Fight with the V.A.

My BIL was in the thick of Vietnam, he sustained shrapnel injury in his eye, and had several cancers, skin and prostate. He is trying to up his VA benefits.
What a joke, The V.A. has the saying "prove it".

Luckily my BIL kept ALL his medical records, which so many did not. and of course most of the records were lost in a fire, hummmmm.

Anyone else going through this circus?

"Happy" Memorial Day ??

God Bless ALL, ALL, ALL, who served and gave their lives

Veterans deserve much better treatment than what they get.

From what I can remember is that about ten years ago, or somewhere around that time there was a fire, where the government kept veterans records, so that did happen, but I don't know what was the extent of the fire, or how many records were distroyed, or if and how it was resolved?
Best to get in touch with Texas Vets organization and let them fight it out for him.
You just have to stay after them, as the VA won't grease a wheel that doesn't squeek.
Us Vietnam vets are becoming fewer and fewer by the day!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Amen. God Bless em.

st louis va records bldg burned quite a few yrs. back.


https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973

I've been in the va system since 74, it never gets any easier.

Any vet with more than five years of service, service during war, or an injury during service beyond a hang nail should be able to see any US doctor they want. Doctors should bill these visits to the govt at cost. Vets would get better service and we'd save a truckload of money.

100% agree. I believe Veteran's should get the best medical treatment there is and at no cost to them whatsoever.

I have been under the VA since 1969, I haven't had any such problems.



The problem with civilian Doctors, most do not know squat about too many health issues that the veterans are facing. If it is and in this case it is an Agent Orange issue related a civilian Doctor has to be educated about Agent Orange.

My cousin went through a similar situation. Please see the pm I sent to you.

Absolutely!

the president just signed that into law. we can now go to civilian drs. and not have to wait a month for an appt.

WASHINGTON — Veterans who live as little as a 30-minute drive from a Veterans Affairs health care facility will instead be able to choose private care, the most significant change in rules released Wednesday as part of the Trump administration’s effort to fix years-old problems with the health system.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/us/politics/veterans-health-care.html

Thanks guys for all the replies. I shared them with my BIL

Hop,

Do you really see this as a doable situation, as a current patient ? I stayed away from the VA for better then 58 years as treatment was soo bad during that time (Korea vet, enlisted just after WW2), I find the current treatment programs outstanding, my Family Dr overlooked skin cancer for over three years for me, VA keeps checking every three months, granted, I believe the 30 min rule is good, IF we can find QUALIFIED Drs in the program ,

BTW, the first certifiable fire was the Kansas City Records center, and a thin line of vets were subjected.

My healthcare from the VA is outstanding. I prefer it to the civilian care system. The claims and compensation branch of the VA is horrible.

Yep, tried to get my Dad's military records, they were only able to provide one document due the fire.

As a Vietnam vet I have been trying to see a civilian Neurologist for nearly 2 years. No dice.

I tried about 10 years ago. Lots of road blocks. Now on Medicare.

I have been under the VA system since 1969. I have had very little problems. Problems are usually self inflicted, failure to provide all of the correct information and to follow up as requested by them.

The VA has a system of of lots of checks and balances, unfortunately it is necessary because of the people attempting to defraud the system.

I would much rather go see a cancer doctor in paris at the hospital than drive to dallas and fight the bs involved there, no problem with the dallas va but getting there and parked etc. is a total butt whoopin.

It would depend on the cancer, if it was Agent Orange related I would prefer to see the VA Doctors, they are more up to date on AO than the civilian Doctors. Most of the civilian Doctors have no clue as to all of the related issues from AO.

Hop,

I hope your using the parking garage there, fast, open and buses to the main bldg.

I use the hc parking out front, if I can. if not then where ever I can park and catch the shuttle.

melanoma and bladder cancer, not ao related. only exposure I would have had would have been if any of the 130s I flew in were used to transport it.

I can't drive in Dallas and it's over 65 miles to get there. Tyler is over 40 miles. I hear all this good stuff about the VA, but I haven't seen Jack.

not sure where you live but maybe try bonham, pretty much full care and extremely easy to work with, much much better than dallas imo. they have most of the same services available as the dallas clinics, cancer tho is not one.

Cool Mo D ,

About the same for me,
a real killer, I was there Tues and again this Monday, and they are in to about 6 weeks or better for travel allowances.

I got the same answer when I went in, "we have no record of you under the VA", I showed the letter stating that I am a vet., "lost in a fire"

Curious, branch . Army, or Marine ?

https://www.missionact.va.gov/library/files/MISSION_Act_Community_Care_Booklet.pdf

They didn't have my records. Fortunately I copied everything on my way out and was able to just hand them a copy of all of it. Now my copies show up in their system as the originals.