The cost of caring for all members of the service is being left out of the budget for war even though it is an inevitable result. This is not separate it is part of the cost of war....
This stuff really gets me going.

Val

FOR DAVE

"FORGET WHAT THEY SAY, WATCH WHAT THEY DO"

Please read carefully!
Co-payments are to rise according to VA officials working the 2005 budget. One co-payment increase will be the prescriptions for non-service connected conditions. The proposed co-payment will be $15 for a 30 day supply of medication for all veterans under 50% service connected disabled. Another co-payment will be $20 per visit for all non-service connected conditions for all veterans under 50% service connected disabled.
This will save the taxpayer millions of dollars per year and place an increasingly heavy burden upon the nations disabled veterans slightly above the poverty line.
Example (true life and far more than you would imagine): If a veteran has $800 per month income from all sources, they are above the poverty line and will be paying the co-pays. If they rent a place to live for $300 per month that will leave them $500 for food, utilities, transportation and the VA co-payments. If they have 10 prescriptions at $15 each they will have $350 per month for food, utilities and transportation. Because the VA will take the cost of medication co-payment out of their VA or Social Security check when the co-payments are not made in a timely manner by the veteran.

Is this what we want, for our disabled veterans? It seems as if that is what is going to happen!


Dave Barker

That is really a bad deal.

Doing my part to spread the word... Working on a unified march to washington DC. Working with some local people on making some noise in Pgh and D.C.

Val

Hi all,

My brief intro then on to my topic, Vietnam & GWI vet, medivac'd from Khobar in GWI for High BP & stomach ailments 10/91, comp claim was denied in 1994. Did not argue as had previously taken meds for these ailments prior to deployment to GWI.

since that time the BP meds have increased due to the pressure rising. Diagnosed with a sleep disorder in 1996, VA has provided a CPAP machine since then. Was on the waiting list for a sleep study for over two years, this cost me a very good job as I was falling asleep at work and my employers insurance did not cover a sleep study. Was notified of the sleep study appt. 3 days after losing this job. The CPAP pressure was 5cm in 1996 currently it is at 13cm, (the VA waited 6 years between sleep studies) these are usually done annually or biennially.

Currently have a stress test scheduled for 6/30/04 and a appt.with a endocrinologist on 7/27/04 for a very bad thyroid problem as told to me by my PCP.

Everytime I reapply for VA comp with new evidence the VA says it is not new evidence.

Enough of the intro, on 3 separate occasions the VA has sent me meds I either already had or did not take anymore, I did not re-order these meds. I was charged a co-pay each time. My means test should state no co-pays yet I am assessed one.

2002 income was 18,229 family of 4, the wife and I and 2 kids co-pays assessed.

2003 (means test not done yet), Income 14716 family of 3 (only one child on this return). Co-pays will again be assessed I'm sure.

They are real good at making those mistakes and not wanting to admit them or is that the problem. I went to employee health once to get pain meds that are sc but forgotten at home. Had them prescribed but not marked sc so of course was charged for them. At the time I was in so much pain I didn't pay attention to the papers and have them corrected right there.

It took me 3 notices and 5 different phone calls. The call center said they would notify local VA 3 times and to let them know if I heard further. I finally called local and they didn't know it was not to be charged.

Come to find out they applied the money I sent for an actual owed copay to the one I didn't owe for ... Luckily I had a good person on the phone who said "lets not confuse them, I will just say it is sc because if I try to explain this I will be there all day". Pretty bad when 2 employees know if they try to tell management how a mistake happened it will only make matters worse and may never get fixed. All for $7. Mine was the principle not the money though.

Val

STRUGGLE DAILY TRYING TO DO THEIR JOB IN SPITE OF THE SYSTEM THEY ARE A PART OF...

WHEN IT IS EASIER TO CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM THAN TO CORRECT IT, IT IS TIME TO REPLACE THOSE IN CHARGE WITH THOSE WHO KNOW THE PROBLEMS...

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

"FORGET WHAT THEY SAY, WATCH WHAT THEY DO"

There needs to be a lot of replacements in the mid to upper management levels. It is like those on top keep the ones who know what is going on suppressed in effort to keep their own jobs.

This is not news, it happens all over the country in and out of government. One thing that I beleive should be a law is to have a certain percentage of veterans in upper management positions in VA. Veterans are best equipted to make decisions about other veterans and would be more likely to make the system actually benefit the veteran.

As it stand here in Pgh I can think on two veterans in upper management. That is relative to dozens and I can only think of one. I am sure there are more but I know the director and 2 of three site directors are not vets. I am not sure about the 3rd one, he may or may not be but he is new and unknown to me. Of all the dept heads I know I can't think of one veteran and can think of two just below dept heads. That is sad.

Vets are supposed to get preference and here it is the worst you can do to be a vet and even worse if you are service connected and employeed at VA. Every time I hear of someone getting fired or harassed, the first question I ask is are they a vet? So far every single one has been.

What a shame.

Val

The situation regarding veterans in higher jobs in the VA is a very long standing problem. As I have mentioned far to many times in these topic threads, only one third of all VA employees are veterans. In 1983 while in a VSO training class the very wise training instructor was the Cleveland VA Regional Office Adjudication Officer Barry Weisburg. Barry told us during that class only 34% of VA employees were veterans. Here it is 20 years later and the only change is the faces, as it is still about 34% veterans.
To add insult to it all, some of the very harshest of judges, in VA claims are non-veterans. During the month of July, the Cleveland VA Regional Office will lose several seasoned employess. Two of them are critical employees, who have given of themselves to the veterans community and have trained VSO's in many seminars. They are the Regional Director Jack Ross and a very fair minded Decision Review Officer Frank Bongiovanni. Both of these are veteran advocates and both are veterans. No one knows who will replace them.
I guarantee you this for sure, they will be missed!

I will cast no stones!

Dave Barker

this could end up affecting me..with my social security disability and va nsc warvets pension..i get about almost 1,100 a month..i am raising two kids..pay 300 a month for the house..plus utilities..i will tell you one thing..i could end up like those older folks who figure out which med they will get which month and which they dont, and which one they can cut in half to maybe get something out of...cus there is no way i can see how i can stretch things much further..let me know where to march and i am there!


The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. -Mahatma Gandhi

For all reading this, my organization (COVA)in Pittsburgh is trying to organize a march to DC opposing the reduction in benefits to veterans and pushing mandatory funding. When I know more I will let you know. If you are interested in this and want to be sure to be notified send me a private email and I will keep you updated that way.
We are trying to rally all Vets organizations but this is in the infant stages so far.

Val

One thing about the ratio of vets to civilians in VA I think would hold true also is... I bet the majority of vets are lower level employees (at least at Pgh they are) as compaired to the non vets.

Val

...to tell the truth I do not know the exact ratio either. However on the higher level, there are some extremely high ranking non veterans especially in the VHA Veterans Health Administration. As it was clearly stated to me a few years ago "veterans preference does not exist regarding promotions."
As far as the front lines of getting claims granted. Those reviewing and processing claims, according to my sources, in the VA, about one third of those employees are veterans.
That still translates to: two thirds of those processing/approving/disapproving claims are non veterans.

I will cast no stones!

Dave Barker

... a veteran of the USMC who is so severely disabled, I filed a service connected compensation claim for him and believe he will be approved for at least 50% and maybe even higher. He however must use private doctors because his wife works and he is over the income threshold due to her salary.
So a four year USMC vet, who served Honorably during the current Persian Gulf War albeit stateside, now finds he is excluded from VA Healthcare because the family has $24,000 annual income.

I will cast no stones!

Dave Barker

IF WE VETERANS COULD STICK TOGETHER AND SHIFT THIS ISSUE TO BEING NON-PARTISAN WE MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE...

IF WE CAMPAIGNED AGAINST...AND VOTED AGAINST..."ALL" INCUMBENTS UNTIL WE GOT FUNDING FOR AND RECEIPT OF PROMISED AND EARNED BENEFITS, WE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE HEARD.

WE ARE FOOLISH TO THINK EITHER PARTY TAKES US SERIOUSLY AS A POLITICAL VOTING BLOCK...THEY USE US FOR PHOTO OPS AND RALLY BACKDROPS, BUT WHEN THE DAY-TO-DAY VOTES ARE NEEDED FOR IMPLEMENTING THEIR CAMPAIGN PROMISES...WE ARE FORGOTTEN.

"FORGET WHAT THEY SAY, WATCH WHAT THEY DO"

I am presently being seen at Wade Park in Ohio, as this is the only VAMC that treated sleep disorder problems when I was diagnosed. I would like to transfer to VAMC in Pittsburgh but am not sure if they can handle all my needs. Sleep, Cardiology, & Endocrinology.

Dave you seem to be the man in Ohio to ask, so if you have any info I would be most grateful.

Also I would be interested in you re-filing my VA claim if you can, let me know how to get you any info you need.

One more question for Dave. Getting to Wade Park from Steubenville is becoming expensive for me, I personally can be seen and have been seen in both the Cleveland & Pittsburgh VISN's. However most of my records are in the Cleveland VISN. Numerous attempts to get my records by the Release of Info forms have failed. I do not want to start over if I go to Pittsburgh. any advise here would also be helpful. I have not been to Pittsburgh since prior to 1997.

Thanks in advance !!!

Terry

Excuse me for jumping in but I live in Pgh and have worked at that VA. When I left last year all three clinics were up an running. Pgh works very closly with UPMC (areas major medical provider) and most UPMC docs come to VA to provide care, so it is highly unlikely you would find Pgh without a specialist in any area.

I complain about Pgh VA but I should clarify it is not VA I am complaining about so much as it is the administrative policies of the current office running VA.

Most employees and clinics are commendable, it is a shame that some spoil it for the ones who do care for the Vets instead of just themselves. To some, VA is not just a job but an honor. When I worked there I was honored to serve the Veterans in my facility. They were not work (coping with management was work) they were the least I could do... to repay them.

Val

Val,

The last time I was treated at PGH VAMC, (before being diagnosed with sleep apnea) I was not impressed. I went to Pittsburgh first because it is 100 miles closer than is Cleveland. The doctors there instead of admitting that at the time Pittsburg had no facilities to treat sleep disorders, referred me to the mental health clinic for sleeping pills. These pills I refused. I told the doctor I did not come for drugs, I dont believe a pill is going to help me and walked out. MY PCP at Pittsburgh (and this is not his fault but what happened later is.) prescribed a diuretic HCTZ for my high BP. Six months later when I am in the local ER covered with hives, and they call my PCP, he doesnt even pull my record and says he DID NOT prescribe the meds. They have the bottle with his name on it at my local hospital. I end up paying for this ER visit.

Nurses I know who presently or formerly worked in PIttsburgh say it is much different now than when I last was treated there, so this is why I am attempting to see if I can be treated in Pittsburgh versus Cleveland. My main concern is I waited two years to be seen in cleveland, if I have to wait two years again to get into the sleep clinic and other clinics I need I may have to stay in cleveland.

As long as managment stays out of the docs way it is pretty good care... good luck.

Val