Posted on 05/13/2019 7:17:58 AM PDT by Kaslin
It’s been a rough six weeks. In a short span of time, I fired my literary agent, shattered my wrist ice skating at 20 mph (laugh it up, fuzzball, to quote the great Han Solo; I even played hockey and skate very well), finally lost my CAA agent after our producer for our movie deal took a job last fall with Sylvester Stallone, and had my lung damage issue flare up to delay my wrist surgery. My life was a really bad country song. Fortunately, my dog still loved me, and the surgery, when I finally had it, was a success 9 screws and a titanium plate later (if you saw the pictures on my twitter account). But don’t feel badly for me. Not. For. A. Second. This is just life. There are a lot of people who have it way worse, no matter how bad things may get. As a former Marine, there is only one way to live when times get hard – take the hits and keep moving forward. The alternative is to lie down and quit, and that’s something I’ll never do. But then in the midst of all of these stressors and chaos, the craziest thing happened – the VA informed me that they were finally covering the permanent lung damage I sustained in Fallujah, Iraq, from 2006 to 2007, about which I have written in two previous Townhall columns here. And it’s why this Broken Promises series now comes to an end, and why this column could be the most important thing I write with one objective in mind – to help other veterans.
A few months ago after Broken Promises Parts I & II were published, I received a call from a senior person at one of the regional claim centers. I’d thought it was because of the column (at least my ego thought it was, laughably – “I’m Matt Betley! Hear me roar!”) and the way that I’d lambasted the VA for mishandling my claim that I’d initiated in February 2018. Ironically, he hadn’t even heard about them. He’d just been told to call me after I insisted on speaking with a person after receiving my denial in writing. He was sincere, honest, and genuinely wanted to help. As a senior person in a position of authority, he wanted to ensure that 1) I knew exactly why the claim had been denied; and 2) that they’d received everything regarding my lung damage in originally considering the claim. A few days later, I had a lengthy conversation with him and an experienced VA claims adjuster, and I learned the following, which is what I hope all veterans take away from this piece.
The VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities is the result of a code written originally in 1945 after World War II. Stop and think about that one for a second. I don’t get surprised by much these days, but this one floored me for all of the obvious reasons it’s probably making your jaw drop as you read this. There has been an effort underway to revise this code, but it began in 2009 and hasn’t been completed. Additionally, several politicians like Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D), Senator Ben Cardin (D), Rep. Brian Mast (R), and others have proposed legislation that “requires the military to track and accurately report every service members’ exposure to burn pits as a necessary first step toward getting the treatment and care they need and deserve.” But even that Burn Pits Accountability Act hasn’t been passed. Blame the speed of bureaucracy. The part that governs my lung damage as a result of exposure to Burn Pits or other Airborne Hazards in Iraq is still from 1945 in the catch-all category that includes everything from exercise-induced asthma to chronic bronchitis.
Once my mind processed the absurdity of a code written in 1945 to determine modern warfare disabilities, I was informed that the following items are the most important criteria for assessing lung-related illnesses:
The next step was to gather the medical records for the dozens of doctor’s visits that I’d had in just the past three years and send them to him and the adjuster to make sure they had the full picture. It was at this point that I had the first glimmer of hope, since I already knew that I met every single criteria outlined above. I followed instructions like a good Marine and sent them everything they wanted, although to be honest, I’d sent a – but not all – of it before. Sure enough, a week or so later, I received an email stating that my lung damage in the form of chronic bronchitis and reactive airway disease was to be included in my disability rating. The official paperwork followed soon thereafter.
I had won, but it didn’t feel like a win. In fact, for reasons that hard to explain, although I’ll try, I felt sad because while I had triumphed in the paper chase, countless others never would. I’d just had the perseverance to fight my way through a byzantine and merciless process, refusing to yield in the face of constant rejections, negative information, and misleading statements. I thought about all of the other veterans out there, the 170k that signed up for the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, and I wondered if they’d have the dogged determination to figuratively fight City Hall. It’s a fight that I and any other veteran should never have to make, but the reality is that someone has to speak up and force the system to change, to make it easier for these types of disabilities to be diagnosed and included. I’m just one person, and these columns are my small attempt to force change. I just hope that by writing them that I’ve helped at least one veteran out there overcome the bureaucracy that weighs down the VA.
If you suffer from any lung-related illness connected to your service, my advice is simple: gather all of your records, contact the VA, follow the criteria and guidelines described in this column, get in the right mindset, prepare yourself, and start the process. It will be frustrating, it will test your patience, but in the end, it will be worth it. As hard as I’ve been on the VA, it is full of good people who want to do the right thing, who want to help veterans. It’s the system that ties their hands as much as it hinders veterans’ efforts. But once you learn how to navigate the process, you can force the VA to do the right thing, and ultimately, it will, because in the end, taking care of veterans who sacrificed for this great nation is all that matters.
Matthew Betley is a former Marine officer, a recovering alcoholic, and a political action thriller author of multiple novels from Simon & Schuster. His latest action-packed, intense roller coaster ride, RULES OF WAR, which is timely and occurs in the middle of the Venezuelan crisis (their healthcare makes the VA system look like the greatest coverage and most efficient organization in the history of the universe), comes out 16 July 2019. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewBetley or find him on Facebook.
Back in the 80s I sold electrical supplies on a VA construction job. The specifications were written in the 40s. It wasn’t easy convincing an old engineer that half the stuff he specified hadn’t been made in decades.
My Disabled Vet daughter was told to show up at 6:30 AM on December 24th and be ready to stay until 7PM that evening.
She did. And, they never called her.
An advisor told her, always keep your own copy of your medical records because the VA will lose them (on purpose?)
She did. They lost her records twice.
It all depends on who handles your case.
There has been an influx of people into the VBA (Veterans Benefits Association) who have a big chip on their shoulder about male Veterans. It needs to stop. Male Veterans served their country. They didn’t hold anyone down or break their heart. They need to keep their personal history and feelings out of the job.
I’m pretty convinced that during the Obama years, the word went out to keep the VA Disability payments down. Politics affecting disabilities? Baloney.
They need to relook the Magical Disability Book. It is outdated. You know why? To give them an excuse to not find disabilities. Update it.
You can’t have more than one problem with a “system”?
Baloney.
Tell that to a Doctor and see what they say. Of course you can have more than one problem with a “system”. It’s just another excuse to deny claims. There’s no science behind it.
Get rid of the Magic Disability Percentage Calculator.
It is an insult to every Veteran.
The medical people and the Magic Disability Book say that something is 40% disabling, butthey run it through the Magical Disability Percentage Calculator and it comes out as 4%?
Baloney.
It’s a blatant lie and nothing more than an administrative trick to deny benefits to Veterans.
It needs to go away.
Now.
VA Disability is NOT the same as Social Security Disability.
Not by a long shot.
Social Security Disability is for people who can no longer work.
VA Disability is for damage done by the government to the Veteran while the Veteran served the country.
Big difference.
Most of the medical people at the VA are OK.
They need to take a fire hose to the VBA and clean that mess out.
I have to walk through a metal detector to go to the VBA office.
There is an armed guard that I have to check in with.
They won’t let me talk to the person handling my case.
You can’t call that person.
They keep you as far away as possible and then, make sure that you know that you can be arrested or killed if you complain in their office.
I end up wondering why Trump doesn’t get people into the VA that, like him, have the will to fix it. He needs to find a pit bull, and appoint him VA Administrator with the charge to really get busy and fix it. That guy General $hitstiki (Shinseiki) was a disgrace, but it would appear that those who have followed him are no better.
Trump has not had a stellar performance in most of his appointments! Shining examples are Sessions, Tillerson, and Mad Dog, who have all been finally replaced. Don’t get me stared on Wray, that feckless little turd who is FBI Director.
I don’t expect the VA to kiss my behind, but I do expect them to treat me fairly and with respect.
Nobody is going to get rich off of VA Disability. The max is around a couple of thousand bucks a month, I think.
They could probably fire everyone at the VBA and automatically give 100% Disability to every Veteran in the system, and they’d be money ahead.
Are there Veterans who game the system? There sure are.
Does the VA game the system?
They sure do.
They assume that every Veteran is trying to pull a fast one.
Where else can a government agency get away with that kind of thinking?
So, if one provides the VA all of the proper documentation at the onset, there is no issue.
I know with my claims they were all approved within 90 days. One of them within 30 days.
Just do your homework.
I just spent 30 minutes at the local VA clinic on Eckhert Road in San Antonio. I had to go there after they sent me a, “We’ve tried to contact you on all the phone numbers, call within 10 days or we’re closing your claim” letter. Which is crap, my numbers haven’t changed in 20 years - not home, not cell, not office - and every number has voicemail. I call BOTH of the numbers on the letter - one goes to the basic phone tree which doesn’t include the Compensation and Pensions section, which is who wrote the letter. The other one says, “This number can’t provide a message. Please hold for next available representative.” I hold for 20 minutes, then get in my car and drive the 3 miles to the clinic, while still on hold. I get there, 38 minutes into my hold time, and the first three people don’t give a rat’s ass why I’m there and send me to somebody else. I finally get an appointment scheduled, but they won’t tell me what records to bring (I’ve already provided all of them) till I get to the third office, where the ONLY useful and friendly guy tells me what I need to know.
I did not go all A$$hole Colonel on anybody but was tempted. What about that one-term A1C who’s been out for 8 years and just wants to get the medical treatment to which he’s entitled? Too many would just give up. Oorah to you for pressing on!
Colonel, USAF (Ret)
On the advise of a VA clinic nurse,I went through the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) to file instead of the VA. They’re a fantastic organization.
DAV is the way to go.
Every time.
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