Posted on 07/29/2011 8:08:31 PM PDT by JohnBrownUSA
A class action settlement announced Friday between the federal government and a group of disabled veterans will award lifetime health-care benefits to more than 1,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who were discharged from the service because of post-traumatic stress disorder.
In a motion filed Thursday with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the National Veterans Legal Service Program and the government jointly asked the court to approve lifetime disability retirement benefits to 1,029 veterans with PTSD who were denied those benefits upon discharge from the military following their wartime service.
“It’s getting your dignity back,” said one of the plaintiffs, Air Force veteran Aimee Sherrod, who served three deployments in Iraq and Pakistan from 2001 to 2005 and was subsequently given a diagnosis of PTSD. “It’s a huge relief.”
The NVLSP’s lawsuit in 2008 alleged that the military services violated the law by failing to assign a 50 percent disability rating to those discharged for PTSD — a rating that entitles the veteran to disability retirement benefits.
“The veterans covered by this agreement were exposed to highly traumatic events during deployment, only to return home and be shortchanged on benefits after the military found they suffered from PTSD that was so severe that they needed to be discharged,” said Bart Stichman, co-executive director of NVLSP, which filed the class action lawsuit in 2008.
“Today, a terrible wrong to our nation’s war veterans is being righted.”Stichman added.
The settlement must be approved by a judge before it is final.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I like your style..go for it!
This is BS from unpatriotic bastards. Plain and simple. Veterans should not have to sacrifice more after they gave so much for defending America!
The 10 ways Congress is targeting military and veterans’ benefits during today’s difficult fiscal times are to:
Increase healthcare premiums for military retirees on TRICARE
Increase pharmaceutical fees for troops, families and retirees
Eliminate presumptive service-connected conditions for disabled and ill veterans
Lock out or increase fees for Department of Veterans Affairs Priority Groups 7 and 8 veterans
Reduce cost-of-living allowances
Freeze military pay
End government subsidies to military commissaries
Eliminate Department of Defense elementary schools stateside
Eliminate the 20-year military retirement plan
Eliminate DOD tuition reimbursement programs for service members
True dat.
This is good news.
I’ll take D. for a hundred Alex....
Good info all, but it doesn’t answer my question. Civilian car-accident, mugging, and rape victims (among countless others) will have access to exactly the same medical/psychological services (particularly where PTSD is concerned) as military veterans—necessarily diluting such service to vets while removing a perk (free lifetime medical care) that ought be extended exclusively to vets. And the chances for fraud are at least as great among the civilian population as in the military. But that’s just part of my beef with Obamacare.
But, as lark contends (do see STOLEN VALOR!), there’s already more than enough fraud extant in the whole PTSD chimera to gut VA funding. Yes, the criteria you cite seem fair enough, but the application of that criteria is slipshod, and claims—by the thousands—are exaggerated if not outright fraudulent. And this new ruling, if eventually successful, will only increase the fraud which, to me, is just another drain on the services owed, and owed exclusively, to combat veterans.
Here’s some info for you in case you want to use the VA to help you with your tinnitus.
There is a new VA program to help veterans with tinnitus.
New Treatment Options for Tinnitus Sufferers
http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20110524a.asp
Here’s the VA examination sheet that an audiologist must follow when giving you an Audiology Compensation and Pension exam.
http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/exams/disexm05.pdf
I know a “Vietnam era USAF Veteran” sucking up taxpayer money for “concert related hearing loss”.
No - he was not exposed to loud noises in his duty, but he managed to grab a few tens of thousands of extra dollars in compensation because he was a veteran, and gamed the system.
I also know an Army veteran who broke his back in an action in South America, and it took over twenty years to force the Feds to acknowledge that his disability was service connected. He was homeless for over two decades. His family (and I) paid a lot of money and time, for a private lawyer, just to get the Feds to even agree to consider his case.
So please don't try to blow sunshine up my a..
On this website, we talk about the facts in the real world.
This might help you with a claim for tinnitus or hearing loss, if you decide to do so.
Each branch of the Armed Services has reviewed and endorsed lists of military occupational specialties and the corresponding probability of hazardous noise exposure related to an individual’s occupational specialty. The Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing is below.
Direct service connection may not be granted without medical evidence of a current disability; medical or, in certain circumstances, lay evidence of in-service incurrence oraggravation of a disease or injury; and medical evidence of a nexus between the claimed in-service disease or injury and the present disease or injury. See Caluza v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 498, 506 (1995) aff’d, 78 F.3d 604 (Fed. Cir. 1996).
A Veteran is competent to report symptoms of hearing loss and/or tinnitus as a disability because symptoms of hearing loss and tinnitus are capable of lay observation. SeeCharles v. Principi, 16 Vet. App. 370 (2002); Espiritu v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 492 (1992). Consequently, a Veteran’s testimony regarding hearing loss and/or tinnitus is sufficient to serve as evidence that the disability(ies) currently exists.
Duty MOS Noise Exposure List:
ARMY ENLISTED MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALITIES
All entries were approved by the Service Department,
And all entries in Red were provided by the Service Department
MOS/JOB TITLE/ Highly Probable (HP), Moderate (M), Low (L)
11B INFANTRYMAN – HP
11C INDIRECT FIRE INFANTRYMAN – HP
11Z INFANTRY SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
12B COMBAT ENGINEER – HP
12C BRIDGE CREWMEMBER – M
12D DIVER – L
12G QUARRYING SPECIALIST (RC) – M
12H CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR – HP
12K PLUMBER – M
12M FIREFIGHTER – HP
12N HORIZONTAL CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER – HP
12P PRIME POWER PRODUCTION SPECIALIST – HP
12Q POWER LINE DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST (RC) – HP
12R INTERIOR ELECTRICIAN – L
12T TECHNICAL ENGINEER – M
12V CONCRETE AND ASPHALT EQUIPMENT OPERATOR – HP
12W CARPENTRY AND MASONRY SPECIALIST – HP
12X GENERAL ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR- L
12Y GEOSPATIAL ENGINEER – M
12Z COMBAT ENGINEERING SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
13B CANNON CREWMEMBER – HP
13C TACTICAL AUTOMATED FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALIST – HP
13D FIELD ARTILLERY AUTOMATED TACTICAL DATA SYSTEM SPECIALIST – HP
13E CANNON FIRE DIRECTION SPECIALIST – HP
13F FIRE SUPPORT SPECIALIST – HP
13M MULTIPLE LAUNCH ROCKET SYSTEM (MLRS)/HIGH MOBILITY ARTILLERY
ROCKET SYSTEM (HIMARS) CREWMEMBER- HP
13P MULTIPLE LAUNCH ROCKET SYSTEM (MLRS) OPERATIONAL FIRE
DIRECTION SPECIALIST - HP
13R FIELD ARTILLERY FIREFINDER RADAR OPERATOR - HP
13S FIELD ARTILLERY SURVEYOR (conversion to 13T 1 Oct 10) – M
13T FIELD ARTILLERY SURVEYOR/METEOROLOGICAL CREWMEMBER – M
13W FIELD ARTILLERY METEOROLOGICAL CREWMEMBER (conversion to 13T 1
Oct 10) – M
13Z FIELD ARTILLERY SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
14E PATRIOT FIRE CONTROL ENHANCED OPERATOR/MAINTAINER - HP
14J AIR DEFENSE COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS, AND
INTELLIGENCE TACTICAL OPERATIONS CENTER ENHANCED OPERATOR/
MAINTAINER – HP
14M MAN PORTABLE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM CREWMEMBER (RC) – HP
14S AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE (AMD) CREWMEMBER – HP
14T PATRIOT LAUNCHING STATION ENHANCED OPERATOR/MAINTAINER – HP
14Z AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
15B AIRCRAFT POWERPLANT REPAIRER – HP
15D AIRCRAFT POWERTRAIN REPAIRER – HP
15F AIRCRAFT ELECTRICIAN – HP
15G AIRCRAFT STRUCTURAL REPAIRER – HP
15H AIRCRAFT PNEUDRAULICS REPAIRER – HP
15J OH-58D/ARH ARMAMENT/ELECTRICAL/AVIONICS SYSTEMS REPAIRER – HP
15K AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS REPAIR SUPERVISOR – HP
15M UH-1 HELICOPTER REPAIRER (RC) – HP
15N AVIONICS MECHANIC – HP
15P AVIATION OPERATIONS SPECIALIST – HP
15Q AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OPERATOR – HP
15R AH-64 ATACK HELICOPTER REPAIRER – HP
15S OH-58D/ARH HELICOPTER REPAIRER – HP
15T UH-60 HELICOPTER REPAIRER – HP
15U CH-47 HELICOPTER REPAIRER – HP
15V OBSERVATION/SCOUT HELICOPTER REPAIRER (RC) – HP
15W UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE OPERATOR – M
15X AH-64A ARMAMENT/ELECTRICAL/AVIONICS SYSTEMS REPAIRER – HP
15Y AH-64D ARMAMENT/ELECTRICAL/AVIONICS SYSTEMS REPAIRER – HP
15Z AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
18B SPECIAL FORCES WEAPONS SERGEANT – HP
18C SPECIAL FORCES ENGINEER SERGEANT – HP
18D SPECIAL FORCES MEDICAL SERGEANT – HP
18E SPECIAL FORCES COMMUNICATIONS SERGEANT – HP
18F SPECIAL FORCES ASSISTANT OPERATIONS & INTELLIGENCE SERGEANT –
HP
18Z SPECIAL FORCES SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
19D CAVALRY SCOUT – HP
19K M1 ARMOR CREWMAN – HP
19Z ARMOR SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
21B COMBAT ENGINEER (conversion to 12B 1 Oct 10) – HP
21C BRIDGE CREWMEMBER (conversion to 12C 1 Oct 10) – HP
21D DIVER (conversion to 12D 1 Oct 10) – M
21E CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT OPERATOR (conversion to 12N 1 Oct 10) – HP
21G QUARRYING SPECIALIST (RC) (conversion to 12G 1 Oct 10) – HP
21H CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR (conversion to 12H 1 Oct 10) –
HP
21K PLUMBER (conversion to 12K 1 Oct 10) – M
21M FIREFIGHTER (conversion to 12M 1 Oct 10) – HP
21N HORIZONTAL CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER (converstion to 12N 1 Oct 10) – HP
21P PRIME POWER PRODUCTION SPECIALIST (conversion to 12P 1 Oct 10) – HP
21Q POWER LINE DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST (RC) (conversion to 12Q 1 Oct 10) –
HP
21R INTERIOR ELECTRICIAN (conversion to 12R 1 Oct 10) – L
21T TECHNICAL ENGINEER (conversion to 12T 1 Oct 10) – M
21V CONCRETE & ASPHALT EQUIPMENT OPERATOR (conversion to 12V 1 Oct 10)
– HP
21W CARPENTRY & MASONRY SPECIALIST (conversion to 12W 1 Oct 10) - HP
21X GENERAL ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR (conversion to 12X 1 Oct 10) – M
21Y GEOSPATIAL ENGINEER (conversion to 12Y 1 Oct 10) – L
21Z COMBAT ENGINEERING SENIOR SERGEANT (conversion to 12Z 1 Oct 10) – HP
25B INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST – L
25C RADIO OPERATOR-MAINTAINER – M
25E ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM MANAGER – L
25F NETWORK SWITCHING SYSTEMS OPERATOR-MAINTAINER – L
25L CABLE SYSTEMS INSTALLER-MAINTAINER – M
25M MULTIMEDIA ILLUSTRATOR – L
25N NODAL NETWORK SYSTEMS OPERATOR-MAINTAINER – L
25P MICROWAVE SYSTEMS OPERATOR-MAINTAINER – L
25Q MULTICHANNEL TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS OPERATOR-MAINTAINER –M
25R VISUAL INFORMATION EQUIPMENT OPERATOR-MAINTAINER – L
25S SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS OPERATOR-MAINTAINER – M
25T SATELLITE/MICROWAVE SYSTEMS CHIEF – L
25U SIGNAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS SPECIALIST – L
25V COMBAT DOCUMENTATION/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST – L
25W TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATIONS CHIEF – M
25X SENIOR SIGNAL SERGEANT – L
25Z VISUAL INFORMATION OPERATIONS CHIEF – L
27D PARALEGAL SPECIALIST – L
29E ELECTRONIC WARFARE SPECIALIST – L
31B MILITARY POLICE – M
31D CID SPECIAL AGENT – M
31E INTERNMENT/RESETTLEMENT SPECIALIST – L
35F INTELLIGENCE ANALYST – L
35G IMAGERY ANALYST – L
35H COMMON GROUND STATION (CGS) ANALYST – L
35L COUNTER INTELLIGENCE AGENT – L
35M HUMAN INTELLIGENCE COLLECTOR – M
35N SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE ANALYST – L
35P CRYPTOLOGIC LINGUIST – L
35S SIGNALS COLLECTOR/ANALYST – M
35T MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS MAINTAINER/INTEGRATOR – L
35X INTELLIGENCE SENIOR SERGEANT/CHIEF INTELLIGENCE SERGEANT – L
35Y CHIEF COUNTER INTELLIGENCE/HUMAN INTELLIGENCE SERGEANT – L
35Z SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE (ELECTRONIC WARFARE) / SENIOR SERGEANT /
CHIEF – M
36B FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TECHNICIAN – L
37F PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS SPECIALIST – L
38B CIVIL AFFAIRS SPECIALIST – L
42A HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST – L
42F HUMAN RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST –
(Note from FB: no Noise Listing)
42R ARMY BANDPERSON – HP
42S SPECIAL BAND MEMBER – HP
43F HUMAN RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT SPEC – L
46Q PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST – L
46R PUBLIC AFFAIRS BROADCAST SPECIALIST – M
46Z CHIEF PUBLIC AFFAIRS NCO – L
51C AQUISITION, LOGISTICS & TECHNOLOGY (AL &t) CONTRACTING NCO – L
56M CHAPLAIN ASSISTANT – L
68A BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST – L
68D OPERATING ROOM SPECIALIST – L
68E DENTAL SPECIALIST – M
68G PATIENT ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST – L
68H OPTICAL LABORATORY SPECIALIST – L
68J MEDICAL LOGISTICS SPECIALIST – L
68K MEDICAL LABORATORY SPECIALIST – L
68M NUTRITION CARE SPECIALIST – L
68P RADIOLOGY SPECIALIST – L
68Q PHARMACY SPECIALIST – L
68R VETERINARY FOOD INSPECTION SPECIALIST – L
68S PREVENTIVE MEDICINE SPECIALIST – L
68T ANIMAL CARE SPECIALIST – L
68V RESPIRATORY SPECIALIST – L
68W HEALTH CARE SPECIALIST – L
68X BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SPECIALIST – L
68Z CHIEF MEDICAL NCO – L
74D CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLER (CBRN) SPECIALIST
– M
79R RECRUITER NCO - L
79S CAREER COUNSELOR – L
79T RECRUITING & RETENTION NCO (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD OF THE UNITED
STATES) – L
79V RETENTION & TRANSITION NCO, USAR – L
88H CARGO SPECIALIST – M
88K WATERCRAFT OPERATOR – M
88L WATERCRAFT ENGINEER – M
88M MOTOR TRANSPORT OPERATOR – M
88N TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR – L
88P RAILWAY EQUIPMENT REPAIRER (RC) – HP
88T RAILWAY SECTION REPAIRER (RC) – HP
88U RAILWAY OPERATIONS CREWMEMBER (RC) – HP
88Z TRANSPORTATION SENIOR SERGEANT – HP
89A AMMUNITION STOCK CONTROL & ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST – L
89B AMMUNITION SPECIALIST – L
89D EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL SPECIALIST – HP
91A M1 ABRAHMS TANK SYSTEM MAINTAINER (FORMERLY 63A) – HP
91B WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC (FORMERLY 63B) – HP
91C UTILITIES EQUIPMENT REPAIRER (FORMERLY 52C) – HP
91D POWER-GENERATION EQUIPMENT REPAIRER (FORMERLY 52D) – HP
91E ALLIED TRADES SPECIALIST (FORMERLY 44E) – HP
91F SMALL ARMS/ARTILLERY REPAIRER (FORMERLY 45B) – M
91G FIRE CONTROL REPAIRER (FORMERLY 45G) – HP
91H TRACK VEHICLE REPAIRER (FORMERLY 63H) – HP
91J QUARTERMASTER & CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT REPAIRER (FORMERLY 63J) –
M
91K ARMAMENT REPAIRER (FORMERLY 45K) – M
91L CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT REPAIRER (FORMERLY 62B) – HP
91M BRADLEY FIGHTING VEHICLE SYSTEM MAINTAINER (FORMERLY 63M) – HP
91P ARTILLERY MECHANIC (FORMERLY 63D) – HP
91W METAL WORKER (FORMERLY 44B) – HP
91X MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR (FORMERLY 63X) – HP
91Z MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR (FORMERLY 63Z) – HP
92A AUTOMATED LOGISTICAL SPECIALIST – L
92F PETROLEUM SUPPLY SPECIALIST – L
92G FOOD SERVICE SPECIALIST (FORMERLY 94B) – L
92L PETROLEUM LABORATORY SPECIALIST – L
92M MORTUARY AFFAIRS SPECIALIST – L
92R PARACHUTE RIGGER – L
92S SHOWER/LAUNDRY & CLOTHING REPAIR SPECIALIST – L
92W WATER TREATMENT SPECIALIST – M
92Y UNIT SUPPLY SPECIALIST – L
92Z SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED LOGISTICIAN – L
94A LAND COMBAT ELECTRONIC MISSILE SYSTEM REPAIRER – M
94D AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL EQUIPMENT REPAIRER – L
94E RADIO & COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY (COMSEC) REPAIRER – M
94F COMPUTER DETECTION SYSTEMS REPAIRER – L
94H TEST, MEASUREMENT & DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT (TMDE) MAINTENANCE
SUPPORT SPECIALIST – L
94K APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTER SYSTEMS REPAIRER – HP
94L AVIONICS COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT REPAIRER – HP
94M RADAR REPAIRER – M
94P MULTIPLE LAUNCH ROCKET SYSTEM REPAIRER – M
94R AVIONICS & SURVIVABILITY EQUIPMENT REPAIRER – M
94S PATRIOT SYSTEM REPAIRER – HP
94T AVENGER SYSTEM REPAIRER – HP
94W ELECTRONIC MAINTENANCE CHIEF – HP
94X SENIOR MISSILE SYSTEMS MAINTAINER – HP
94Y INTEGRATED FAMILY OF TEST EQUIPMENT (IFTE) OPERATOR &
MAINTAINER - M
94Z SENIOR ELECTRONIC MAINTENANCE CHIEF – HP
Here’s a VA OIG investigation into problematic PTSD claims. There investigation focused on the claims that could have saved the VA money if done correctly by ratings claim personnel. Unfortunately, they did not focus on legitimate PTSD claims that should have been awarded to veterans.
From the VA Office of Inspector General:
Systemic Issues Reported During Inspections at
VA Regional Offices
http://www.va.gov/oig/52/reports/2011/VAOIG-11-00510-167.pdf
Of the 16 VAROs inspected, 8 (50 percent) did not follow VBA policy when processing PTSD claims. Service connection for PTSD requires credible evidence that a claimed in-service stressful event occurred, medical evidence diagnosing the condition, and a nexus (established by medical evidence)
linking current symptoms and the in-service stressful event.
We projected VARO staff did not correctly process about 1,350 (8 percent) of approximately 16,000 PTSD claims completed from April 2009 through July 2010. This generally occurred because VARO staff lacked sufficient experience and training to process these claims accurately. Additionally,
some VAROs were not conducting monthly quality assurance reviews. For these reasons, veterans did not always receive accurate benefits. The figure below provides projected error rates by the types of PTSD errors identified.
For example, we projected that of the PTSD claims incorrectly processed, about 38 percent involved improper verification of a related in-service stressful event. Stressor verification errors occurred when staff did not
obtain sufficient evidence that the alleged stressful events actually occurred. Further, inaccuracies related to incorrect effective dates occurred because RVSRs used the wrong dates to establish benefits, often resulting in inaccurate payments to veterans.
Following are descriptions of the remaining three types of PTSD errors.
Incorrect evaluations: Assigning incorrect evaluations for veterans’ mental status inconsistent with evidence in medical examination reports.
Lack of nexus: Improperly granting service connection for PTSD without a medical opinion linking a current diagnosis of PTSD to a claimed, in-service stressful event.
Additional benefits not considered: Not considering entitlements, such as Dependents’ Educational Assistance.
Effective July 13, 2010, VA amended its rule for processing PTSD disability compensation claims. The new rule allows VARO staff to rely on a veteran’s lay testimony alone to establish a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, provided the claimed stressor is consistent with the circumstances of service. Prior to the rule change, we identified a 13 percent error rate associated with PTSD claims processing. From the date
of the rule change until September 2010, however, we identified a 5 percent error rate. Because of this noticeable improvement in PTSD claims processing, we made no recommendations for corrective actions in this area.
We may modify our review of PTSD claims in future inspections until VAROs have sufficient time to implement fully the amended rule.
If this guy served in the military in any branch that required frequent trips to the range he most likely really suffered his hearing loss from his service to the country, whether or not he ever saw combat. THAT, in case you are as stupid as you sound, is my point. I never saw a day of combat, at least not any that could be claimed as such, but I suffered severe hearing loss from tank firing exercises not to mention machine gun and M3 grease gun firing ranges.
Most likely so did the guy you are talking about suffer losses from non combat related loud noises. He**, an aircraft mechanic is at extreme risk for hearing loss and never spends a day in combat.
Take your phony stories and your non sympathy for the vets who have suffered PTSD and keep them to your self.
We get enough lies from our politicians we don't need from FReepers also.
Golly. I wonder how my uncles (one at D-Day, another was blown off a ship and picked up in the North Atlantic 2 days later with no memory of what happened or how he lived 2 days in the NA) or my Dad (WW2, Korea, Vietnam - killed there) survived and lived productive lives.
They went through worse than the Iraq/Afghan vets - and my son in law did 2 tours in Fallujah with the USMC, so I”m not just blowing smoke.
Sorry, but PTSD is largely a scam. Not so in WW2 & Korea, but the scale of horror in Iraq & Afghanistan isn’t even close to those.
“paying these guys a handsome indemnity”
Handsome?
Handsome?
Are you laboring under the delusion that a disabled vet gets as much as 5% of what a congresscritter gets?
http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp01.htm
“paying these guys a handsome indemnity”
Handsome?
Handsome?
Are you laboring under the delusion that a disabled vet gets as much as 5% of what a congresscritter gets?
http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp01.htm
BTW - my son in law, to his credit, has fought to NOT be diagnosed with PTSD, and he saw far worse than most who did time in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“Most of the vets are deserving, but disability is one area that is rife with fraud.”
Really? I’d like to see some evidence of that.
First claims are refused as a matter of routine, then appeals sit in Washington for years.
I disagree with your opinion.
PTSD is a legitimate DSM-IV diagnosis.
Apart from the psychological effects of the mental illness that can be observed, there are also physiological effects that can be measured to help indicate PTSD, such as measuring the startle reflex to loud noises, excessive perspiration, and increased breathing (Think Fight/Flight Reflex).
There are many other measures that a therapist can use to help evaluate PTSD in a veteran, such as these:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/assessments/all_measures.asp
Of concern to PTSD therapists is the fact that many nay-sayers place obstacles in the paths of veterans who need mental health treatment for PTSD.
“A recent literature review by Vogt (2011) not exclusively focused on OEF/OIF Veterans or PTSD suggests that both concerns about public stigma and personal beliefs about mental illness may be important barriers to service use. However, Vogt points out that we understand too little about treatment-related beliefs among Veterans and that developing this area could help us design interventions to promote engagement in effective treatments.”
Health Services Use in the Department of Veterans Affairs among Returning Iraq War and Afghan War Veterans with PTSD:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/newsletters/research-quarterly/v22n2.pdf
Doctors have incentive to diagnose PTSD, and the VA has incentive to expand the roles. And if you pay disability for it, then vets have incentive to claim it.
No one has incentive to reject PTSD claims, unless it is pride.
My Dad had nightmares for years, and never told anyone what they were about. Heck, it wasn’t until years after his death that my MOM told us he had them at all - but he was a very successful officer, husband and father.
My Uncle John had 3 ships sunk out from under him, and did the 2 days in the North Atlantic with no clue how he survived - he also was a successful father and businessman.
And yes, I’ve met vets of Iraq & Afghanistan (BTW, I flew combat over Iraq and did a ground tour in Afghanistan) who discussed how to maximize their benefits. SOME people in Iraq and Afghanistan truly went through very traumatic experiences, but not all that many. My son in law, like my Dad, has some things he refuses to talk about, but he also refuses to ‘try’ for PTSD.
You are an idiot.
Of course I know how hard it is for a disabled veteran to get paid for a military service disability. As I stated in my previous post, it took “us” over twenty years to get it done.
OTOH, I also offered up an anectdotal example of a veteran I know personally, who lied and cheated his way into a disability designation he did not deserve.
Odd that you don't question that our family needed to prove at an almost insane level of effort, an actually medically documented combat service related disability, but you accept unsubstantiated “claims” of peacetime hearing loss.
How much are you, or a close family member, getting paid each month for (a) “disability”?
Yes I SAID it right out loud.
I know some....one guy got this full retirement because he developed diabetes during this career...another had back problems.( he worked on jet engines)..another was in rotc and develeped some problem, but he had his entire college paid for....
we talk about changing our entitlement attitudes and saving the country, its no different for the military...
what if our fathers in WW2 got full retirement after their service?..certainly they saw horrible things....
I still say you are full of sh** on your story. You tell one story where a guy is supposed to be drawing disability for hearing loss and then turn right around and tell how hard it was for another vet who suffered a physical disability to actually get paid for his injuries. So, which is it? Vets can rip the government off with phony claims or Vets can’t get the payments they deserve? You can’t have it both ways. In fact your conflicting stories tell me that you did indeed lie about the hearing loss claim.
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