Court rules VA must pay veterans' ER bills, a decision that may be worth billions to vets

The secret is to trump up anything barely referenced in a letter or email while in service, then have a non-military lawyer push your case. That is what helped these two.

I just had my separation physical; there is nothing that I can claim that is not documented in my medical record. The VA will be able to fully access my DoD medical record.

I find it surprising that *anyone* could just pretend to have a disability that is not documented in the medical records.

Being overweight can get someone removed from service; as far as I know, these people are not given disability. In fact, they are given counseling and nutritional advice to help them comply with height/weight standards before the step is taken to remove them from service. In most cases that I am familiar with, service members become overweight as a result of another condition that prevents them from maintaining physical fitness. I have a young man right now who is preparing for a medical discharge following surgery that has left him severely impaired. Another of my Soldiers several years ago was medically discharged following a service related injury that left him most likely unable ever to work. Neither has seen combat; both certainly deserve continued medical care. In my own case, I have several medical conditions, only one or two of which can be directly traced to military service. Others arose or were diagnosed while I have been in the service, thus are considered to have been made worse by service. I have been undergoing treatment for a serious condition that is not at all service related; should I have to pay for that treatment myself?

One last thing: your perception of what is going on with the veterans that you know may not be the reality. For example, I have known people with PTSD who look completely normal. You cannot always tell by appearance who has a genuine disability. In my own case, although I plan to apply for disability, I do not want a handicap placard; since my condition can damage my heart, I need to park further away for exercise, not right next to the entrance.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.