[Ray Newman]

I enlisted in 1964 and in March 1968, the VA rated me 100% service-connected as a result of bilateral above the knee amputations. As a result, I have been a recipient of VA Vocational Rehabilitation training, medical, and prosthetic services since then. Additionally, from 1975-77, I worked as an adjudicator in the San Francisco VA Regional beforeI found a different job with another agency. So I guess you could say that I have some experience with the VA.

I cannot really complain about the services that I receive. Over the last 20-25 years, the VA has made tremendous improvement in the quality ofthe care at all levels. Also the calibre of the VA employees has risen. They are still some of the bad apples or those that have an attitude, but they are found everywhere. The VA is not unique in this regard. And I will add some of the worse care I received was in a "civilian" hospital when I had a heart attack.

Best move a veteran can make when applying for VA services is to have one of the veteran’s service organizations act as power of attorney on behalf of the veteran. I was given this advice by a WW II vet when the USMC retired me. As a result, my claims proceeded smoothly. Maybe not as fast as I wanted, but my original 1968 claim was processed in less than 5 month and that included "pay back" of military retired pay. The service organizations are trained to “oversee” and review the claim. And a claim is very difficult to substantiate without service department records showing honorable service, any injuries, etc. Had a friend who went through that. Out of the clear blue sky, he claimed a head injury; however, he said his service and medical records were silent on this injury and those he served with did not recall him being injured. He claimed the VA screwed him.

Now the above is not to say that the VA does not make mistakes. People can and do make mistakes. Plus, there are times information cannot befound in the veteran’s service records and it will take requests to military archives, medical centers, hospitals, etc., to find them. Some information requests are successful; some not.

Besides keeping all service records in a safe place, the veteran also needs to keep all of his VA information as well. Knew a now-deceased vet who went to college under the vocational rehabilitation program: went to college, married, and had two children. He came to work for the same agency and one day myself, another vet, and he talked about the VA over some adult beverages. During the course of our talks, dependent allotments came up. Long story short was that he never received any dependent allotment for his wife and two children because he never applied! He admitted that after received his first compensation check and GI Bill training check, he pretty much discarded what the VA sent him. He probably lost over $5000.00 by not reading and keeping what the VA sent him.

I hear a number of vets claim that the VA screws up their compensation check because their disabilities total over 100%, but the VA is only payingthem 100% . VA is prohibited by law from paying more than 100%, but will included additional compensation based upon the nature and severity of any additionaldisabilities if warranted.

I never heard of the 90 day requirement or time period to file a VA claim. I think that originated from the services departments telling the veteran to file a claim for any benefits within 90 days of discharge or retirement as the records are more often than not more easily obtained or found within before too much time expires. I know USMC told me -- verbally and in writing -- to file within 90 days when I received my retirement orders and packet.

 

[Marlin .45 carbine]

I've been blessed enough to have met some of the best folk that can be found at 3 different VA hospitals - on other hand I've met a few real bu&#holes that I wouldn't pi*# on if their arse was on fire.

 

[Owen49]

Most emphatically, NO, I do not trust the V.A. I thank God I really haven't needed them as yet. I'll use the V.A. as a last resort.

 

[Two Bears]

From my own personal experience; NO!

 

[Burning Petard]

It has been a while since anyone posted here. I served 3yr 5mo 1day active duty as an Army volunteer enlistee in a time where nobody was officially shooting at us. My son served in the Navy and retired as a Lt Cmdr after 20 years, most of it in subs.
My son had continual pain in his neck and shoulder that was service related. He said he would only go to the VA hospital if the ambulance picked him up bleeding on the kitchen floor and he was unconscious so he could not object. My wife made many small lap-robe sized quilts which she donated to the local VA hospital. My son killed himself 14 Aug 19 . It was definitely PTSD related.

I thought the previous CinC was a totally stupid con-man. I am a knee-jerk liberal and a yellow dog democrat. Tonight I find the Senate has approved Denis McDonough as Sec of Vet Affairs. He has good academic background, lots of good experience in various Government activities. He has not worn a military uniform for one single day. That just is not right.

 

[CtYankee]

From what I've heard VA Hospitals are variable, some good, some not so good, some are nightmares. I live in Connecticut (as my name demonstrates) about a half hour from the West Haven VA Hospital. That hospital is clean, well organized and staffed by Students from Yale Medical School doing their Residency. I've talked with a number of vets who travel to CT when they need anything important done.

 

[Cowboy23*]

Several of my friends are Vietnam veterans. They really got treated like 2nd class citizens when they tried to get benefits from the VA. It took me 3 months to get help to verify my dads service when he died so that I could get him buried into the Vet cemetery because I could not find his original discharge papers. They said their was no record of his service even though I showed them pay stubs out of San Fran from the Marine Corps and orders he had saved for deployment. He was Marine Corps during the Korean War era.
I get angry when I hear of all the free benefits the Dems want to give away to illegal immigrants and yet they treat veterans like 2nd class citizens.

 

[rwt]

Ray Newman's post above is well constructed and written. I'm a 100% service connected disabled Vietnam vet.I used the VFW service officers as my resource for filing claims I use the local VA hospital for some things I believe they are good at and private doctors for all else. Most of the specialists come from a near by and well regarded medical center. The VA has a contract with them for services the VA doesn't want to provide. Some of my Vietnam brothers use the VA for 100% of their care. They rave about some services, complain about others. That could be said about a lot of community hospitals.

 

[Golphin]

The VA in Gainesville Florida was great to my dad and my father in law. They have also been good helping my brother in law a Vietnam veteran. When my father in law was going through hos cancer the doctors and the hospital were great. Shands Teaching Hospital is next door and the two hospitals work closely together as do the doctors. I am sure having the Medical school and Shands next door helps them over the ones that don't have the extra resources and doctors.

 

[Burning Petard]

The VA in Gainesville Florida was great to my dad and my father in law. They have also been good helping my brother in law a Vietnam veteran. When my father in law was going through hos cancer the doctors and the hospital were great. Shands Teaching Hospital is next door and the two hospitals work closely together as do the doctors. I am sure having the Medical school and Shands next door helps them over the ones that don't have the extra resources and doctors.

I completely understand Cowboy. As a kid I rode the public service bus around Kansas City alot. One regular route went right by the federal military records archive building. it was build right out to the sidewalk and the main entrance was down the steps into a doorway below ground level. I read in the KC Star that they had a fire and all the veterans records from WWII were destroyed. Later in life I read there was a fire in a similar facility in St Lois MO and records from Viet Nam were destroyed. This indicates to me those records seem to have a low level of institutional importance.
However, my little brother is a Viet Nam vet and currently waiting for admission to a VA facility in Kansas City--increasing Alzheimers. His wife tells me the VA there has been very helpful and completely understanding. It seems to be a crap shot as to just what you can get from the VA.

 

[Burning Petard]

I completely understand Cowboy. As a kid I rode the public service bus around Kansas City alot. One regular route went right by the federal military records archive building. it was build right out to the sidewalk and the main entrance was down the steps into a doorway below ground level. I read in the KC Star that they had a fire and all the veterans records from WWII were destroyed. Later in life I read there was a fire in a similar facility in St Lois MO and records from Viet Nam were destroyed. This indicates to me those records seem to have a low level of institutional importance.
However, my little brother is a Viet Nam vet and currently waiting for admission to a VA facility in Kansas City--increasing Alzheimers. His wife tells me the VA there has been very helpful and completely understanding. It seems to be a crap shot as to just what you can get from the VA.

And all you vets get several OFFICIAL certified copies of your DD213 and pass them around to family members. That would get past any paperwork hang up with the VA at your death. If you need it, your local federal congress critter should be able to grease the skids to get that paperwork.

 

[Cowboy23*]

And all you vets get several OFFICIAL certified copies of your DD213 and pass them around to family members. That would get past any paperwork hang up with the VA at your death. If you need it, your local federal congress critter should be able to grease the skids to get that paperwork.

If my dad had done that it would have been much easier. BTW---The local Congress critter just referred me to the local VA guy and told him to expedite. Also, The mortuary was kind enough to hold his ashes until we could get this sorted out. Could not bury him for 3 months until this got sorted out. But, on the bright side the Marine Corp Honor guard did a fabulous job with their ceremony when I finally did the burial service.

 

[Kid Sopris]

The VA ….Warning or Disclaimer clause…..I have fought the VA tooth and nail. Bureaucratic paperwork is nauseous at best. As Vietnam Era Vet I was promised the world at enlistment. Afterward discharge was a shambles. I fought them from 1967-til 2019. Finally after engaging the services of an American Legion advocate and a mountain of additional paperwork it took 40 months to get it all squared away. Understand the reason the VA fights back is because they have to compensate you back to the original filing date. Now I get my benefits, compensation and I’m never short of reminding them who is in charge of my health care… ME…..Not them…..trust never…I even question how much I rely on their services. But once in, depending on facility and location some get treated better than others. Boise is probably at the top of the list. Never give up, damn the torpedoes full steam ahead. But don’t turn your back !

 

[Burning Petard]

The VA, the military recruiter may not have been lying. This is the federal government, marched through the Pentagon, that we are talking about. These places talk to you with their own agenda. They take lessons from used car salesmen.
They reflect the law as they know it. Their knowledge of the procedures may not be perfect or up-to-date. Because it is all under the control of Congress and the C-in-C. That changes frequently and what is absolute truth today can be complexity changed tomorrow. Look how long it took to change the agent orange rules for Navy vets. Now 'burn pit' is under the same cloud of potential change. One good data point is the CinC's son who served honorably in the sandbox and died of brain cancer. That certainly shades the instructions from the Whitehouse.

 

[leverbros]

VA has done right by me for several years now. I'm a vet from the mid 60's era and just recently signed up with them about 5 years ago.

Whenever they don't have a provider to take care of my medical needs, they'll send me out to a non VA facility.

Most all of my medical needs are paid at 100% by them. Very seldom is there a copay and yes, I realize that what they pay is based on your income. Still have no complaints. Wait times for in house dr. visits are way less than civilian ones.