How The U.S. Government Really Handles Veterans Benefits – Deny, Deny, Deny Until They Die

A very interesting story with very valid and fact checked information.

One of the ways that you can judge the character of a nation is by how they care for their military veterans. On this Memorial Day, we remember those who have fought and died defending the American Dream, but this should also be a day when we check and make certain that those who have served this country so bravely are being taken care of. Unfortunately, a cold, hard examination of the facts reveals that the U.S. government is doing a horrific job of caring for our military veterans. U.S. government officials seem to be able to do a great job of laying wreaths and holding ceremonies, but when it comes to actually getting military veterans the care and benefits that they desperately need, the attitude seems to be "deny, deny, deny until they die".

The truth is that we have made it extremely difficult for our military veterans to claim the benefits that we have promised them. Vets have to fill out an absurdly complicated 23 page application and if they make even one small mistake their applications can be stonewalled for years. The U.S. Veterans Administration actually has a policy under which they pay large bonuses to employees that meet certain application processing goals. This explains why approximately 70% of the claims submitted to the Veterans Administration are refused or sent back to be redone. In fact, using the Freedom of Information Act, one local NBC station was able to learn that $250,000 was paid in bonuses to VA employees who work inside the Poff Federal Building in Roanoke, Virginia in just one year alone.

Not only that, but a report issued by the VA's Office of Inspector General said the department issued millions of dollars in performance awards to employees nationwide over a two year period in 2007 and 2008.

According to CNN, one retired VA official was singled out for improperly approving a very large number of bonuses and the report said that she "acted as if she was given a blank checkbook to write unlimited monetary awards."

Yes, you read all of that correctly.

We actually pay government employees huge bonuses for turning down the benefits applications of our military veterans.

Does that sound like America to you?

Read the rest of the story here.

So this to me is just wrong.

I'm a Canadian and although we also don't have the best record in helping Veterans if these reports are true than Americans have to do some long and hard thining about what they are doing to the men and women who have risked their lives for American Freedom.

Thoughts?

Edit To Add: Some of the stats:

•1,000,000 veterans, are currently waiting for the VA to review their cases, many have been waiting for years. And would you believe it, the VA is still telling many of them that “their records have been lost.” (Source of numbers: Veteran Affairs web-site)

•400,304 (42%) of the veterans returning from Gulf War II have symptoms of Gulf War illness and have asked the VA for help. By the VA’s own records, over 178,000 (45%) of these soldiers have possible mental disorders (including PTSD and Traumatic Brain Damage). (Source of numbers; Analysis of VA Health Care Utilization Among US Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Veterans, January 2009, pages 7, 11)

•58% of the Gulf War II veterans are between the ages of 18 - 29. These young adults are not being told when they enlist that there is a greater than 40% chance their future will be destroyed or severely altered by Gulf War illness. (Source: January 2009 report - Veteran's Affairs)

•Of 133,057 potentially eligible disabled retirees, 28,283 were denied retroactive pay awards and 8,763 died waiting for their cases to be heard. (Source: Congressional Report reported in the ArmyTimes on July 21, 2008)

•Since 2001 there have been over 575,000 cases of Gulf War illness and no documented cases of recovery. But there have been at least 6,500 documented deaths.

•175,000 Gulf War I veterans with serious and persistent health problems, Gulf War illness, have been waiting over 17 years for assistance from the VA. During this period the VA has denied applications over and over again, shredded records, hid unopened claims in storage, and actually altered original documents to fit the program of denial designed by the VA leadership. (Source of numbers: Page 17 - Gulf War Illness and Health of Gulf War Veterans - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses)

~Keeper


[edit on 5/31/2010 by tothetenthpower]

Id filed 30+ years ago for ptsd .. like many others it was lost in the system.. then they turn around and say I was in 2 different duty stations at the same time - neat trick wish could be in multiple places at the same time.. Thus sent it for appeal again lost in the system.. I was also banned for life from going to any VA facility after being thrown out for being "too dangerous" when I went seeking treatment for ptsd. Also the last of my relatives died due to the incompetence of VA doctors.
I left stateside 25 years ago and made a much better life for myself without the damn VA or u.s government. Will never again return to the u.s . Unfortuneatly most vets have no choice other than be kept under thumb , shoved aside and forgotten by a corrupt government and uncaring public. Nothings changed or ever will change back there in america..

I gave up on the VA back in 1995, haven't looked back since and pay for all my own health stuff, the hassle just wasn't worth it.

[edit on 5/31/2010 by DarkStormCrow]

Originally posted by DarkStormCrow
I gave up on the VA back in 1995, haven't looked back sense and pay for all my own health stuff, the hassle just wasn't worth it.

That's really bloody sad my friend.

To think that you as a vet risked your life only to come back and get NO help from the government you helped.

This should be a wake up call to all citizens regarding the VA.

~Keeper

reply to post by tothetenthpower


It is rather sad, I still love my country and its people and would make the same decisions again. Bad part for me is that my PTSD has gotten to the point where I am unemployable due to "anger management issues".

I am firmly in the drag all the politicians into the street and shoot them camp, and now typing that with my luck the FEDS will be showing up soon .

The VA system in the US just plain sucks, bigtime. If you are a Vietnam
era veteran like myself, you can pretty much kiss any help goodbye. My
military records are so screwed up, it is pathetic. No record of the time I
was extremely sick and almost died from a Malaria type of disease in
1967. No record of the bad automobile accident I was in on a Naval base
in San Diego. My ribbons and medals list is all messed up with incorrect
information. And just a week ago, I received a letter from the VA stating
that they mistakenly gave out my records to another veteran, SS number,
treatments, etc. It is total chaos when you go to a VA clinic. It is like the
blind leading the blind, and you sit and wait hours for a nitwit to see you
or help you with health issues. I was told by my local VA manager where
I live, that I should be tested for Agent Orange. But after the hassles of
getting disability for another issue, I decided I would rather have Orange
than jump through all of the ridiculous hoops that are required. I really do
not have much respect for the system, and we are just a non-existant
number more or less.