Posted on 04/02/2016 5:21:26 PM PDT by huldah1776
Army Sergeant Major Jesse Acosta has received notification from the VA that his benefits for a caregiver are ending in 90 days, at the end of May. The letter he received from the VA states “he is no longer appropriate for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.” They say they are pleased to inform him of this. According to the VA, even though Acosta, blinded by a mortar attack in Iraq, is still blind, they are excited (with an exclamation point to prove it) to let him know they have determined he’s “graduated,” and no longer needs a caregiver. Seriously?
Acosta served with distinction from 1975 until his retirement in 2010. In 2003 he joined the Individual Ready Reserve program until he was recalled to active duty in 2005. He deployed to Iraq in August. Everything changed on January 16, 2006 when he was struck by a mortar. His injuries included the loss of both eyes, injury to the frontal and temporal lobes of his brain, loss of part of his jaw and teeth, a back injury, a herniated calf muscle that won’t heal and loss of a kneecap so that one knee is bone on bone. He was not expected to survive when he arrived at the military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
But survive he did. Over the course of forty surgeries his jaw and eye sockets were reconstructed but his vision was lost forever. Today he’s a fine-looking man. In good shape, fit, his service dog by his side. You wouldn’t know looking at him that he’s been rated, in addition to his blindness, 70% disability from PTSD and 100% disability from TBI.
Jesse Acosta returned to his employer after Iraq, but he needs some assistance to do his job. Likewise, at home he needs some help. That’s what the caregiver provides: help getting to medical appointments, managing medication refills, help with paperwork and shopping. The daily things that sighted people take for granted. His service dog helps both with mobility and with PTSD. But the caregiver fills an essential need. Whether or not the VA agrees.
When I spoke with Jesse, he told me, “When the VA representative called to tell us the caregiver benefit had been canceled, we were told verbally that ‘the VA does not consider blindness a disability’.” You can understand how the VA might look at him…he’s employed, he has a service dog…and think his blindness does not completely disable him. But how humane is it not to take into consideration the effects of PTSD and TBI? The VA has treated him for both and they have complete records. He can appeal his case, of course. But how long will that take? Based on a 2012 VA report, about two and a half years.
By the way, here are the eligibility criteria from the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act,” Public Law 111-163:
Section 1720G (a) (2) ‘‘(2) “For purposes of this subsection, an eligible veteran is any individual who—
”(A) is a veteran or member of the Armed Forces undergoing medical discharge from the Armed Forces; ”(B) has a serious injury (including traumatic brain injury, psychological trauma, or other mental disorder) incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service on or after September 11, 2001; and ”(C) is in need of personal care services because of— ”(i) an inability to perform one or more activities of daily living; ”(ii) a need for supervision or protection based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury…”
The act was intended, among other things, to assist members of veterans’ families who have left careers to care for veterans with catastrophic disabilities. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is failing to implement the law (Public Law 111-163) as Congress intended. Paralyzed Veterans of America testified on this point on March 11 before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health. Carl Blake, Legislative Program Director for Paralyzed Veterans of America, said, “(VA) said the only way a caregiver will be eligible for this is if the veteran would have otherwise been institutionalized. Blake explained that such an interpretation would lower the number of families eligible for these benefits, such as monthly stipends and health-care benefits through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), to about 840. According to Blake that number is less than 25 percent of what Congress intended.
An article in the Illinois Statesman on Feb. 23, 2016 states that about 7,000 veterans who were receiving caregiver benefits are no longer getting them. “About a third were cut because VA staff members determined that they did not meet medical criteria for the support.” The program, passed into law in 2010, was never intended to be a permanent benefit. Only last year did the VA publish an official rule on how the program should be run. Stipends were to be provided to families as long as the veteran’s health met certain criteria. If the situation improved, the VA might remove patients from the financial part of the program.
Based on his experience, Jesse says, “I have never been VA friendly, and because I question and challenge the VA process, I truly believe I have been targeted in having this benefit canceled.” He was also quick to say he’s not the only one receiving this kind of treatment by the VA, and he launched into a story about another vet in the LA area whose VA care came from…are you ready? VA facilities in Long Beach, West Los Angeles, San Diego, Loma Linda, East Los Angeles and downtown LA. This is Southern California. That’s miles and miles of driving, not to mention hours of car time because of traffic, and then the expense on top of that. It’s no wonder that so many vets suffering from PTSD and TBI also have anger management problems. I can’t help but think the run-around treatment, some of it looking like harassment, that these vets experience from the VA is a factor in the number of veteran suicides. 22 a day. Still.
Sergeant Major Acosta served with distinction in the U.S. Army from 1975 until 2010. Among his many awards are The Legion of Merit, The Bronze Star, The Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and six Army Commendation Medals.
What’s it going to take to get any reform in this mega-bureaucracy? The VA’s budget for fiscal year 2016 is $163 billion. The proposed 2017 budget includes an increase for VA funding. Maybe money isn’t the problem. Maybe it’s the structure of the VA, how large and unwieldy it is. Maybe it’s the entrenched culture of no accountability. I’ll grant that changes are being made. But how do we explain to the Jesse Acostas who served this country that it’s just too much trouble to take their cases individually? That in order to get through the number of cases, there’s more investment in blocking treatment than in authorizing it? Because that’s how it looks to me.
At the National Veterans Foundation, all of us wish that Acosta’s case was out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, it’s not. If you know a vet who needs help, here’s our LifeLine for Vets: 888.777.4443. It’s vet-to-vet, the only one of its kind.
Congratulations, that's the ugliest post of the year.
Morally ugly. Soul ugly.
Among other things, the guy has a brain injury. How many pennies does your shit-covered-heart allocate for that?
When you die, you're going to hell. Just wanted you to know that. And good riddance, because the purpose of hell is to store people like you - in dumpsters.
Among other things, the guy has a brain injury. How many pennies ....
Look upthread. Someone has posted upthread what the 100% disability is worth. In fact, he's so disabled with that and his Post Traumatic Stress that he can do the same job that he had pre-injury.
I think I should point out to you that this man already PAID IN FULL.
So why don’t you just go and perform an anatomically impossible act on your self.
And just in case you can’t understand the big words; GO F#CK YOURSELF.
Oh, and while I’m at it - I’m confident of my salvation. Taoist shouldn’t have any false confidence in that direction. You are probably correct that we have different eternal destinations. Find a Bible preaching church and go in the morning. It might do you good, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Well, another small mind that must resort to vulgarity and who embraces that entitlement mentality.
I’m not a Taoist, and you’re no Christian I recognize.
VA Disability is to compensate the Veteran for injuries/disease incurred while serving his country.
He is blind. He was blinded in action. He wasn’t born that way. He wasn’t blinded by drinking moonshine or by being in a car wreck.
The Democrats give people Social Security Disability in Puerto Rico because they speak Spanish. Speaking Spanish is a paid disability.
They also give Social Security Disability to people who don’t know if they are male or female. That is a disability. They also give Social Security Disability to grown men who show up wearing baby caps.
Our government also gave $50,000 each to Americans of African Descent who were living in apartments for raising make-believe pigs.
Our glorious VA paid two female employees over $300,000 each for moving expenses. Moving expenses. They can’t get coordinated enough to fire VA employees who smoke dope at work or beat an old Veteran to death at the VA hospital.
But they can deny this guy some help.
It’s like my Dad said when the VA asked him how much money he made.
“There wasn’t a goddamn VA employee standing on the dock asking me how much money I was making when they shipped my ass to the Korean War! If I made too much money, would they have sent me home?”
Might want to take a glance at your home page.
Your right, he may possibly be able to afford taking care of himself.
Your missing a step though.
Less than one percent of Americans serve or have ever served to defend this nation.
Part of the bargain of protecting all of you other 99% is that when Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines sign on, there is an expectation that if they are killed in action their family will be taken care of. If they are injured in action they will be taken care of.
That is outside of the meger pay they receive.
I've been in 38 plus years my friend. Much of that time I made way less than minimum wage if you took into account I worked 12-16 hours a day 7 days a week and every holiday known to man.
Could the good Sergeant Major possibly afford to pay for his own care ? I don't give two fucks if he can. He earned that care at the cost of his own blood.
One bad post can just be too much wine on a Saturday night.
Eight bad posts makes you a stupid motherforker.
Nine stupid posts.
You’re out for the record.
Nope; just my opinion of all you losers who would deny a wounded Vet that which he has already PAID FOR.
Where and when did you serve.
This!
All those responsible should be stood up against a wall with no blindfold and no cigarette.
You sound like you work at the VA you heartless bastard.
Youre still a heartless bastard
Maybe if he didn't also have considerable healthcare expenses. The article doesn't say where he lives, so cost of living in that area may well be a factor. I didn't retire to my home of record mainly because I couldn't afford to live there. Retirement pay is not the same as military pay. 100% disability is not full military pay, either. Nor does the article tell us what he's getting in wages from his full-time employment. Military retirement pay is based only on military base pay, which is usually less than half of total compensation. With 24+ years of service, I got 60% of my base pay of $2600. Depending on when he enlisted, and how much of his time was active-duty service, his retirement pay could vary considerably from mine, and the later he retired, the more likely it is to be less than I got.
Another thing, he enlisted only a couple of years after I did. I suspect he got the same promise I did, of free medical care for life if I stayed to retirement. However, that promise was broken. Congress never passed the law to support that promise, and they keep changing the rules and increasing the costs we pay out of pocket. Same thing Congress has been doing to the military since the Revolutionary War.
Yeah he doesn’t deserve care for the injuries received.
This is not an entitlement issue- the SGM has earned every bit of any costs of care, regardless if he a multi-millionaire or an indigent homeless guy living under a bridge.
All other commentary is a statist response.
Recently, the VA changed the policy of income based care- just what does anyone’s current income have to do with medical needs incurred while serving the nation in uniform?
Christians see God everywhere. Knuckle draggers parse God into tiny bits, just like they do the lives of wounded vets.
There is no possibility of the latter understanding the former.
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.