Collierville, TN: A patriot will die at home with family and dignity (thanks to Sen Frist)

WREG News 3 Memphis ^ | 12/19/02 | Andy Wise

[GailA]

Updated 6:56 PM, Thursday, December 19

By Andy Wise

COLLIERVILLE, TN -- Common sense -- and the Christmas spirit -- prevails. A patriot will die at home with family and dignity.

A powerful push by Tennessee U.S. Senator Bill Frist and encouragement by the On Your Side Problem-Solvers land a package of benefits for Mark Ammend that could have him home as early as next week.

"Oh my God," cried Mary Ammend, Ammend's wife, bursting into tears. "Thank you! I can't believe this!"

Her husband, a 30-year veteran of three branches of the Armed Forces, has spent the last seven months tied to a hospital bed with the red tape of his insurance company Tricare, the insurance provider for the U.S. military. In June, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease, the paralyzing muscular disorder. It has left him unable to move, unable to speak, unable to breathe on his own. He's in the final stages.

"We were devastated," said Mary Ammend, Ammend's wife, as she remembered how she, their grown son and daughter and their granddaughter took the news. "That was on a Saturday night, and we spent Sunday planning a funeral."

They stopped planning a funeral and started planning to bring Ammend home to spend his last days around family. But Tricare only covers one hour a day of in-home nursing care. The Ammends' policy would also require Mary, a Desoto County school teacher, to be with the nurses at all times.

"I tried to figure out different things that I could do, and I just kept hitting a brick wall," said Ammend.

She got a break. She called Frist, who then contacted Veterans Affairs. The VA quickly granted Ammend a rating that would qualify him for a huge package of benefits.

"They got a total package," said Ron Campbell, Disabled Veterans Service Officer for Tennessee. "It's one of the largest ones in this area (for veterans)."

Publicity through the On Your Side Problem-Solvers moved the package faster through the system. By Wednesday, the package was approved, and the Ammends are guaranteed one miracle of a Christmas present:

* full aid and attendance for in-home nursing care, plus any changes to their home to accommodate Ammend's needs

* Ammend's full military pay RETROACTIVE to the date of his retirement, officially August 2, 2002

* a monthly allowance for the family offset by Ammend's military pay

* eligibility for a car at no cost, including tax, tag and title

* property tax exemption for their home

* full tuition, books, room and board for their 19-year-old son Greg's college education

* eligibility for ChampVA, the VA's medical and life insurance policy

Dr. Geoffrey Rake, medical director for Tricare, says Ammend may qualify for a "transitional policy" that would guarantee him 24-hour nursing care at his home. Mary Ammend says in seven months, no one at Tricare has ever offered them that option. It doesn't matter anymore.

Mary Ammend meets with VA officials Monday to start making plans for getting Mark moved to their home. Keep checking back for the story of Mark's homecoming!

[GailA]

See link for video and picture PHOTOS

[OldFriend]

Can someone explain the car, the property tax exemption and the college tuition?

[Tennessee_Bob]

Seems to be the least we can do for our vets - thanks, Gail!

BTW, the Knoxville News Sentinel has an interesting article about an East Tennessee resident that heard war stories about the Civil War - from his father. I spoke with a woman the other day through my work who's father had been wounded at the Battle of Knoxville.

[MarkT]

With all due respect, this sounds too damn familiar - a pol is called by a constituent with a serious problem and the solution is to gerry-rig (on the fly, no less) the existing rules, all expenses paid by the tax-payer. This is not a solution, this is vote buying with our tax-dollars.

[larry h]

I don't know about the car....unless they have to have a vehicle modified to transport him home and then in the driveway around the clock in case of an emergency....just
a wild guess at how they would justify that. The property
tax exemption and college tuition sounds like a state benefit for disabled vets. I'd be willing to bet the 19 year old can only use that at a state supported college in his local area. Maybe the car is donated by
a local dealership....This really sounds like a private
industry, state, and Fed partnership and, if so, it's a good thing. Can't imagine the feds providing this much
for anyone all on their own.

[SwinneySwitch]

Prayers for Mark and family. My nephew's wife, and a former co-worker have had ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease)for years.

[GailA]

I kind of think you've hit the nail on the head with this assessment. I didn't see the live story, as I'm not consistant on which channel I watch the news. Andy Wise does a 3 on your side weekly series. He has SHAMED TennCare into providing life saving brain surgery to a baby who was DENIED the surgery. Gotten money back from ripped of consumers, etc.

[Theodore R.]

Actually, Frist seems the "good guy" in this situation -- he is untangling certain bureaucratic regulations to benefit a dying man and his family. I don't see how this common sense approach could cost taxpayers anymore -- it's just relocating the address of the care for a few days. Maybe as majority leader, Frist can get some common sense in health care regulations.

[demsux]

I can think of worse things to spend our tax money on

[maica]

Getting Lou Gehrig's disease in not considered winning life's lottery. If Senator Frist decided to pull strings for one family, it seems to be just a tiny bit of good luck (a little tiny lottery payout) for people who only want their loved one home.

It is not a bailout to Ted Turner for not growing something on some of his millions of acres for instance. Consider Dr Frist's advocacy as part of your Christmas gift from your tax dollars to some fellow citizens..

[SAMWolf]

Bump!

[OldFriend]

I need to know a lot more about these benefits before I begin to approve of these taxpayer benefits. ALS is not a service related illness so it's hard to see how all these extras are deserved.

[Snoopers-868th]

May I suggest that you contact the History Channel and purchase "The Color of War." Then come back and say ANY person who has served in war-time does not deserve healthcare for his entire life. That is the least we can do as taxpayers. I say good for him and Frist.

The above films put a personal, up close, color view of what devastation war causes. This man and all Vets of our wars, with honorable discharge, deserve personal health care until death for ANY illness.

[maica]

Agreed!

[OldFriend]

Every male in my family since the first world war has served. Every male in my family has purchased his own health care plan and does not expect the taxpayer to fund his treatment. My husband is a vet who received an honorable discharge and never in a million years would he ask you or anyone else to pay for his health care. At this time Blue Cross and Blue Shield in NJ has sent us the new rate for a single plan.......$585 per MONTH........big deductible and only 60/40 coverage.

Wouldn't dream of sending you the bill.