Hearing: Va Claims Adjudication Process

[attack_boat_vet]

The panel is loaded with VA officials, The hearing is in RealPlayer & the hearing starts about 15 minutes after your player pops up.

http://www.senate.gov/~veterans/index.cfm?...ngs&rID=943

[Chuck75]

After suffering thru the Hearing--

http://www.senate.gov/~veterans/index.cfm?...ngs&rID=943

The "top down" view was more than adequately represented.

The "bottom up" (Veteran's) side was not. One Senator(From Montana) Did bring up the views of veterans in his state. Unfortunately, that was just the "tip of the iceberg".

An example of how the VA might save a heck of a lot of effort and time--

Many of the A O Service Connected problems have multiple effects that are well known to the medical profession, are acknowledged by the government, and documented by medical text books and even the National Institute of Health. Yet, the VA does not automatically consider these effects and the medical treatment for them as service connected, unless the veteran files for them.

I contend that once a disease such as Diabetes is servce connected, any reasonable secondary claim for conditions that the medical profession and the NIH considers to be caused or aggravated by diabetes should be automatically covered, and rated according to the severity.

Treatment for such conditions should be considered service connected, even though the veteran may not have filed for compensation, or has a claim that has not been decided.

[Guest RickB54]

Yet, the VA does not automatically consider these effects and the medical treatment for them as service connected, unless the veteran files for them.

I contend that once a disease such as Diabetes is servce connected, any reasonable secondary claim for conditions that the medical profession and the NIH considers to be caused or aggravated by diabetes should be automatically covered, and rated according to the severity.

Treatment for such conditions should be considered service connected, even though the veteran may not have filed for compensation, or has a claim that has not been decided.

Not all veterans have the same problems regardless of exposure to agent orange, so they cannot all be granted unless a veteran files a claim and proves he has the problem. Just like any other claim.

[Pete53]

The VA knows a lot about diabetes. If you are service connected for diabetes there are plenty more thkngs that happen. It does not take brain surgery to link neuropthy or heart disease to diabetes.