gdp's Comments

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Tue, 24 May 2011 22:41:13 +0000

From the VA Nehmer workflow: RVSR prepares rating to address:  Live vs. death issues  New AO presumptions  Any deficiency for other AO presumptions  All rating deficiencies  Any pending issues not related to AO presumptives  Effective date There are three statements in this workflow that have a strong potential to be ignored in part or totally by the VA. "All rating deficiencies" is perhaps the most significant, followed by "any pending issues not related to AO presumptives. The inclusion of these statements shows that the VA hopes to have the Nehmer process generate a complete re-examination and decision concerning all the issues involved in a veteran's claim. Sadly, if past performance is used as a predictor, this is unlikely to happen. Mistakes will still be made, be they deliberate, or the result of haste. Amy veteran's receiving a Nehmer review based decision or award really need to review the paperwork in detail for missing issues, and the usual "low ball" ratings. Those veterans receiving a 100% rating for a single condition that also have multiple other rated conditions should also determine if the other conditions, when fairly rated, might add up to 60% or more, thus creating an entitlement to SMC payments above and beyond the 100% payment.

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Tue, 24 May 2011 22:28:43 +0000

The public, political, and private opinions concerning extended operations still have some bias based upon a "professional" vs. a volunteer or drafted military. While I was a volunteer (at least technically) in the Vietnam era, I don't agree with the bias. A military member is a military member, regardless of how when or where. I also disagree with the concept that veterans will be treated differently, depending upon dates or locations of service, with the caveat that war zone and combat service should be a major consideration. It's also true that certain conditions and disease are more prevalent in some locations than others. My take on this is that if a condition or disease is unlikely to occur in the locations of a military members life prior to joining the military, and military members have a higher than "normal" occurrence rate, the disease or condition is likely related to military service. The "clear language" meaning of veteran's law also takes this stand, in that supposedly, the VA or other determining authority supposedly is required to "prove" that the disease or condition did not result from military service. Both the VA and the military have openly flouted this intent of the law for decades.

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 02:33:22 +0000

VA vs Freeman At last! some sense applied to the fiduciary debacle! A bit more needs to be done. Looking at the overall issues, and the VA's responses, along with current laws concerning fiduciaries in general - - - The VA needs to revise it's regulations, to say the least. The uniform legal codes now followed by most jurisdictions have checks and balances not actually in place in the VA's antiquated system. Further, legal review is available at little or no cost to the VA. I believe there is a case to be made that the VA's fiduciary system should be a "last resort", and when used as a matter of routine or VA convenience, borders on "Fraud, Waste, and Abuse". "If it smells like a Duck, Waddles when it Walks, and Quacks, it's a Duck"

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:49:34 +0000

Veteran's Court Overload - - This would not be happening if the VA RO's and the C&P system actually did their jobs correctly. Part of the problem is the "points system used for RO evaluation. Points are assigned for completion of identified tasks, such as claims processing milestones. They have nothing to do with approval or denial. Next, thanks to the VA's claims system, there is a definite and obvious preference for denial. It's easier to deny, takes less time, and allows points to accumulate faster. To my mind, the VA RO's have screwed things up for many decades. The court, years down the road, finally as a last resort, ends up with the cases when the veteran is still alive, and still fighting. For instance, I've heard that the number of Vietnam veterans dying each month is very high. This works to the VA's advantage, and is encouragement to deny claims.

DoD Buzz : The tank at the end of history

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:04:52 +0000

Tanks are tanks, and suffer from all the pros and cons of such things. If you don't have air superiority, they are extremely vulnerable to air attack. Even a small infantry team can carry and use missiles that will take out a tank quite nicely. On the other hand, with air superiority tanks can rule a battlefield. Completely shutting down a production line is often a penny wise/pound foolish move. It's less expensive to keep it going at a low rate, and helps preserve the core of skilled and experienced workers needed. During the shutdown, all the production equipment and facilities still must be maintained. That can cost more than keeping them in low volume production. I have seen many a sole source of spares shut down, never to resume production of the needed items. Skills were lost, new laws prevented restart of the old production lines and methods, etc. due to EPA rules. Actually, the equipment that goes on or in a tank may be a greater problem than the basic tank when it comes down to shutdowns.

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:29:16 +0000

Divorce and child support The whole debacle has to do with federal and state law, and divorce court's interpretation. Since a veteran is divorced, the "married" rates likely do not apply. The children, though, may or may not be "dependents" under veteran's law, and may or may not be dependents under state law and or federal tax law. (Not necessarily the same in all cases) This just adds to the problems.

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:49:18 +0000

I wish there is a way to get "hands on" any written VA directives, etc. to fiduciaries. They might be very useful for those involved in the recent fiduciary debacle.

DoD Buzz : The twilight of the Bone

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:42:29 +0000

In the 70's, I was part of the B-1A's engineering development team for certain electronic systems. In the 90's, somehow this resulted in a position in program management for B-52 electronics systems. As B-1 development wound down in the later 70's some of my cohorts were transferred to B-2 development, and I moved on to a fighter deployment and support role in Europe. What I can and will say is that the B-52 is basically a "trash hauler" for bombs and ordnance. It has been quite successful and useful, to say the least. However, there comes a time when it's really no longer a good idea to try to keep relatively ancient aircraft in service. The B-52, for a myriad of reasons, falls into this category. A part of the problem is that the equipment on the B-52 has numerous areas that need to be modernized","modified","upgraded", or replaced. Then there are airframe and engine concerns. Actually, the B-1 can be said to be on the verge of the same problem, due in some part to the changes in electronics between the 70's and now. Sooner or later, airframe and engine concerns will also become important. Dividing resources between the B-2, B-52, and B-1 is not very cost effective or "efficient". Administrative cost savings obtained by reducing the number of support chains can be very significant. While Russia is no longer a major concern, a couple of other nations are. Who is to say that we might or might not face a similar need (penetration of a very well defended area) in the reasonable future. Planning and "Assets in Place" to support such a situation requires years of advance preparation and investment.

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Sat, 9 Apr 2011 00:06:15 +0000

Using savings to substitute for income from earned and entitled veteran's compensation results in a loss to the veteran. If nothing else, interest is lost. Use of the savings is lost for other purposes. Also, when this results in the veteran's total assets declining to under the VA reg limit, the veteran may become entitled to a "full" pension. I'm all for requiring the VA to replace lost income when it is the result of VA caused delay, mistakes, and general lack of response. I'd use the IRS penalty and interest laws as guides. Remember the VA charges veterans interest and "administrative fees" when it thinks a veteran owes the VA money. I've had them try to charge fee and interest for money that I didn't owe the VA, and the VA actually had to refund money to me that it claimed I owed them. (long story) It's still not over, since the VA only went back a few years, instead of the number of years allowed/required by Nehmer rulings.

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 23:49:53 +0000

I wonder if an FOIA request would get the data concerning the "over 125 days" broken down further, IE Over one year Over one and one half years Over three years

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 23:46:36 +0000

Claims delays and C&P Exams. Dr. Miguel LaPuz at the VA Medical Center in Salisbury, N.C., says the exam is no ordinary physical. "A compensation and pension examination is a forensic examination," he says, "for example, [to] establish when the condition came about." "Every detail of a veteran's medical record and service history is analyzed, LaPuz says; it can take hours." "The U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs has made fixing the backlog a priority. There are a number of pilot programs under way nationwide — but the list of veterans who are waiting grows longer by the day." Pilot programs don't fix the problem. Changing the entire claims process will. Dr. LaPuz evidently has limited knowledge of what goes on during the usual C&P exam. How many times has a C&P examiner told a Veteran that review of the veteran's medical records by the examiner is not required. Admittedly, it might take two hours to actually do what a C&P examiner should do, but how often is this actually done? I seem to remember an examiner saying that he/she had to get an exam done in about 15 minutes, in order to "meet the schedule".

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 18:22:25 +0000

It's not by any means "largess". Instead, veteran's benefits are part of a contract between the government and those serving or who have served in the military. For decades, the government has tried to minimize it's liability to veterans, rather than to fulfill it's part of the deal. Actually this is not new, in that historically, many nations have behaved in a similar manner. <div style="display:block;margin:6px 0 0"><a class="a2a_dd" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save"><img src="http://static.addtoany.com/buttons/share_save_171_16.png" alt="Share/Save/Bookmark" border="0" height="16" width="171">

VA Watchdog dot Org -- Home Page - Keeping an eye on the VA because somebody has to! : VA SEEKS HELP WITH VistA SOFTWARE MODERNIZATION -- "We are tasked with producing substantive recomme

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:09:27 +0000

Long overdue comment. -- I believe that Fortran and Cobal were the common languages chosen at the time. The VA software debacle is still ongoing!

VAWatchdogToday dot Org : Comments

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:14:48 +0000

Vietnam Era DD710s - - - I don't know, but I'd bet that the Navy has them someplace. As to the tank liners. The coating was a light blue, and thicker than paint. I believe it was sprayed on using heat and pressure. I always thought it was interesting that many ships used extensively in Vietnam were scrapped in the 70's. Other, older ships used elsewhere were retained in service for a few more years. One ship I rode in 1968 was scrapped. (OK, since it was pulled out of mothballs for the Vietnam war, and we were using WWII ordnance, much of which was originally made in 1943.) The Germans continued to use older versions for some time after the Vietnam era. I believe they were scrapped at the end of the "cold war". The second ship, an LST was built in 1954, and eventually sold to Turkey. It supposedly was retired in about 1995. Given the number and amounts of hazardous chemicals, paints, asbestos insulation present on the older ships, it's a wonder any of us are still around. In early 1967, the LST I was assigned to underwent a fairly thorough asbestos removal program. A concern was that the yard workers had approved protective gear and suits, etc., while us navy guys were issued only gas masks with particulate filters. The filters were changed only when they became so clogged that breathing was difficult.

VA Watchdog dot Org -- Home Page - Keeping an eye on the VA because somebody has to! : VA WATCHDOG DOT ORG SITE TO RESUME PUBLISHING WITH NEW OWNER-EDITOR -- VA Watchdog website will soon

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:32 +0000

Larry, no one can replace you! But-- Your web site has given countless veterans and survivors much needed help, an insight into the VA's peculiarities, exposed anti veteran VA practices, and much more. I believe that the effort should be continued, and that your judgment in a replacement is well thought out, and will hopefully be for the best. Too many of the VA's actions and practices cannot stand the 'light of day". Even now, after all the unfavorable news, publicity, congressional hearings, and so forth, the VA bureaucracy continues to do many things that result in delaying or denying valid claims, awarding less compensation than called for by law, generating improper and inadequate C&P exam results, and even defrauding veterans. Not to mention falling under the "Fraud, Waste,and Abuse" Act for such things as forcing veterans to go through the VA's claims and appeals system multiple times. Bureaucrats don't like to do things promptly, or even at all, unless and until their "feet are held to the fire". Your efforts have certainly been significant in doing this very thing. I certainly wish you well, and as a disabled veteran, sincerely thank you again for your years of efforts to help veterans in dealing with the unbelievable problems that the VA is expert in creating and compounding beyond reason.

VA Watchdog dot Org -- Home Page - Keeping an eye on the VA because somebody has to! : VA "GAGS" EMPLOYEES AS CNN WORKS ON MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA STORY -- An internal VA email tells emplo

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 23:41:18 +0000

The problem is that the VA says little, except when forced to. VA Public Affairs drastically downplays or ignores any negative information, and touts positives as if they were aluminum siding salesmen. Open Government? HAH! I have a nice bridge to sell, It's only a hundred or so years old. You can charge a toll (Co-Pay) as long as you can get away with it! Even if you might have to payback some of the "co-pay" you can use the money, and collect interest. Law allows you to just pay back the principle, and keep the interest!

VA Watchdog dot Org -- Home Page - Keeping an eye on the VA because somebody has to! : VAOIG SAYS MARION VA FACILITY FINALLY SHAPING-UP -- After a multitude of problems at Marion, VAOIG r

Sat, 9 Oct 2010 22:23:19 +0000

We all know that the VA believes in lots of paper. If it's not on paper, it is not real. Obviously, the Marion VA med center had a history of not doing all the paperwork that it was supposed to be doing. Evidently, it was a management failure. Now, since the paper and management oversight? is in place, (at least on paper) all is smiles and roses. Does this have anything directly to do with veteran's care or delivery of services to veterans in a prompt manner? The true quality of care and services? Accuracy of billing veterans for services and "co-pay"? Not really or directly! Correct paper is more important than actual performance and delivery of services, according to the bureaucrats mantra!

VA Watchdog dot Org -- Home Page - Keeping an eye on the VA because somebody has to! : VA "GAGS" EMPLOYEES AS CNN WORKS ON MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA STORY -- An internal VA email tells emplo

Sat, 9 Oct 2010 20:15:12 +0000

looks like standard government practice to me. Woe betide those who dare to talk about dirty linen! Statements like minimally qualified start showing up on performance reviews, etc.

VA Watchdog dot Org -- Home Page - Keeping an eye on the VA because somebody has to! : VETERANS Q and A with JIM STRICKLAND - VOLUME 59 for 2010 -- Veterans\' Advocate Jim Strickland answ

Tue, 5 Oct 2010 14:54:33 +0000

It's my understanding that the VA has started processing some claims for A.O. IHD. Letters seem to have gone out to veterans stating that payments will begin 1 November or so. It also seems that with elections coming up, those in congress who might favor reversing the secretaries decision are not going to "rock the boat" withing the 60 day limit. I also believe that the congressional recess. etc. has no effect 60 day limit.

VA Watchdog dot Org -- Home Page - Keeping an eye on the VA because somebody has to! : DAV SAYS "NO" TO PRIVATIZING VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM -- "The realities are that the private sector wou

Mon, 4 Oct 2010 18:06:19 +0000

I say give veterans a choice! Those that can obtain prompt and high quality medical care and services directly from the VA should do so! Those that cannot, be it location, medical condition, or whatever, should be able to obtain health care from the private sector. If the medical conditions or disabilities are such that the VA would provide services without "co-pay", then the VA and medicare together should cover "deductibles, co-pay, and similar charges. An "SC'd veteran should have medicare part "B" and in some cases, Part "D" premiums waived.