New benefit delay hits disabled vets

[barb162]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-wvets19.html
New benefit delay hits disabled vets
June 19, 2005

BY CHERYL L. REED Staff Reporter



The most seriously disabled veterans will now have to wait for their claims to pass a second review before they can receive any disability pay from the federal Veterans Affairs Department, according to a new policy ordered last week.

Veterans who have been granted disability for post-traumatic stress disorder or are judged to be 100 percent disabled or unemployable by one VA disability reviewer must now receive a second VA nod before the agency will grant any disability pay.

VA officials defended the policy, which went into effect immediately Tuesday and was issued to all 57 regional VA offices through a memo, a copy of which was obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

snip
Denials for those same disabilities, though, do not require a second review. Veterans advocates, as well as Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), fear the new policy sends a message that VA disability reviewers are not to grant high-paying claims.

snip

[tanyev]

1. Support the troops, huh?

[barb162]

2. yes, this is disgraceful

[newswolf56]

3. Another (predictable) expression of BushCo contempt...

...for America's working people. The casualties in Iraq, the Medicare prescription-drug scam, the savaging of Medicaid, the privatization of Social Security -- all part of the Bush Administration war on working families.

Alas, the question is not WHEN the American people will ever wake up but IF -- and if the Democratic Party will ever again provide an adequate alarm clock.

[happyslug]

4. Reminds of my Father Story of Dealing with the VA in the 1950s.

When he went down to the VA about his arm (He had been hit by Shrapnel while in Combat during WWII) he complained of the pain in the arm. The Doctor was tape recording him and every time he said he was in pain the Doctor would stop and reverse the tape. At that point he would ask my Father "So you have no pain in your arm" and when he said he did, the Doctor would reverse the tape again. IT was all an attempt to have on tape him saying yes to having no pain. When my father said "Stop reversing the tape when I say I have pain" the Doctor took affront.

The VA is under orders to minimize expenditures, they do not care at what costs. Standard practice when the GOP is in control of the Government.