAOIG to investigate the VA system.

Ask Dept of Justice to oversight the OIG.

Send out letters of proposed reduction-

of the paychecks of numerous VARO employees to include VSMs, Directors etc.

They would have a period of time to shape up or ship out.

Make every VARO redo the illegal VCAA letters they have sent-

they can work weekends to do this on their time- we already paid them to do this right in the first place.

Every claimed denied without proper VCAA will be pulled back immediately from the BVA or CAVC.

And re done-

The considerable waste of taxpayers money involved in redundant paperwork which is incurred by VA in the first place , regs, SOcs, Copy and paste DRO decisions-would be stopped if these VCAA letters were sent BEFORE the initial denial letter as the VCAA mandates.

Stopping this paper and time waste and the needless mailing fees would generate more money o hire and train people who can read evidence at the VAROs.

I would also send every RO employee Reading for Dummies.That wont cost much.

I would eliminate the 800# service and employees who answer the phones and give every vet internet access to the Appeals and COVERS screen.

We could figure out the Abrrevs ,codes etc there ourselves.

Then I would have my VA stationary changed-minimal cost because I saved the feds $$$ already-

letters would be coming not from the Secretary of the VA -

but from the Commander of the VA.

Then it would probably be breaktime and I would look for a snack machine and get a twinky and then plan out the rest of my first day in fed employment-and how this claims system can get its collective thumbs out of its rear end. Before more claims get to the BVA only to lanquish there for 2 years with nothing happening and before more VA claimants die waiting .

I see a critical lack of leadership at VA under Nicholson. It is just hurting too many veterans.

Edited March 10, 2007 by Berta

[reform302]

i am new to this site, but as i told tbird (love the name) my husband has a claim in. the dav is handling this for us but i continue to stay active in following up. i actually got pretty radical and wrote to sen obama regarding this whole situation, then my congressman. maybe i am an optimist but, well gee, there's a whole lot of people running for office with the additional title of commander of the entire military as a part of that job, so considering there are millions of vets who could sway the outcome of the election, maybe they will become active in the plight of vets.

by the way, i am also a vet, everyone in my family are vets, excpect mom. one son just returned from iraq and my oldest son was in afganastan. i would not hesitate to go in their place, as would my husband, (not that i would like to see the grass from the wrong side). the military is federal and still allowed age discriminate, how come? but you guys, when bob woodward brought in the cameras to walter reed all of a sudden all the politcos were apalled. those conditions did not just happen, isn't that where the president goes for his annual physical? this is why there must be a president for the people, we are the people.

lastly, i sat last night read the horror stories of disabled vets and i cried. there is and will never be justification for any of our treatment by a government who had no problem asking us to give our lives for this country. my dad died at 52 after serving in wwii, korea and viet nam, he taught me something and when times get tough i just remember what he said "don't let the SOB's win". thanks for listening. remember we are the people.

[Vike17]

CSM-H,

I was actually talking about a news paper article I read about a week ago on this. I don't remember where or which one, once I find it, I'll post the link. It might have been the Army Times, I don't know. At any rate, the article talked about a single disability, I think PTSD, that would get a 10% rating from DoD, but then turn around and get a 50% rating from VA. I was actually basing my post on one disability, not multiple ones. Maybe I should have stated that, sorry, even though I didn't know DoD would rate only one disability not multiple issues.

You're right, I don't know much about the MEB/PEB process. I never went through this, just helped numerous veterans that had gone through it and received really low ratings, then only turn around and get a substantially higher evalution from VA. One particular claim that comes to mind is a veteran I helped last year, he was rated at 10% for Reiters syndrome from DoD, but was awarded 60% with IU from VA. Such a difference for one disability i.e. 10% to 60%!!!

I've got a question. What does DoD do when there are multiple disabilities, do they take the disability that would rate the highest and assign that and all the other issues just disappear?

Vike 17

I found the article I was talking about. It was in the Army Times, March 5, 2007 print under "Disabled System: Critics claim Army purposely lowers disability ratings" However, it doesn't reference the PTSD claim I stated, it referenced a radial nerve in the arm that warranted a 70% rating but was only given a 30% evaluation at first. I still remember an article about the case of PTSD I menetioned above, I'll try to find that also.

Edited March 10, 2007 by Vike17

[Pete53]

I think that heat has a way of speeding the VA up. The more heat the more they will speed up. Now the heat is on Congress also. Imus actually shredded Sen Schumer from New York on Friday and said in blunt words that it all happened on his watch. Than he asked him the big question had he been to Walter Reed and when.

If the VA gets away with putting Iraq and Afghanistan Vets in front than it did not do what was needed.