How many of the veterans currently on long waiting lists at the VA are there because the VA knows that they are attempting to gain disability benefits to which they are not genuinely entitled? Not only is the VA dealing with a huge influx of wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, veterans of Vietnam are reaching retirement age, and many of them aren't really financially prepared for retirement. I know quite a few folks who are in this situation. I have seen the information that is shared with them through the VFW and other veterans' advocacy groups that teaches veterans how to successfully gain disability status through the VA system. Just as with SSI disability benefits, a cottage industry has developed for teaching potential beneficiaries the intricate rules and regulations that must be satisfied in order to qualify for benefits. I don't mean to imply that such organizations are openly promoting gaming either the SSI or VA systems. I am well aware that there are many deserving individuals out there who are not receiving the benefits that are truly owed to them simply because they don't know how to navigate the bureaucracy and correctly answer the sometimes arcane sounding interview questions that they are asked of them in order to gain approval. Still, making this information publicly available inevitably also assists those who are seeking benefits for which they don't truly qualify. It is not my intent to make a blanket accusation that veterans are gaming the VA system. I am merely daring to ask the question. Nothing could be less politically correct than to question the integrity of any of our armed forces veterans. That's why I don't expect this issue to be discussed in the mainstream media. Anyone who dared to broach this subject in the MSM would probably be barraged with hate mail and threatened with massive boycotts before the segment even finished airing. It's hard to argue that a man who was snatched up in his youth by the Selective Service and sent to fight in the jungles of Vietnam doesn't "deserve" whatever government assistance he can get. And yet, this is one Vietnam veteran who does make that argument. And so, back to the VA waiting lists. It is obvious that many of our VA centers are either understaffed, or are simply refusing to do their jobs. Otherwise, we wouldn't have these patient backlogs, whether they were hidden from the public, or not. While it is certainly a scandal that the patient backlogs have been hidden, this scandal shouldn't mask the fact that the backlogs even exist in the first place. I personally don't buy into the theory that the VA is merely goofing off. People who choose a career in our VA system could typically make more money performing the same job in the private sector. It has been my experience that most (if not all) who choose a career with the VA do so because of their genuine respect for our armed forces veterans. At least, that's been the case for all of the folks that I know who work in the VA system. So then, if these people are going to have to triage prospective patients because they simply don't have the resources to see all of them in a timely manner, which ones will be most likely to go to the bottom of the list? Hmmm...
Granny wantin' to know if dey gonna hire more doctors so vets won't have to wait so long?... Shinseki is out, but Phoenix VA delays leave a haunted trail for some May 31, 2014 ~ In Arizona, where allegations first surfaced of secret waiting lists at the Phoenix VA and ultimately led to Friday's resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, reaction was swift and pointed. See also: Search for new VA leader should look beyond ex-military, experts say May 31, 2014 ~ According to Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at the CATO Institute, many retired generals move from the Pentagon to the VA but "were not talking about combat or an army. Were talking about bureaucracy.
This is typical of conservatives who cry crocodile tears over our military "heroes" while all the time plotting behind their backs to steal their benefits so they can finance sending more of our soldiers to countries that don't want us. This kind of hypocrisy to support their blatant corruption is disgusting and disgraceful. Do they honestly think we are so stupid that we can't see this betrayal? You can fool all of the people some ot the time, and then we have conservatives. Screw them. We should require anyone who wants to put us into any war to go themselves, and pay their own bills if they get injured.
The VA is the future of 0bamacare and it sucks. My father in law is a Korean War vet and he has to wait 5-6 months for most of his appointments. The VA needs a total overhaul. That being said, I work as a contractor at hundreds of government and private sites and have been to a dozen VA hospitals. In a couple of hospitals, my contact found out I was a veteran and worked on jets during our conversations. Both of these guys were trying to convince me to claim a disability for hearing loss. They were amazed when I told them I wasn't interested in pursuing it. My hearing is fine below 12khz. I don't have any problems except maybe distinguishing a persons voice in a crowd. If it gets worse, maybe I would consider it, but I don't see why they would try to encourage me to milk the VA when I am perfectly happy. A coworker of mine is also a USAF vet, he claims a hearing disability and gets $300/month for it. He suggests I apply for a disability also. He seems to hear just fine, but it's just my opinion and none of my business, so I keep my mouth shut. I'm sure there are vets gaming the system and the attitude by those in the VA seems to encourage it.
I don't doubt there are veterans who try to game the system to get a disability rating. But that doesn't have anything to do this VA scandal. Certainly the many vets who died waiting for an appointment were not trying to get a rating to add to their retirement money. Frankly, this sounds almost like a parody of an Obama administration apologist trying to blame the vets for the VA scandal. I hope you're kidding.
No really - the point is the processing of the genuine vets is slowed by the level of screening undertaken to weed out the frauds. Same thing happens with insurance. People can wait a long time, simply because the screening has to so complete
It is a serious post, but you are viewing it from an extremely biased partisan position. You can't admit that you are aware of this problem and then blithely pronounce that it "doesn't have anything to do this VA scandal". That is an absurd statement. As for patients who died while waiting to see a doctor, that happens to all doctors. Sick people often die. It's a fact of life. If you never want to die, then you should stay away from hospitals.
I know. I also have friends and family members currently, or formerly in the military. This is a real problem. If I was working at a VA facility that was understaffed, I suspect that I'd give the people who didn't have serious medical problems the lowest priority for getting an appointment.
You can apply on line and get a priority status based on your issues. I don't think that the problem with the VA is that it's overwhelmed with going through fraudulent claims. If that's the case, it's not been part of the story thus far.
You think it's absurd to think that I don't think that fraud is the primary reason that the VA is unable to meet it's obligations? In the extensive news coverage of this issue, I've not come across that. So I dare to ask the question, what is your source for that? That's why this sounds like you're being an administration apologist. You're floating an idea to divert attention from administration neglect and criminal wrongdoing within the agency. Heh, an you say my position is a "biased partisan position." You are the one making up an excuse out of whole cloth.
So sick vets are going to the VA to get a raise in their disability rating? Is that what you're saying? Wow, that's pretty (*)(*)(*)(*)ing stupid. You're thr same guy who blames the woman, when her man blackens her eye? Because that's what you're pretty much doing. Hate to break it too you genius, older vets with failing health go tp the VA, because they can, because healthcare was promised too them, after receiving a service related disability or doing 20 years in the military and retiring.
Groups like IAVA actively encourage people to get disability ratings ASAP even if they are not seeking disability per se so they can establish a service connection record for 20-30 years down the road when their knees and backs finally do give out. I am sure it adds to the problem of processing cases to have the extra folks to process.
Your reporting your complete ignorance of of the VA system, and I've decided that you just embarrassed yourself.
I've merely reported what I have witnessed first-hand. You might consider using that spade to dig your head out.
Your first hand is sounds like complete bull(*)(*)(*)(*), and I've been dealing with the VA since 09. Are there people who game the system, yep no doubt about it. But your assertion that guys are going into the va for a higher rating, is what's overloading the system is moronic
Yes. That would have been a ridiculous assertion, had I actually made that assertion. My point was simply that many who were placed on extended waiting lists might well have deserved to be there.
More idiocy. The VA is there to provide timely care to alk vets, not deem who is more worthy of care. The failure is on the part of the VA system, not on those seek care there.
