Doctor Hiring

VA Spent Billions Without Denting Doctor Hiring Problem

Doctor Hiring

An NPR investigation found that despite $2.5 billion in special funding, VA added no more doctors and other clinicians than without the extra money.

Veterans Choice and Accountability Act added $16 billion to the VA budget in 2014 with the goal of fixing the wait time problem that led to a scandal where many veterans died without much-needed healthcare.

$10 billion was supposed to go to help veterans get non-VA healthcare. $2.5 billion was supposed to go to hiring more doctors, nurses and other clinicians.

NPR’s recent investigation into effects of the expensive but needed fix found the following:

  • VA has about the same number of new hires as it projected to have without the added funding;
  • The new hires were not sent to VA hospitals with the longest wait times;
  • The medical centers that received new hires were not likely to see improved wait times.

Doctor Hiring Funding Shell Game

The reason for the hiring failure is reportedly budget shuffling that occurred after the funding was distributed. This is no surprise to anyone who noticed VA reallocating other funding to pay for cures like the Hepatitis C vaccine.

RELATED: Veterans Choice To Be Fleeced For Hepatitis C Vaccine

According to NPR, VA used the funds to hire the same clinicians it would have hired without the funding. Instead of doubling down on hiring clinicians, VA then reallocated less restricted funds in the same amount to fund other projects.

David Shulkin, the soon to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, supported his decisions as to how the funds were allocated while he led the Veterans Health Administration.

Shulkin told NPR in December:

“When you’re given a budget you face a number of new stresses on those resources. You have increases in pharmaceuticals, you have your wage increase, you have your leasing cost increases, you have IT increases. So without the Choice money, we would not have been able to have maintained the type of hiring that we were doing and expanded the type of hiring we were doing.”

Phil Carter, of the Center for New American Security, says this kind of budget strategy is common for self-interested bureaucracies in Washington:

“It makes complete sense for a self-interested bureaucracy to hire with that money first. I think VA hired staff with this money will all intention of improving access and quality. I think the VA leadership found it harder to do that.”

Carter went on to state he did not believe the shell game with funds intended to increase the number of clinicians was done with malice, “But I don’t see malice here, just the basic inefficacy of American bureaucracy.”

Do you agree?

It will be interesting to see if any Senators ask Shulkin about this apparent shell game today (February 1) during his confirmation hearing starting at 2:30 PM EST.

WATCH: David Shulkin Confirmation Hearing

For those of you hoping Shulkin will be pressed on this issues, do not hold your breath. He has wide support from Democrats, veteran organizations, and some Republicans including Senator Johnny Isakson.

Sen. Isakson reportedly promoted keeping former Secretary Bob McDonald after the 2016 election. While that seemed like an impossible request in light of the animosity between President Donald Trump and McDonald, keeping Shulkin was the next best thing to some.

Following a meeting with Shulkin, Sen. Isakson provided the following comments:

“As the undersecretary for health at the VA, Dr. Shulkin is no stranger to the work that needs to be done to bring accountability to the department. Dr. Shulkin’s overwhelming approval by the Senate in 2015 demonstrates the kind of broad, bipartisan support that I expect to see this time for his confirmation as secretary of the VA. I believe Dr. Shulkin to be a passionate veterans advocate who will work to transform the VA and ensure our veterans get the timely, quality care and support they deserve. I look forward to chairing his confirmation hearing.”

Personally, I bet Trump was unable to find a suitable substitute for McDonald who was also willing to take the job.

Each administration brings in someone new who is always taking a year just to get caught up with the cronies and scandals must less developing policies to address them.

By picking Shulkin, a person who should be familiar with the wait list scandal, the success or failure of reforms over the next few years will deservedly hang around Shulkin’s neck.

Instead of giving him a Scarlet A, we would give him a Scarlet F – – for FAIL.

While I will not hold my breath, I will remain hopeful Shulkin succeeds.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2017/01/31/512052311/va-hospitals-still-struggling-with-adding-staff-despite-billions-from-choice-act

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238 Comments

  1. @cj – When in the islands, its very expensive to hunt and no ranges on island. Boar and Mountain Goat [love both of them] hunting. Need a good 4 wheeler because law requires to be far away from residences.

    1. Of course, it would be a terrible thing to have any kind of accident and hurt an inoccent………unless they were sympathizers…hahaha j/k relax.

      1. My operating system is Arch linux, you can figure out just about any problem your having by visiting a forum. Sometimes people will come on and ask “simple” questions, and you will see an answer such as RTFM. And of course that means: Read The Fucking Manual.

      2. Of course, I can’t do it, be a tech with no pay having to answer questions like that all day. Certainly do not have the patients.

        Hey, I need to get off of the computer my eyes are starting to bug out. You going to be okay for the night? Or you want me to come back after a small break?

      3. @cj – I’ll leave it up to you. I’m just now going to take a Clonz. Melatonin, Magnesium, 5 HTP, and some GABA. I’ll be a buzzing. Take your break, I’ll leave my laptop on, and if you decide to contact, make sure you put the @ sign before my handle. I should hear the “you got mail” sound. Go and do your rounds as well.

    2. You reminded me, ther is a game farm in Ohio that has 500 lb. Russian boars. Last time I was there, there was a group of Nam guys there to hunt with only f ing bayonetts…………….how crazy is that?

      1. @cj – Yeah, I’m pushing it right now. Thanks for letting me know about the j/k. No dah, I’m slipping, Stephen Colbert gets on my dam nerves. His jokes are nothing but ranting on Trump almost every dam night.

        I believe it. In Hawaii the Vets would live of the land. They’d track the boars trails, and take unhusked macadamia nut and make noise while holding and moving 3 of them in one hand. Then when the boar would come running down the trail towards the macadamia farm, these crazy nuts would jump on the boars back and slit their throats while getting a ride.

      2. @cj – Yeah, they can be crazy. They took me in when I first went back to college. They worked on my truck and I only had to pay for parts. Backed me up the whole time. Good smoke back then as well.

      1. cj – My father would take his father’s old Remington Model 12, nickel steel, twisted barrel. I think that I have that right. He would blast off some rounds in the air right in the neighborhood. Back in those days, they were less cautious.

      1. It “would have been about a year ago” if the goddam V.A quit playinng games. I wanted to win my battles, clear my name, and check the hell out.

      2. @cj – Your too valuable cj. Fuck them assholes. I know who the rounds of stinking thinking can get to you at times. It could be form the use of Round Up. Finally, been many law suits filed.

      3. @cj – I reside N of that shit hole of unsafe facility. Its old. Had one leak or some sort of melt down I think it was in ’79 or so right before I made the big hop to the pacific side.

      4. 3mile island is close to you? I remember that but i don’t remember what state it was in. Not that is some scary ass shit when your a kid. Or a family WITH kids. Geez

      5. @cj – I know. People were freaking out even in our area. By the way, 3 mile island is in PA, I’m south of that. R U geographically ok with that?

  2. I had a sneeky suspicion that is where you were. Do you know of an old church that was converted into a Wendy’s? There is/was a hardware store behind it.

    1. @cj – How did you get that suspicion? I think your speaking about the state in the Garden? Light colored license plates? My middle name is Du Pont.

      1. You remember talking about not ordering pizza, or Ubber etc. So that you wouldn’t get robbed? Well the only place in this country that is like that is Newark. Pretty intuitive huh? Look up 60152 That is were I am at.

      2. @cj – Your close. Taxes are way too high in that state. Want to file for a corporation [ok last hint]? You can have that frigid area where you are. Shootz, got my spasms acting up thinking about it. That’s gonna be a heck of a drive that your planning.

  3. It really doesn’t matter how much money the VA throws at the problem, it will never be solved… For me, I am so tired of showing up for an appointment to find out my Primary Care doctor has quit, or moved to another clinic. It seems once you get used to the doctor, there he goes… One of the biggest problems is that it seems the VA goes overseas to do its hiring…. many of the VA doctors are from some far away country, speak English with a terrible accident, don’t really know what treating a veteran is all about and in many cases has no experience as a doctor, except their foreign medical training… And then to top it all off they are not even required to have a license to practice medicine in the state that they work in… for example, I had a doctor here in Texas for 7 years, once I asked him to write me a script so I could go outside the system and get some meds that the va did not have.. He said he couldn’t because he did not have a state medical license. More recently at the Temple VA, they had to find a doctor to write a new script for my oxygen use, so that I could go outside the system and get an Inogen one portable oxygen unit…thru Medicare/Tricare because the VA will only provide old fashioned oxygen tanks. So to me it really doesn’t matter, either you have no doctors our you have doctors with foreign accents ( that for people with hearing disability find very hard to understand). Hell, the VA employs so many under qualified people to treat veterans.. like the PA , or Nurse practitioner…..My recent TBI C/P exam was conducted by a doctor who’s name I can not even begin to pronounce. So again it really makes no difference, and don’t even get me started on the choice program… Six months to get a program for pulmonary rehabilitation in a local hospital, and over a year for a sleep study.. then some how Medicare and Tricare get the bill…. It is what it is and the only way it will get better is when the congress realizes that only service connected veterans should receive treatment at the VA and then maybe then there will be enough doctors to go around…..

    1. @Rick b – And don’t forget about Clinical Pharmacologists being added to the mix of those that are treating Veterans. Its so screwed up, that my Pain Management Physician doesn’t write scripts for pain meds, the Nurse Practitioner cuts the scripts. Stuuuuuupidiiiiiiiiiiteeee. A law suit just a waiting for a legal beagle to pick up on.

    2. @cj – Sorry Brother, I thought I answered your last post. If not, its me. Too much opiates. I’m doing a little better. Last night I had restless leg that I usually get when I’m super stressed. You know, I really miss taking my dog out and training him. I’m missing so much in my life, that I told my wife, that she may have to step in here pretty soon. I’m at my wits end with the bullshit. I made my mind up just today. I have had it. The VA goes against almost everything that I’ve been taught. These people aren’t normal.

      1. @ANutterVet: Man I am sorry this is affecting you in this manner. Life is hard enough, you don’t need all the extra bs you have been getting. I never did ask, why you can’t the dog out etc.

      2. @cj – I’ve been sedentary for over a year. Been yelling out to the VA. I lost a lot muscle mass and tone. Very weak, get exhausted easily, and when I’m forced to go to the VA [like the other day], I have to basically drug myself up more that what is prescribed to me. They don’t fucking care. In fact, they gave me more at my last visit, instead of giving me a muscle relaxer. They told me if I don’t get in for an appointment, they will not prescribe meds to me. Even though they were sending out PT and OT contracted personnel to my residence. Stupid.

      3. @ANutterVet: I hope I am not prying, just wondering what condition you are in. Why have you been sedentary, and why the muscle loss, and weekness. What is happening to you? I just want to understand. Also, are you in Newark?

      4. @cj – Chronic lower back pain, severe muscle spasms. Condition deteriorated after VA took away Carisoprodol [Soma]. Plus, I battle with taking the dam opiates. The only reason that I took the extra opiates that they gave me, was to create a stash just in case I explode on them and the ban me from the VA. In this manner, I will have enough pain meds while contacting an attorney. I have a couple of ideas on what to file for. Need a little bit more ammo on them. What Newark are you talking about: Christy Love or the Number 1 in the union?

      5. LOL @ Christy Love…….Newark NJ…..also just about every vet I know is stashing away extra’s. Reason being? We all have the same gut feeling that one day we will all be cut off with no warning. I have been dealing with extreme back issues me entire life. The last MRI I just took? they already made another appointment for next Friday. They said the MRI showed a significant change compared to last one. Already know I have stage 3 spondy, only 1 stage left. Still there is no way I will ever let them cut me open. Are you able to travel? or is that out of the question altogether now?

      6. @cj – If I do travel, it takes me so long to get ready, and I have to pump myself up with a lot of meds. I hate this shit. I feel down on metal steps when training my first service dog. I miss that boy. He was smart and sharp. He knew verbal commands, hand signals, and I made up words that meant commands. The only ones who knew the made up word commands was my wife and myself. I used a mix of English and Hawaiian language. How did you know that I was in one of the Newark’s?

      7. @cj – I’m in the one with the least crime rate. Reference to the latter in my last sentence. How did you know. I don’t recall mentioning my area.

      8. I pay attention, I listen very carefully to people, and I have traveled the entire country. So it is easy for me, when people say things, to get a good idea where they are. The church I was talking about was convered about 30 years ago, so it may not even exsits today. I converted that church into that Wendy’s. Of course I haven’t been back since. So I wouldn’t even recognize the area today. I am planning a trip for this summer to go to either Missouri or Kansas. I want to take a 1 mile shot, and both those states have ranges with that kind of distance. I would gladly come and get you if you wanted to join the rest of us.

      9. @cj – Did you read where I said my middle name was Du Pont? I’ve been in my location since late ’99. I went to the last state [get those to look it up] in late ’81. That’s where my heart is. I didn’t know it until I moved back to the First residence. Are we talking about the same area? I’m not an AC gambling person. Don’t live close either.

        CJ, your offer is greatly appreciated my Brother. I have shot rounds in decades. Actually, I don’t trust myself because of my anger. Due to the VA’s actions, changing my meds, and attitude towards my reasonable suggestions. I’d take you up on the offer, but the other reason is that I’m really trying to take as least amount of this shit as possible. I have a first cousin and husband in whom we love dearly, that lives about 1.75 hours away. I haven’t even been down to their place.

        Funny thing, my cousin is the eldest of my mom’s oldest sister. So there is a 20 yr difference in age. My cousins children are my age. My first cousin is 80. They took my wife and I in when we moved back home. Didn’t charge us any thing for rent. We even had 2 cats at the time, and my cousin no like da cats. But she was impressed because they acted like dogs, listen to commands.

        I’m not kidding. I taught one cat some commands, then we got the other one later, then she followed. I forget what they call it in animal training; mirror image training, I don’t know, just made it up. That’s me, always thinking science on a organic chemistry molecular level.

        But hey Brother, that is really kool in asking me to go along with you folks. That means a lot to me. I tell ya what, once I get my health a little better, we will get together to meet face to face. Sound ok to you?

        Sorry, wife was just leaving for work. Had to take a time out for a smooch, then simmer the dog down.

        Now, are we talking about the same area? Pick a number: One to three?

      10. @cj – R U referring to filling Corporation papers in my state? Remember, low crime rate compared to the one that use to be the highest. Ethnically, I’d be well out numbered.

      11. I did tell you I would be at your facility in the morning to skip those pet rox across the fucking delaware river, did I not?

      12. @cj – That’s some polluted waters. There are people who eat the fish from some of the inland water ways in that area. I read one paper where it stated that one average trout sized fish, has enough carcinogens that add up to one years worth. When I was a kid, those waters were crystal clear. Not now.

      13. I also have quit guns. Used to be a big part of my life in Wyoming. Hunting. When I was a kid we always had a couple rifles in the back window of our pick up. Never see that any more but some have the gun racks. Just can’t go to town and not have your vehicle broken into anymore.

      14. @Lem – I know. Its so bad where I live you can’t even trust your relatives. Times have changed. One day, I hope to go back to the islands.

        And, I want to thank you for listing what the acronyms are. We never know if some one visits Ben’s blog, has TBI, and learning the subject matter is totally new to them. I may be wrong, but it that TBI is a lot more complex than PTSD.

      15. TBI is definitely more complex than PTSD. And it or some other organic problem is the difference between two individuals with the same PTSD experience, one able to make the adjustment and the other being intractable. Problem is that many with organic problems only have PTSD to hang their hat on with the VA and because of that many with TBI or other organic syndromes are denied compensation.

      16. @Lem – Therefore, the VA creates an atmosphere of making it harder for a Veteran to prove their case in order to be compensated for TBI. It’s not about helping us to have as much as a normal life as possible, its the money.

      17. Not about the money but who g) ets the money. As since the Revolutionary War Warrants were not paid until the money changers (bankers) had purchased them all. History just repeating itself. Choice. $25,000,000 per year in compensation for insurance company executives. Health Net changed from an NPO to a for profit to rake in the benefits of Choice with only one health insurance service. Would have been better to turn it over to Medicare and in a Medicare for veterans (essentially what it is because you have to have a provider that accepts Medicare limits) with part b, part c and part d paid for by the VA.

      18. @Lem – Never thought of it in that way. Hmmm. My K9 has been rubbing his nose on my hand, even though I’ve been paying attention to him. Worse than an attention seeking woman. Got to supply even ones needs. Stand by.

  4. The VA acts like a Big Drug Addict telling mom and dad ( Washington’s Veterans Committee ) that they need money for something at school or money for clothes or some other reason, Leave the house and use the money to by Cocaine. Have a good time shoving it up their Noses.

    Now Mommy and Daddy are really Rich and don’t think twice why the Kid, Keeps needing money for more books and more clothes and Mom and Dad just keep giving it. Now their friend finds out what the kid is doing and threatens to tell mommy and daddy about them using it for Drugs.

    So the kid knows that Mommy and daddy are Really Rich and never check if the kid bought more books or clothes and now the Kid has a friend that needs money. The Kid tells his friend, I will tell you what, you don’t say anything and I will give you money for you Drug’s. All is well, then the friend tell a friend and that friend tell another friend and so on.

    Pretty soon the Kid and his friends get Brave and say Lets all of us go and you ask for money, for a new car or the same old story. Mommy and daddy ask you want more money we just gave you some, Ya I know But we really need the money to save the Children.

    Mommy and daddy being the good parents, dish out more and the kid gets the hang of it and starts bring in other kids to make up stories of why they need money and the cycle is repeated over and over.

    But that is not enough and mommy and daddy keeps asking questions about the money, so the friends and the kid come up if a fool proof answer ! Lets get mommy and daddy to get Life insurance on some of our friends. We will tell them that their investment will show profits and I can get that money, because their friends are Really sick and I wont have to ask you for any more money as that money will come to me.

    Great idea son. Problem, their friends are not Ill, Answer: No problem lets kill them off one at a time. Wait if we kill 2 at a time we can get even more money. Hell with that lets kill most of them, no one will ever know and if anyone does find out, lets just let them in on it and tell them we will give them a Bonus every year.

    Ya, Ya that it. Hey were running out of friends to kill. No Problem we have not asked mommy and daddy for money in a long time. Ok what we going to tell them why we need the money. Lets tell them that we seen some homeless veterans and want to help, tug at their Heart strings. Ya !

    Mommy and Daddy tell the kid, you know what we are so proud of you for helping those who have served our country, keep up the good work, We will. SNORT, SNORT.

    Phew that was easier than I thought why did we not think of this before ! Were in the money, Were in the Money !

    Same thing is happening right in front of the Veterans Committee and they fall for it every time. If Mommy and Daddy would have kept track of they money they gave and most of the Kids friends gone, that would have raised Red Flags all over and some of the Kids Friends could have been saved.

    What happen to all your friends ? Oh they committed Suicide. Suicide all of them in this short time. Ya Mom and Dad they were using Drugs and we could not stop the. I sorry son about your friends Son.

    Don’t worry Mom and Dad we will make New friends, they are a dime a Dozen. By the way do you have a thousands dollars for Flowers. Sure Son NO Problem.

    Sad but True. Now that Uncle Donald has moved in, Maybe he will Catch them. Have to wait and see.

  5. CJ I have read your post and I am concerned about your mental status. If I were you I would write a letter to your medical staff and state the problems you are having and you request that you be authorized to have Scans of your brain. CT, Mri’s and that you want to be seen by a Neuroligist.

    I was shot in the head and after being shot I was sent right back to work and I never knew that I had a Traumatic Brain Injury. I have had migraines and that statement got me in to see a Neurologists, who completed the tests they showed an old TBI and also stated that they can not rule out Cancer of the Brain.

    The VA denied my claim for TBI, I know they did not even look at my VA medical records or if they did, They did not give a shit and denied it anyway. I am going to reapply again, now that I obtained all of my medical records and after I go see Senator Bennetts office who agreed to see me next week.

    You may need to keep a Diary or log of things, that have happened or things you need to do and keep those notes, they are evidence.

    I Plead with you to be very careful in what you tell the VA. The VA is really good at making your statements into theirs. What I mean is they will not state Exactly what you said, They will put in their 2 cents and when they are done, you will look to others who read your chart you are crazy and from that point on they can use those statements against the veteran.

    They will ask you a lot of questions about your Childhood, In an effort to say all your problems were caused by your Troubled Childhood. I will give an example. A friend of mine went on vacation to New York and took a lot of pictures and he showed them to me.

    One picture of a Guy looked like my Deceased brother, I shoed it to family members and they said, Yea it does look like him. They asked have you ever hear voices, I said kiddingly Ya someone was calling out my name and I did not see anyone. told them I thought it was someone calling me from a window at work.

    The VA placed into my record, Veterans hears voices from his Dead brother and thinks the Picture and video’s were his dead brother. I know it was not him. They asked if I could read minds. I told them that I could read a lot of people by their Body language.

    So now I think dead people are really alive and that I hear voices from my dead brother and I can also Read Minds. VA employees who read this restate it over and over and they each will throw in the 2 cents and by the time their done. You are made out to be totally crazy.

    If you should have a problem with your brain, you need to know and don’t get loud or give them any reason to make you out as one of those crazy veterans. They do and will take every chance they can to claim you were disruptive.

    They can do this at a touch of a Button and will not even tell you they are doing it. The veteran will get a phone call or a letter stating you were disruptive and they are going to punish you for being disruptive. They are not required to provide any proof. Once you have been reported every employee will see the Flag and from that point on, they can and will threaten you with Federal charges, Arrest and Banishment from all VA care.

    I know 1st hand, I called the VA out and told them to furnish me with all the evidence they used to determine I had ever been disruptive ever. Their reply was well we don’t have any, but someone said you were. Now the regulation’s state any disruptive behavior must be entered into the computer or a report of contact be completed.

    They stated I would come into my local VA clinic at least twice a month and become Disruptive. How many months I don’t know. Even with no evidence period and using Hearsay as evidence they punished me for 5 years and placed into my official medical record that if they (ever) hear that I Again become disruptive or do not follow what I am being told to do by the treatment team.

    You will have Federal charges placed against you, You will be arrested and you will be Banished from all VA care. All I am saying to you and any other veteran reading this post, to be very careful if some VA employee does not like you for any reason. They will push the Key on their computer and your a cooked Goose.

    Make sure you request to be seen by a Neurologist. This a must do. I am hoping that the Senator’s office will really look into this and my good name restored and Maybe Just Maybe they will stop hurting veterans VIA the Disruptive Committee. Hand in there !

    1. @james gallegos: Everything you said is right on target james. I have already ran into the same problem as you have, My pcp threatened to take away my scripts, unless I agreed to see a social worker, reluctantly I said OK. I didn’t want to go through withdrawls from Morphine and Clonazepam, it is HORRIBLE if you have ever experienced that. Then my pcp, and I have never been more embarrased in my entire life, parades me from office to office almost goddam skipping, telling everyone Mr……….finally agreed to see so n so. I was soooooo angry by the time I got in front of the social worker. The social worker didn’t even make eye contact, just read a set of questions off the computer screen. So to get back for being totally humiliated in front of so many people. I answered her questions like “have you ever taken street drugs?” I answered “yes, all of them, it takes a lot of street drugs to fill in all holes” meaning pot holes in the street. etc. At the end of the so called interview I told the social worker who was oriental, “you know this was all b.s. right?” and she looked at me with those deer in the headlights look and nodded her head up and down. I went back to my pcp and told her don’t ever ask me to see that quack again, I don’t care if you take my meds away or not. Your completely right, they used that interview against me in their final decision to deny my claim. It is waiting on the VBA at this point. But EXCELLENT ADVICE for all to know, that once again the V.A. is NOT YOUR FRIEND, THEY ARE THE DAMN ENEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you james for informing those before they end up in the same situaltion as us. By the way drug and alcohol abuse is a by product of a TBI. Funny how they know this, but get away with using against you and not for you. Even more puzzling is the fact they have over 40 years worth of urine and blood samples, along with the same prior to entering the military and cannot point to a single instance of either alcohol or street drugs in my system. If they really believed in their own crap…………then scripting Morphine and Clonazepam at the same time to me is outright criminal.

      1. Yes, the VA is only for Employee’s, They are trying like hell to kill us off one at a time and if they cant do that they try and make us look like were crazy and Dope us up to the point that we take our own lives. Unless your a veteran they will never understand what its like.

        Our Senator’s and Congressmen don’t care about Veterans, write them a letter and they never look at it, they have Aids that act in their behalf and the Senators never get involved. Why even have those people, just drag someone off the street and tell them do the best you can and if you find yourself not knowing what to do JUST PUNT and hope it goes over.

        If it doe’s not no big Deal and if they write another letter can it. Veterans are a problem to VA employees.

        I say March on Washington this Spring or Summer, everyone is standing up to our leaders Except the Veterans, Why, can anyone tell me, why we are letting others fight our battles. If we would put it out there that the Veterans have had Enough, I know thousands of people would join us. Glad you seen you mistake and you have learned that the VA will do what ever they can, to harm Veterans.

      2. The best thing the VA leadership is telling their staff to do is to keep the Vets going around in circles and frustrated or confused so that they can’t pin much legally on any One person. In my case, I can get my files from MRIs…nevermind. too much to type. Aaand I’m really too pissed to hold this phone now.

      3. @Peterson – That’s the plan. Keeping you in circles, keeping you dizzy, therefore keeping you confused. I have a friend who went through this after he got out of Nam. He was on River Rat. He got pissed off at a counselor, and told him to shut the fuck up or I’ll take my fingers and scoop out your eyes. He received 100% service connected. That’s Crazy Joe who lived down the street from me. A true story.

      4. Funny how this seems to only effect the veterans, were the ones with the answers and they don’t listen. Our Senators and Congressman have a robot answering their E-mail. They have God who knows who doing the Senators Job. The Senators let their Aids answer and do what ever they want, as if they were the Senator himself. They don’t contact the Senator about your problems, they are doing what ever they please.

        The Senators have forgotten they work for us and have given their Authority to someone we did not Elect. The Fleecing of America. Our Elected officials are no better than the Russians or China they still Ignore their people and just like the VA, Don’t care if Veterans are killing themselves.

        A person collects 10 years of Real Evidence and the Aid does not want it, will not look at it. States they can not do anything. That is a lie, they just to want to ! They have been given Power that they should not have. When someone goes to them they should ask for any and all proof and then tell the Senator, who should respond Himself, but they don’t.

      5. james, we have to vote out incumbents until they start paying more attention to votes than money to get votes. a change of our focus as voters is needed.

      6. James, the V.A. tells the Congressmen, and Senators to F Off,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and they do. Your right again. What good are they. Maybe POTUS should take their healthcare away and tell them they now have to stand in line like the rest of the veterans, For the same exact healthcare.

      7. And, fill them with opiates. May be they’ll work then. Politicians are spineless. James, make them a nice chocolate cake. But what they don’t know is the cake contains a poo mover: Exlax. Only joking. No I’m not. Well yes I am. No your not, you always pull pranks. Yeah, your right I do. Give ’em da lax bro, give ’em da lax.

    2. I have been disruptive several times. But it has never been a problem because I immediately went home, wrote a letter to the Director, and copied it to the local paper as an open letter and copied it to my congressman. As far as I know I’ve never been put on a disruptive list because my complaints were justified even though I became very angry and did a lot of shouting about what was going on so that there were plenty of witnesses to my shouting description even though they may not have witnessed the actual incident. And then I got a couple of names and phone numbers from vets who witnessed my “disruptive behavior” just in case I needed them for an OIG complaint.

      1. @Lem: People need to take the kind of advice your giving here. It seems as though we always have to have our own backs, and to always have residual backups in place. It is indeed a shame that we have to do this. We shoouldn’t have to protect ourselves from these people, they are suppose to be there for us. INSANITY so bad it is almost RAPTURUOUS.

      2. Lem, that the Problem I have never done anything period, I wasn’t even there. The VA Admits they had no proof and yet proceeded to punish me and thousands of other veterans.

        Look up on the OIG site about disruptive Behavior. They way they wrote it up, If your Grandmother would go in and say listen here, that’s all that needs to be said and an employee just has to hit a Key on the computer and she could be reported as a possible danger to staff and no one has to prove it. I glad that you have not had to go through what thousands of other veterans had to go through.

      3. Its true. The defining factors of someone being put on the either the Disruptive Behavior List or EPERS list, is up to the interpretation of the individual who believes there is a threat to health or welfare of an employee, visitors, or property damage. Its not clearly defined. File a complaint against them for the Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress [IIED].

      4. @james Gallegos – Hey James, I’ve been following your comments a bit. When I find myself in the type of muck that you’re experiencing, for me I sometimes sit back and get my mind stimulated by something else that doesn’t drain on many aspects as much. In this way, you thinking process will be relaxed, therefore not as preoccupied with the stress of dealing with the VA. Just try it. You have nothing to lose, and all to gain.

        Another thing, @Lem and others are good assets to possibly shed light with your matter. As for me, in my state of mind, I’d snap. Because I’m at the point of not giving a shit. Hmmm, may be I should heed my own advice. It’s good to take a breather. It’ll also help you to get refreshed, and who knows, you may have to go at it again if something else comes up. You know how the VA is if the dumb fucks have your name at the top their list. Just saying.

      5. Yes, we need to take a break. But whenever the VA puts into someone’s records if WE EVER HEAR that you become disruptive or are Reported Disruptive, You will be Arrested, Federal Charges and Banishment from all VA care, that’s had to forget.

        Hell I could be driving or just sitting in my front yard and the Same VA Employee could tell the VA that I came in and became disruptive and I would not even have to be there. People always tell me, Oh the VA cant do that ! They have to have proof !

        Wrong all they have to say is it happened and that this has happened in the Past and that’s all they have to do. If someone would look at ALL my Evidence that’s proves my case. The Employee who made the False Allegation’s would be in Jail and anyone else who helped in the Cover Up. They know this and will do what ever they have to, to keep the Lie going or they would have to Pay a lot of money for what they have done.

        The IG Report on Disruptive Behavior shows that 70% of veterans being reported are those that complain about their treatment or lack of treatment. In order for the Disruptive committee to punish a veteran requires written proof and some veterans have not been reported for over 400 days. Its a must read.

      6. @james Gallegos – Hey Brother, taking the time out is to not solve the VA BS, it is the time that your mind and body may require to refocus, reenergize, and to calm down due to the stress that these jerks cause on Veterans. I go through this myself. What I’m saying, is that if you don’t take the time, determined by your experiences, that this shit will lead you directly to a dam burn out phase. If you get to this point, you won’t even be able to cry out for help. You’ll be numb and act out in a way that will prove what the VA is saying. This is what they want. Now listen carefully to my next point, . . .

        Get out of the fear stage of what they VA may be can do. I understand your concern. Your upset, and rightfully so, due to no one listening and helping you. So, if you know that you didn’t do anything wrong, and the VA pursues the matter, so be it. At least you’ll be able to share your story to an authority figure that can hopefully make a sound judgement call.

        This is why you need your mental strength, just in case they decide to kick it up a notch related to their threats. Don’t fear. If you’re right, have every thing in order, and your able to formulate sound arguments [without getting caught up in your emotions, this is what the VA plays on as well], and give pertinent rebuttals, then I think you’ll be fine. Just saying.

      7. I had a guy tell me yesterday, There is Facts and then there is Truth. Facts are not truth, truth is truth. Ok, Is Lying, not lying. Yes, then why is the Fact that a lye and not Truth. I have been fighting this since 2004 and the problem is that people reply are do not address the Matter, they do not give the Veterans any consideration and will not give them a meeting to present their evidence.

        Do you not think that a person should be heard and evidence be able to be presented. That no one should be able to accuse anyone of anything and not have to back it up with Evidence. Hearsay is not evidence, it is a Rumor. One would think that higher Management would insist that proof be given and if none can be provided the Hearsay will be Ignored.

        Especially, when a VA Employee in her hearsay states this has happened at least Twice a month. How many months sounds like more than one. Would a reasonable person that worked in a clinic, hospital and had someone come in for this length of time and felt they were in Danger, would have written up something.

        I was an Administrative Assistant for the VA, for about 17 years. I worked in every position they had in Medical Administration and it required that employee’s record in some way, that something has transpired between an employee and employee or Veteran and Employee.

        This person that did this reporting knows the rule and is, was unable to provide any written proof. This means that they have set a precedence, that VA Employee, do not need proof of anything and if they say something happened, Then it happened !

        Really ! that means every veteran is in real danger and can be accused of anything and they are found Guilty and the Veteran is punished and can have Federal Charges, Arrest and Banishment from all VA care.

        How can anyone be punished and threatened and then have all of the civil, constitutional and human rights taken away. In this country everyone is suppose to be Innocent, until proven guilty. Now how can a person prove their innocent when the person, can not even get anyone to look at the evidence the person has to prove their Innocence.

        How can someone request this over and over and someone admits they had no evidence and then state Well those were the Facts at the Time. The real fact is that a VA employee lied and only reported the Veteran for a statement made by the Veteran about the employee. It is pure an simple Retaliation and the evidence would prove it.

        The VA does not care if their employee lied and for the last 13 years have refused to grant a meeting for a Fair hearing. Every inquiry is sent to the Offending employee to answer themselves. make statements like Mr. Gallegos can not return to the clinic after 2 years, Because he will NOT Admit to being disruptive. Would you or anyone else Admit to something that you never did.

        Now once again I went to the Senators office loaded with Evidence and the only thing they took was a cover sheet of the problem and did not ask for the evidence to prove the case ! Does that make sense. Why are our elected officials giving Power to their Aids to act in their behalf and make the determination if any thing should be done and make the decision what evidence they should present or ignore.

        A Lie is a Lie no matter how many times its told or who says it. This has been recorded over and over by VA employees even after all this time and with no proof, they keep stating that on several occasions I would come in a become Disruptive. I was forced to travel 120 round trip for my appointment’s for two years, being told , Oh Jim just go for the two years and if nothing is reported again, that will prove you have not been disruptive. That ended up being 5 Years.

        Do you think the proper way to handle this , is to give me an impartial hearing, where I can show my evidence and if the evidence proves to support my conclusions, that the Members be able to rectify the matter in my favor and I be made whole Again.

        And if found in my Favor that apocopate action be taken against the Employee who made the False Allegation’s in the first place. When someone states a false statement that is Libel and is against the Law.

        With the New Holman Rule this should not be hard to do !

      8. @james gallegos – Brother Jim, I know how you feel when someone accuses you of something that you didn’t do. Emotions are running high on both ends, and as you know this is not in any way a benefit to you. Forget them, I’m talking about you. These types of issues usually will always get us so dam pissed, and no offense when I say this, that our own emotions get in the way of figuring out another road or tactic to use. I’ve been in this type of situation before, and I know what it can do to you via getting all worked up. And, this is what they want you to do. Then when you confront each other, both sides have there motors running and are ready to hit the gas peddle.

        Do you know of any other Veteran who can be a mentor to you that lives close by. Someone who knows the system well, or who is good with logic and reasoning, and presenting such so that the other side will stumble and give in? Sorry Brother, I don’t have the answers for you. What about any contacts at a Vet Center? Other Veterans who attend meetings there. There is a lot of issues with your situation, and without someone to review all of your evidence, guidance is a hit and miss. Therefore, all over the place. And, the VA would use this to their advantage as well.

    3. Also james, I am ready for the pending court battle, I have an excellet team behind me. Many properly credentialed Doctors, years of compiled data from those doctors, MRI brain scans, Nuerologists, and pcp. All private sources, taking the evidence gathering power away from the V.A. and putting it into the proper proffessionals hands. They are loaded for bear, and can’t wait to testify in my behalf….God Bless everyoone of them.

      1. cj, how do you manage that if you are too poor to pay for it yourself but too affluent to get Medicaid? Were you able to find a pro bono team?

      2. @Lem: The memmory center that has been taking care of me for the past 4+ years, has a policy in place, to back every decision they put in writting, in court if need be. My pcp has two Marine sons, one with a TBI, it is how she recognized it in me, thank God for her insight, or I never would have known. She too is prpared to provide testimony, simply because she has followed this closely, and it “really angers her”. Add to that mix a retired Col. who works for the local veterans assistance commision, who receives is’t money from the tax payers and not the V.A. as the VSO’s do. and that makes up a very good team. In my mind only.

      3. I’m in need of that kind of help. I have a pending SF 95 (tort claim) with the VA for not treating my temporal lobe seizures for 40 years. There was an attempt in 1990 but it failed because of side effects of Tegretol. I’d like to file the case in Wyoming because of the unlimited “pain and suffering” and because of the Cheyenne VA crisis which would be in the memory of jurors if it goes to trial.

        I have some research papers and read an article that the VA traded the use of “telemetry units” (EEG tracings run constantly for days and nights) all across the U S to Yale University Medical School, mid 1980s to mid 1990s, for a study on temporal lobe seizures previously diagnosed and treated based on sharp waves in the temporal lobe scalp electrodes on EEGs as being, per the theory of the VA, psychogenic seizures. (controllable by the patient) The Yale Medical School wanted to study possible brain surgery intervention in status epilepticus. The Yale study came up the conclusion the VA wanted which was then used to deny many TBI victims compensation. While an Oxford study has corrected this bogus conclusion in 2012 at least one neurology text book still contains the bogus conclusions.

        I don’t know if your PC recognized your TBI symptoms as being temporal lobe seizures or if that is the area of your TBI. But they are subtle and debilitating from enervations (sudden onsets of extreme fatigue) and frequent losses of train of thought as well as latencies. The lack of effect following a more severe complex partial seizure. (not grand mall convulsions)

        Please copy and paste this to your attorney and show it to your PCP. It may help explain the situation you are in. They can contact me at “[email protected]”. My reply will have my phone number. I will happily share what I have in return for consulting about possible representation on my case.

        I can’t be a part of a class action, according to my VA attorney (she has dropped representation on the SF 95 because RI isn’t a favorable place to bring the case) because I have all ready filed an SF 95, but our cases could be joined in the same court to reduce court costs. I have standing as a resident in Wyoming but could move my case to the state of an attorney because of the inability to get representation here. Too few attorneys with VA experience.

        There is also an easily provable bogus cerebral malaria study (1966 by the Army in Vietnam) which had the same target. Reducing compensation outlay for veterans who have subtle but debilitating organic brain syndromes. I think proving the military and VA has deliberately suborned false studies will help break any SOL and other problems with bringing the case.

      4. @Lem: Lem, man, you should have been a proffessor. I had to read that twice. Are you saying that the V.A. is claiming that YOU were controlling you seizures????? As in either FAKING them of somehow, using your mind to MAKE them happen???????? Second: Did you an incident, such as a fall, and exposion, hit in the head, etc. documented on your miitary records? For the first questiions about denying becuse they say YOU were controlling them, and also the second question, that you have the documentation. In todays climate with all the bad press and such. I would file again, and I would look up and see if there is either a veterans assistance commision, or an amvets, neither of these get their funding from the V.A. so niether play footsie with them. The veterans assistance commisions in each county, are paid by the tax payers. You might have to go to several, look them up on the net, get numbers to a few, and make an appointment, When you find one you are comfortable with, pick that one to help you. Also for pro bono work, Call your nearest Federal District Court, and ask where you may be able to get pro bono representation. It sounds to me at least, that your case is one that can be heard at a higher level, and as such, there are firms that would jump at the chance to get a case before a Federal Court. I don’t know if this helps or not. I still can’t wrap my head around the claim that YOU were in controll of seizures. Just when you thought you heard it all. I think it is criminal what they have done with you. Here is a serious question for you. What do you think the public outcry would be if a GITMO, detainee was treated the way your were treated?

      5. Yes, cj, they claim the lost “trains of thought”, the periods of unconscious staring at the wall, MVAs because of absences while driving, and the “sharp waves” and “epileptiform waves” (epileptiform prior to starting antidepressants) were controllable by me and anyone else that has temporal lobe seizures. That study has been debunked by “Brain” an Oxford University Medical School study that went over the Yale University study and went further with intracranial electrode EEGs. But the VA is still using the Yale study to deny veterans with temporal lobe seizures compensation for partial and complex partial seizures per Chapter 4 of 38 CFR. The Oxford study was finished and published in 2012. The NIH study of “cerebral malaria” AKA p. falciparum malaria was finished in 2016.

        Nothing new here. Look nice laws passed. Warrants issued and denied since the Revolutionary War because the wealthy don’t want to pick up the tab for their defense. It has gotten so bad that now they are leaching off future generations with an expanding National Debt instead of the pay down Eisenhower initiated following WWII.

        Have fun grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Thank Wall Street for owning both Democratic and Republican presidents and House and Senate members for your impending poverty. You’ll be able to beg outside walled wealth individual’s compound guarded by private armies just like the rest of the Banana Republics in this hemisphere.

        I’ve been compensated for my recorded hospitalization in Oakland Naval Hospital in 1969 since 1985 at 30% for “organic depression”. But many veterans did not receive the “neurological” findings of subtle losses of sensation on one side and some hyper reflexes that were actually recorded accurately by a physician (most routinely, these days, record +2, AKA normal, every where even if your reflexes are absent or +4). Once the BVA gave me 30% it was easy to get an additional 40% following the change in 38 CFR for TBIs to be rated separately from other organic residuals.

        I have a SF 95 Claim pending with the VA District Counsel to be filed in District Court after asking for reconsideration for the seizures failure to treat and compensate. Also I have a clear and unmistakable error (CUE) claim pending and a new additional CUE claim going back to my release from active service on July 19, 1974.

        Keep in mind that partial and complex partial seizures are subtle. They are often observed by laymen as being “drifty” or absent minded or inattentive, or neurotic (as when someone unexpectedly disrobes or fails to salute or some other aberrant behavior and then denies doing it). It is easy to deny at the rating board using only VA physicians who will deny other accurate examinations in order to decrease the increase in Romney’s 47%. My VA medical record is replete with examples. My compensation and pension file has had much of the favorable reports removed.

        Yesterday, I received a file from the BVA, approximately 1.5 reams (about 750 pages) or considerable less that the incomplete 1420 pages my attorney received from the stack of pages over 6 ft if stacked in one stack of the 2 boxes of pages of my C&P file prepared by a contractor for the Cheyenne VA.

        I have to now organize what the BVA sent me and see if all of the referenced documents in the Statement of the Case (SOC) are included. Way ahead of your suggestions except in finding an attorney admitted to the Wyoming bar to take it to court. My case is ready to go. All it needs is an expert witness and an attorney that will file either in Wyoming or his state. Which is why I ask for your help. I don’t have the full “team”.

        And I’m offering your team the bogus research papers suborned by the military and the VA plus the debunking research papers that shows clearly they were bogus. And I suspect, you may also have the temporal lobe seizures (partial and complex partial–could be just staring blankly–ask your wife, my wife was the first to notice) that affect you “PTSD” etc.

      6. @Lem: One more source you might try. I do know they provide pro bono work. Google: ACLJ. I have been following the work they do for a long time. They are “military friendly” Jay Sekulow, is well known the world over, and has had many cases before the supreme court.

      7. cj, I’m in the no mans land of too much income for the ACLU to take the case and not enough to do it myself plus too far in debt from burying my father and mother in law plus moving back to the U S from Japan. We were able to live on my father in law’s income in Japan but when he died his government pension (about $3,000 a month) ended. But your go fund me page is a good suggestion. Should join the suicide study also because I believe many are caused by inability to adjust to organic brain syndromes.

        Sorry, I was out yesterday to get our auto P M. Wasn’t ignoring you. Catching up post by post.

      8. @Lem: I just took all my meds, so in about 20 minutes, I will be nodding in and out for a few hours. Just letting you know so you don’t think I am ignoring you. I will see your post when my faculties return.

      9. @Lem: Hey one other thing I wanted to say. I JUST saw a gofundme page, of a vereran seeking funding to study why 22 veterans are committing suicide each day. So far, he has over 300,000.00 dollars. I am not joking around about this. Maybe something to consider, to get your own funding to continue this fight you have. I only bring this up because I think you have been intentionally screwed over by the V.A., and I think YOUR case is one that needs to be WON. I think your case would benefit so many veterans from your era.

      10. @Lem: I was going to post a link to that gofundme page, but of course I can’t find it now. Maybe he reached his goal, and it is no longer listed.

      11. @Lem: Find localy to you a memory center that deals with TBI, That will be your expert wittness. Let them treat you from now on, if you have medicare. They will compile theiir own data, and add yours to it. The V.A. will have a diffacult time trying to debunk the many hours of evidence compared to what little time they actually spent with you. I am pretty sure you have this one. What they did is criminal, the judge will be able to see what happened, once you put it all in order for him/her so they don’t have to go through every page. And I bet you win BIG.

      12. Have to drive 4 hours to University of Colorado Medical School to find anything like that. And then find a way to pay for the service. I don’t have part B because I’ve been using the VA since 1985. Started receiving Medicare in 1993 so I’d have a big chunk to pay to get part B. I can try to get an appointment through Choice. Did go to UCMS for one study paid for by Choice. Will ask my Choice PCP for a consult and see what happens.

      13. @Lem: Wow, things have sure changed over the years. I didn’t have a choice, part a and b were automatic, and then I picked up a suplemental part g to pich up the rest of the cost. It doesn’t leave much left for the month, but at least I won’t go into to debt.

      14. Part b is still optional. You get it automatically unless you let them know you don’t want it.

        I had it for a couple of years with Secure Horizons of CA. They didn’t charge the part b premium or a dental or eye glass premium until they were bought out by an HMO. I subscribed to get Dental. And that was before you had to pay 10% additional for each year you opted out of part b.

        They were the original Accountable Care Organization and made their profit by charging SS a flat rate premium per subscriber then using preventive medicine to keep them living longer and healthier for their profit. They operated until the originators got too old to practice and wanted to retire.

  6. Neither Isakson nor Miller nor NPR are qualified to say what the real workload of the DVA is right now. It is all DAMAGE CONTROL and that includes straightening out the despicable circumstances that they left the “HOME” at WLA in with the flawed and under-handed West Los Angeles Leasing Act.
    Ben Krause likes speaking to the democrats and therein lies a problem, the liberal progressive left of the Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood machine rules and Krause is falling into that trap.
    STAND UNITED against special interests that are masked as “public-private-partnerships”, what a crock of manure!

    1. @Benjamin Krause, JD, @Seymore Klearly, @Crazy elf, @Namnibor, @91Veteran, @Ex va – Do you Brothers know who Francisco Juarez is. He kind of comes off like he has an REAL inside scoop but only according to his opinion. He gives no reference, but only speaks of LA areas. My suspicion came about because this is the first time I read a post from him. Seems like he is knocking Ben down to create a “distrust factor” in the minds of others that continually participate in Ben’s blog, and newer commentators. Any input?

      1. ANutterVet, I don’t have any problem if someone comes here and offers an opinion. Typically some do so to show how ignorant they are, then they move on to other things.

        Those that hang around spouting BS in the face of clear evidence are the real problem. They want to stay willfully ignorant.

      2. @91Veteran – Could be a spouting. Nowadays, especially online and no face to face time, you don’t know who to trust. And my trust factor is below the floor. Thanks for the post Brother.

        Got extra Schedule 2 WILL CAUSE addiction opiates today, instead of a Schedule 4 Muscle Relaxer that has been shown to MAY BE have addictive potential [that is depending on the individual]. Dam dirty science runs rampant in the VA. Do our lives really matter to them?

      3. And sometimes, opinions, can be just as my grandpa would say, “Their just like assholes, everyone’s got one”…as go the willfully ignorant. Maybe VSO drivel?

      4. @Namnibor – Drivel, dribble, dabble of poo right to you. You can pick it up at the Pharmacy window, but afterwards you’ll have to call it in. VA’s new slogan and process to get meds for those they are responsible to help.

  7. @cj, @Ex va and others who’d like to chime in – I was so wiped out after not gaining any ground in getting help from my PCP yesterday. I shared with my PCP that I don’t feel included in this so called patient-medical provider relationship. I’m still baffled that she didn’t pick up the stress that this was causing me, when I actually started to bang on my head due to the frustrations of ineffective medical care. Sorry for not getting back to last night. I needed to with drawl, get some rest, regroup my thoughts to ease my mind, then get ready for the rebound. On another note;

    The MSM referred to the actions as being violent protests and chaos instead of calling it what it is: rioting [a combination of destroying property, setting fires, violent language, and hurting people]. The unlawful actions that occurred at Berkeley wasn’t even close to being peaceful. And, the liberal media plays down the definition of rioting by calling it other names. Another form of Fake News.

    Therefore, trying to define rioting as peaceful acts of protesting. Changing the definition of what words mean. We’ve seen this type of manipulation of lexical semantics before, even by a certain few individuals on Ben’s blog. Eyes are on you for those that try to pervert the meaning of words. We will give up no ground to your reprobated pure form and way of thinking and behavior.

    If you’re not listening, you’re not learning, and you will be able to lead. I’ll will not agree with any one who distorts issues or truths, then tries to force their twisted thoughts upon my will or try to persuade their off the wall thinking onto others that don’t know better or who are a weak on detecting such. Tolerating can be applied to some issues but not all.

    We could have six more weeks of winter according to Punxsutawney Phil, who seen his shadow today on what is called, Ground Hogs Day, that takes place every February 2. Tropical or Sub-Tropical places appeal to me more and more each day. I can’t wait to get rid of my long pants for shorts, and wearing flips.

    And by the way, not all immigrants deserve to be in our county, only until they’re vetted. Immigrants don’t have a right to enter this country, it is a privilege. Those will green cards, should be able to enter. And, if the new Trump Administration believes that these individuals need to be looked into in more depth [not trusting the last administrations vetting procedures], I don’t have a problem with that. The privilege of immigration doesn’t override the National Security of the United States.

    If you don’t like what I wrote, contact the VA Crisis Line for further assistance with your problem.

    1. @ANutterVet: You know how I feel about doctors that don’t listen to their patients. On the whole groundhog day thing…….today was my weekly appointment at the memmory center, Imagine going to a memmory center on groundhog day? One thing about all this mis-spent monies to the va, it reminds me of a definition I once heard of the term “ghost poopies” That is when you poop, you feel the poop come out, you hear the poop hit the water, you look into the bowl…………………..and there aint no poop……….”ghost poopies” The same thing that happens with all the va funding. They hand it out, we know it was handed out, we look and there is no funding. Should I repeat all this in observence of groundhog day? Or were those hearings enough? Nothing to see here folks, move along!!!

      1. P.S. I learned this from a very large ex Marine. Some idiot non-english speaking contractor parked his work truck in the handicap parking space. When he went in and complained at the front desk, they made the mistake of demanding he lower his tone. The Marine then demanded the presence of the hospital administrator ASAP. and reminded them that they are there to work for him, not the other way around. That truck was moved instantly…………….

      2. @cj – It’s nothing but high density heavy laden vapor. You know, the kind you lift the sheets over your spouses head. Sick puppy [sorry poopie].

  8. Why they chose to clump hiring, building, and other funds under the Choice program meant to fund Veteran medical care outside the VA system is beyond perplexing.

    Makes me very suspicious funds which should be locked for outside care will only be mistakenly (sic) spent along the lines the way the Social Security fund was pillaged.

  9. NPR said it all about the $2.5 Billion.

    NPR’s recent investigation into effects of the expensive but needed fix found the following:
    •VA has about the same number of new hires as it projected to have without the added funding;
    •The new hires were not sent to VA hospitals with the longest wait times;
    •The medical centers that received new hires were not likely to see improved wait times.

    Anyone want a job? We’ll let you work from home in your skibbies. You’ll be able to evaluate and access Veterans through Clinical Video Tele Health [CVT]. All you do is ask the Veteran to show you his-her medical problem, get them to grab a hold of it and let you know what the texture is of the area, at the same time your able to view the Veteran in real time on your screen.

    We offer great time theft benefits, and you’ll receive the VA’s Daily Newsletter on the Most Current ways of corruptible techniques for additional monies, furniture, and fixtures. And, we’ll even through in monthly bonuses for doing nothing. This is all guaranteed, Why? We didn’t spend any of the $2.5 Billion that was appropriated for approving healthcare for our beloved Veterans. We want to give you the money instead. Why?

    Veterans are use to get screwed. It like breathing to them or the blinking of their eyelids. Anyway, what are they going to do. Everyone that’s in charge of monitoring the VA is doing it, and those that are not doing it, well, we just bully or mob them so they keep their mouths shut. Plus, we implemented an employee moral booster, that no one can talk about negative things that are happening in the VA’s Medical Centers.

    Its a sure thing. Come on aboard. What? No medical license? Hey, we got that covered for you. If you join our great organization, we’ll put you under the Federal umbrella. Therefore, you’ll not get poured on with any complaints of justifiable wrong doings. You can’t beat that, and neither can the Veterans.

  10. @Namnibor, that bit between Isaacson and Shulkin about how the negativity is about a third of the blame, definitely was rehearsed. I just remembered hearing McDuck saying many of the same words. I just think, right or wrong,, that accountability is right around the corner.

    1. It will be around the corner.

      The very first time there is a serious scandal that the VA will not be able to squash will set the media on their attack…and then bones will be thrown our way.

      Unfortunately, that may be short lived. Given the description of the hearings today, Congress certainly will not be doing any oversight.

    2. Usually the pre-hearing negotiations that take place between all parties include a list of questions. Al of the answers are rehearsed in front of a mirror with at least two coaches present.

      These guys negotiate for the position of their seat, for the order they speak in, for potty breaks, donuts, who gets to talk to which press member, what parking spot they get, and which outhouses get two ply toilet paper instead of the Sears and Roebuck catalog. It is a scripted affair s a rule.

  11. I disagree. I see actual malice in what they did in shuffling funds. A bureaucracy like the VA does not get to be an entrenched bureaucracy without knowing how to feed itself.

    I believe I may have actually commented on how this works in a previous post by Ben. Getting money for one thing frees up money for other things and the gravy train keeps running.

    What’s disgusting are the number of VA defenders, including our worthless VSO’s that constantly whine about not having enough funding to hire staff to cut down on wait times, yet when the VA has the ability to do just that, they piss away the money on other things.

    So, with the number of medical providers remaining static, does anyone believe the VA when they claim wait times are getting better?

    With this report, and Isakson’s comments, can anyone think of a politician who chaired either the House or the Senate VA committees that was more worthless? This schmuck only cares for the support of so many that never set foot in a VA, not those waiting and dying in it.

    1. 91Veteran,
      It ain’t “MALICE”. It’s “GREED”! Pure and simple GREED which keeps the VA corruption train barreling down a
      one-way train track. If you see how more and more of these reprobates get richer and richer as time goes on, then the only explanation is GREED!

      I just hope President Trump sees the bull shit. And I hope he gives everyone enough rope to hang them out to dry! That includes the VSO’s as well.
      Remember how pissed he got over having to give out that $6 million to them. All because the MSM’s were hounding him. He wanted to “vet them”. The MSM’s wouldn’t let him do his due diligence over it. So, many of them received monies we, many on here and other websites, didn’t believe they were entitled to!

      1. @Crazy elf, @91Veteran – You know that it is insensitive to throw the term reprobate out there pertaining to these beautiful things we call: human beings. Beings yes, human, well that’s something different.

        Reprobates; being turned over to the action or believe that is wrong, but which they hold so dearly to their hearts;

        greed —>corruption —> fat pockets —> less superior healthcare for Veterans

  12. namnibor,
    I noticed that reprobate from Washington State, Murray (a Democrat) was more worried about the refugees and voter fraud than medical healthcare for veterans.
    She went on a rant about how President Trump’s executive order was “unconstitutional”! Which it isn’t! And has been proven it IS Constitutional!
    As a matter of fact, Obama and Bush did the same thing. Obama signed an executive order banning refugees from the same seven Muslim countries in 2015! And Bush did it to 43 Muslim countries when he was POTUS.
    Then, let’s take a trip in the “Way back machine” to 1995. During Clinton’s reign of bull shit, he received a standing ovation for calling for a halt of illegal immigrants and refugees! Utube has a video of Clinton addressing Congress, during his State of the Union” over this issue! Everyone clapped and cheered after he was finished talking!
    These are facts!

    1. What bothered me about this first confirmation hearing is exactly what was NOT talked about and done so in a smooth way such as overage in costs by 1 Billion on the Denver VAMC Black Hole Project…not one talk about accountability other than making a vague point that nobody was on the same page….1 BILLION $ overage…no talk about the contractors but made sure to mention that part of the facility is open…no mention of the lack of foresight to plan freaking parking lots…oh…and then LIGHTS for the damn parking lot…Isaakson just proved to me in his drivel it’s business as usual when Isaaskson had the audacity to COMPLAIN about having to hear about the *few random* cases of maggots in food every morning while he’s trying to exercise (that imagery was not needed either), Isaakson was bitchy about NEWS such as THIS SITE exposing corruption…and he asked Shulkin to keep only GOOD NEWS about the VA out there…sorry, but that was clear to me as a secret handshake…and more gravy for Isaakson, who reminded me of one of the creatures in Jim Henson’s “Dark Crystal” movie. 🙂 Yep, in a mood tonight.

      Why not have that Beer Mogul in the room beside Shulkin at hearing? I mean, if he’s going to be his little helper, why not?

  13. I would tune into the confirmation hearing but had already planned to jam my fingers down my throat and barf up later anyway. I have to set priorities.

    1. You missed a collective of Vogons from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” visiting congress, a race of unpleasant and bureaucratic aliens, to make way for an intergalactic bypass. Isaacson was the head Vogon. He needed a towel for his gravy.

      1. Ever since they stopped having Elvis as the opening act at those hearings they have just been shit.

      2. What was missing was all the VSO’s parachuting down to the meeting with parachutes made from their silly hats…all dressed like Elvis. 🙂

      3. @Namnibor – They would’ve been good for target practice as they were falling to the ground.

  14. I found it to be better than I expected. I have watched appointments for a while now At least, they did get real close to our truths about the VA. IFFFFFFF, they give Shulkin the power to fire bad employees, and Shulkin follows through? Many problems actually were addressed, kinda. What I found sickening, was the VSO’S. I’m amazed that the VA thinks the VSO’S are on OUR side. The Choice Card appears to be useable? I think? But, like the article said, beaurocracy(s) just finds another way to spend the money. They did address this today. Who knows? Just don’t know.. Heard some of this for years.

  15. Shulkin was more worried about being inconvenienced by his super bowl party being interrupted in order to provide answers to committee. I wonder how many future golf games will take priority over addressing serious problems at the VA? Patterns, always watching.

  16. Just got to watch, finally, five (5) representatives question “Shithead” Shulkin. It was a waste of time, in my opinion.
    No one questioned him on the who, what, where, how and why veterans receive such poor healthcare. Not one of them brought up all the egregious acts committed against veterans.
    One did come close to it. That was Rep. Moran (R-Ks). He talked about the opioid problem. But didn’t continue his line of questioning.

    Who was that idiot sitting behind Shulkin’s left shoulder? His head “bobbed” up and down constantly. Just like my wife’s bobble head collection.

    One thing of interest was Shulkin’s response on working with the VSO’s. Doesn’t he realize the upper echelon of most VSO’s are against what their members want?! If not, then it’s going to be business as usual at all VHA’s nationwide.

    The five representatives I watched, then had to turn this bull shit session off, were;
    1) Murray (D-Wa.)
    2) Heller (R-Nv)
    3) Hirono (D-Hi)
    4) Moran (R-Ks)
    5) Boozman (R-Ark)

    All of these clowns, in my opinion, missed every opportunity to ask pertinent questions over so much corruption instilled deep within the VA!
    Ex; “Where the fuck did all the taxpayers monies disappear to?” Especially when monies were meant for the veterans healthcare!
    “Why was VHA’s nationwide spending taxpayers monies on frivolous items, NOT for veterans healthcare?”
    There’s so much Shulkin’s going to be responsible for in the coming months.

  17. This is like watching the screen of that game “Angry Birds” with all the “Piggies” being the VSO’s all behind Shulkin, making piggy grimaces and grunts. While Isaakson gargles a gravy boat while talking…what a vile bunch of bureaucrats!

    Shulkin is a BIG YES MAN. Pretty smooth talker. Tele Mental Health…not a fan here.

    1. In the conformation hearing Bernie Sanders asked years before if the VSO’s thought that once Veterans get into the system they stated that Veterans received good care????!!!!!????? Unanimously VSO’s stated that Veterans received good or better care than what the private sector has available!!!!????????!!!!!!!!! Who are they talking to??? Va administrators???

      1. When their heads are all up the VA’s asses, of course it’s the VA they get their stats from.
        It brought to mind that scene in ‘Christmas Vacation” where Chevy Chases’ boss comes walking through with his entourage of people far up bosses ass and as they walk by Chevy Chase tells them to go f^ck themselves, et al…as goes the VSO Dino’s behind Shulkin.
        I fear the scab on the problems at the VA is still infected.

      1. Yes, I also smell THAT rotten cabbage you are referring to. I think it’s of the VSO variety. Yep, it’s a turd with a funny hat. 🙂

  18. Will definitely be watching the confirmation hearings. Am hopeful that Shulkin, who was a part of the leadership team, can continue the MyVA that was part of the revolutionary plan drafted just 2 years ago by a team of outside experts.

    More than 20 VSO’s- not just Isakson- wanted McDonald and Gibson to remain to continue the program to fruition. With an organization this huge, my guess would be at least a few more years. Many VA facilities are great, but many are not. That needs to change.

    1. You know it be polite if you first introduced yourself as va managenment before you post. Never minda it is way obvious you pos.

      Keep talking the company line you turd while vets die

      1. Guess you just can’t handle someone disagreeing with your point of view! (Were YOU part of the Berkeley riots last night?) Am not VA management- you turd! So you know more than all the VSO’s?-amazing

  19. Ben. Thanks (I think) for providing the link to watch one BIG liar (Schulkin), telling lies to the committee who may authorized his appointment as Sec of the VA. ADDITIONALLY, watching all these committe politicians sitting there and lying to the American public because they know this hearing is being televised.

    Just more lies than I could stand for one day.

    I also have to add that all the VSO’s who were sitting there, in support of their hero ~ those individuals need to wake up and understand that they are supporting all those lies.

    1. And perhaps they know the path forward, are well informed, and have seen the beginnings of the plan in operation and are aware and you aren’t. What lies? All politics is crap, but we need someone with a plan that will work. I believe the MyVA plan devised by numerous outside experts with McDonald and Gibson will.

  20. I just went onto the link Ben gave to watch the hearing on Shulkin.
    It was blank. Said it “…wasn’t available at this time, try again later!”
    Has anyone else tried?

  21. Let’s all not forget they also gave huge raises to all the medical staff to perform the same crappy job they did before.

  22. Right now, White House Press Briefing, using questions also from 4 designated SKYP connections, and not *one* mention of or question about the confirmation hearing for VA Sec. David Shulkin, not even anyone in protest to Shulkin…this is what kind of worries me is the unremarkable attention even given to it…on the macro/micro scale that pretty much trickles down to the way we Veterans have felt as far as accountability and the VA…*crickets* * * ~ Anyone else find this odd or am I just odd asking this? With all the scandal around the VA, why does it seem muffled under the rug already? Too soon? Probably, but pretty tired of playing hurry up and wait.

    1. @ namnibor, the press has not done their jobs on reporting on abuses about the va. I think so much is going on with the changes within the government right now the news isn’t picking up on half of all of it. I do not think the public knows all the truth behind the scandals. News agencies are not reporting. I am tired of the lies.

      1. “DOVER AIR BASE, Del. (AP) — President Trump makes unannounced trip to honor the return of fallen US Navy SEAL killed in Yemen raid.”

        (which I find really interesting seeing how a Federal Prison in Delaware was overtaken by inmates and was still on lock-down.) Still no news about Shulkin because Iran stuff also all over news.

      2. Seems the inmates at prison in Delaware have taken a lot of hostages, some even fellow inmates and all guards…the inmates are upset over “sentencing”…I’m going out on a limb and thinking the inmates are butthurt snowflakes that did not receive full Pardons from Obama. 🙂

        Every prison in Delaware is on lockdown now while Pres. Trump honors return of Navy SEAL in Delaware.

  23. Anyone here with a twitter accout? If so could I ask you to contact Trey Gowdy: Trey Gowdy (@TGowdySC) · Twitter. And post to him a link to Bens blog, and also include in that tweet a copy on Lisa a’s post, as follows:

    Lisa a January 31, 2017 at 12:43 am
    My husband did not take the survey because he died waiting on treatment.

    Thank you in advance.

  24. @Ben, This Phil Carter guy says that what the VA is doing makes sense? Does this mean, to THEM, that all these suicides and the Veterans wait times are just fallout? It may make sense to THEM, but, I’m in the dying category. It doesn’t make sense to me. @Seymour, please don’t tell me this makes sense to you..

  25. It’s beginning to sound as if we’re screwed,….again. Personally, I’m feeling that anger rise. When nothing changes, nothing changes. For myself, words aren’t working. I’m just hearing excuses from the VA. Very much sounds like this SWAMP is overrun with TOXIC WASTE. They can’t fix it, because Congress isn’t giving them enough MONEY to buy other things. Again, nothing about the Veterans. How many decades do dying Veterans have to listen to the same s..t? SHUT THE VA DOWN.

    1. I’m hoping that when Trump fired Sally Yates, it turned a few head honcho heads. Maybe we’ll see some proactive changes now merely on Shulkin perhaps secretly operating on fear while trying to show the boss he’s willing to take the bull by the horns.

  26. The difference I found in using the VA for the last 12 years is that the time patients are alloted for primary care visits have been reduced to 15min From 45min. The patient gets to have their BP taken, gets asked maybe two questions, and the Dr spends the rest of the time typing.
    Very little is accurately entered into the system. The doctors are highly stressed and when given the chance to explain, they say they’re not given the time to get patients the help they need due to time constraints placed on them by executives.
    There are of course exceptions. If you as a patient request more time during each visit, like bringing the time for your visits back up to 45min (30 for you face to face with the dr., and 15 for their data entry to be accurately entered) not only will you be helped and have your file actually usable for claims, but Dr will be more relaxed.

    1. This unfortunately is becoming the same case in the private medical utilizing Medicare here…the only difference is the Drs. are actually seeing THAT MANY patients a day whereas the same Specialist M.D. at the VA would be lucky to see -3- patients a day. Just learned a great advanced cancer Dr. left my neighbor’s facility to work at the VA. The VA he was hired at does not have this advanced cancer treatment and he went to work for the VA so he would not have to see so many patients and no malpractice to worry about and perfect banking hours…NOT to help Veterans or make the VA better…it’s like an insane country club at the VA and all we Vets get are the constant balls slammed in our faces.

      However, I think you would be very hard-pressed to find a VA witch Dr. that will open their schedule for 45 minutes….plus, you would have to get past the VA scheduling critter…you know, that one with nails too long to even type and speaks little English? Yeah, the VA cares…the VA is NOT attracting the best minds when the incentives are less work!

      1. @ namnibor, do you want to know the real number that Veterans where being seen at the care line i worked??? The average was two Veterans a week…. They took breaks, pointless meetings and bothered clinicians who were actually working. It makes you sick when D.C. Knows all of this and refuses to take any action…

  27. The choice program is horrible. I have been trying to get authorizations to go through in the dealings of cancer care through an approved choice doctor I already have with choice. I have spent over 30 hours on the phone with them about three test I need as urgent three and a half weeks ago. Everytime I call I get a different answer. “We have your authorization and working on it” “we don’t have it at all” “it’s been approved and just wait for imaging center to call you for an appointment” “the paperwork isn’t done right” “it’s on my supervisors desk” ” I can’t find it call your doctor and the va” what the )$&& I think there wanted me to die so they don’t have to take care of my medical expenses. And if you don’t already have mental issues this will drive you to it. And yes I have talked to choice, doctors, case manager, patient advocate, had stuff resubmitted, called everyday, you name it I have done it. This is a great example of the health care the vets are still getting. I have even had my Oncoligist use the same authorization number to get testing done and had him use the website choice asked me to and step by step had him request additional services and fax what they needed. And had the doctor speak w the supervisor at the main va office. The doctor said that the suporvisor was dumber than a burnt out light bulb and spoke to her three times and the suporvisor couldn’t remember speaking to her and needed a 20 min reminder in conversation to make her lightbulb come on. So who is in charge of this mess. Choice won’t let me speak to a suporvisor and there isn’t an office to walk into. I’m so frustrated. Was told to lie still, not drive, not to make sudden movements with my head. Or I could have a brain anurisium or stroke this was three weeks ago. Still waiting for approval on urgent Mri of my neck and brain. WOW ?

    1. If a state overseen insurance company in Oregon jacked you around like that the State of Oregon would bring the hammer down and your net worth would be considerably higher. And that is before your civil lawsuit was filed.

      Ask the new POTUS if his agency is always going to be a second rate system for those who have not betrayed America? (maybe even coming in LAST PLACE compared to us dope smokers here in Oregon…. )

    2. Jennifer

      Here is what I do when dealing with the VA and their Choice program.

      Our local, tiny, VA clinic doesn’t even have an X-Ray machine on site. Needless to say, that really limits the amount of medical care that one can receive at any given time.

      I am currently dealing with cancer of my right kidney and a fatty liver with a Lesion on it. Probably due to extreme, heavy exposure to all the different types of Agent Orange.

      I don’t ask any VA QUACK for permission to utilize the Choice program. I simply go and they pay.

      The reason the VA pays is fairly simple. They know, by law, they have to pay. If they cannot provide the necessary medical treatment there really is no other option for them.

      Veterans have to be willing to step forward and take control of their own health issues. Stop being afraid of what the VA says they can do to stop you and take whatever necessary steps you need to in order to resolve any health issue.

      The VA, for far to many years, have used a heavy hand to stop veterans, any way they can from doing what is right.

      Our country is seriously divided over many issues. Individuals are now more than willing to openly defy parts of the establishment that has held them down for to many years. I don’t condone riots but I am willing to step forward as a combat veteran and expressed my displeasure at being treated as a second class citizen. And part of my displeasure is finally realizing I am very tired of being told when and where I may receive my medical care.

      This has been what works for me, in my continuing, verbal fight with the VA system

      VA doctors missed finding the cancer of my kidney and also the serious issue with a fatty liver with Lesion. I AM and WILL continue treatment through the civilian sector.

      You do whatever it takes to take control of your own body. Good luck!!

    3. Jennifer, Imagine how many millions have been taken from Choice to hire these people working the call centers. Funding paying for nitwits at the VA, etc.

      …only for Choice to reimburse those providers at rates equal to or less than Medicare, if they are paid at all.

      Is it nothing more than a scam.

      I went through the same thing. Called repeatedly, got the same BS excuses time after time. I was eventually told about the “Choice champions” that were hired to help veterans through the program, but they were dumber than a fence post.

      The only thing that helped was having my congressman inquire as to what the problem was. It still took 57 days, even though I called the provider first and told them of the Choice authorization. It took 57 days for Choice to call them to make the appointment. At one point, about 45 days in, Choice tried to tell me the VA sent the wrong paperwork, and I would have to start over. That’s when I sent the request to my congressman.

      Months after the appointment, I got a call from a confused patient advocate. He thought a complaint of mine was about Choice billing. He told me my provider had sent the bill for my appointment to Montana rather than to the right place.

      It was bullshit, because the provider who I had the appointment with had been involved with Choice since it started. The provider knew the program and knew where to send the bills. I stayed in touch with them until I got the appointment. The provider was better informed about Choice than the VA or their “Choice champions”.

    4. @ANutterVet: Brother, I am sorry your in pain, inside and out, I wish I was there with you. I know how frustrating all this is for you. Get those thoughts out of your head, they are not doing you any good. It’s those kind of thoughts that makes those hungry hungry hippos win, and we sure don’t want those f ing bastards to win anything. It is when I see post’s like yours that angers me because I hurt with you. This is why there should be a P.M. component to this blog, so we can have a conversation in real time in private. I know we just met, but believe me, I care a whole f…………ing lot about you. So do others. You know that is true. Fuck the damn doctors at the va, who the hell do they think they are getting you all upset over their f…….ing bs? This is not how this is suppose to work my friend. Any doctor that does not LISTEN to a patient, is not a doctor at all, They are a pet fucking rock, do they think we like talking to pet fucking rocks? I will be at your facility in the morning and I will pick up that pet fucking rock and skip it’s ass across the Delaware fucking river for you, while you try to hit it with a big stick, we will show them how the real hungry hungry hippo dance is done!!!! Let’s cut off all their damn hair and crazy glue their heads up their asses, right where it belongs. If they have dingleberries, I will bring a rasp file and a guitar tuner, and we can put on rubber gloves and tune each berry, to a different key, so when they walk down the halls of the va with their heads up their asses they will also be chinging out the star spangled banner.

      1. @cj – Thanks for the love Brother. When you get all tuned up and share your analogical humor, it gets me laughing so much, its like taking a big hit of seedless Hawaiian weed, whereas your testicles feel like their moving up into your abdomen. And, yes, the need to legalize weed for medical purposes instead of putting it in a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance. Too much research shares how beneficial it can be for those who don’t respond to or need a combination of medical treatments. Sorry for going off on a tangent.

        As a biologist with extensive research, there is no other way to say it, these people are fucking dangerous. Ever since I’ve focused and tuned them up with specific questions, and then challenge them with pertinent scientific rebuttals, they drop the subject and say squat. Nothing. They don’t admit that you’re right, and they definitely don’t admit any wrong.

        Its frustrating, and I know that their medical practices is not good for my health. Even that’s contradictive. I have given them the benefit of the doubt, and every single time that I’ve tried to be reasonable, they used me and shafted me a good one each time. Wife’s upset, K9 buddy is on edge, and I don’t have any more room for bullshit.

        Conversation got so bad with my PCP, due to trying to understand where they were coming from, I actually started banging on my head while in her office. She didn’t even respond to my actions. Only saying, you were a little late, and we only have a 1/2 hour appointment. It’s so bad, they don’t even pick up on things when it happens right in front of their eyes.

        I’m trying my best to chill. But I’ll tell your Brother, once I’ve reached the point where I consider them an outright complete threat to my health [almost there by the thickness of a cunt hair], I sometimes black out with anger. I despise dirty science. I can’t stand it, and I have no respect for a person that pushes it. It’s dangerous, especially in today’s world.

        BTW, where did you learn how to do your graphical icons that gets a message off so kindly, gentle, and warm hearted? LOL

      2. @ANutterVet: I hear ya, just know you are definately smarter than they are. I always tell people, veterans or not, you have to be proactive in taking care of your own health. Never believe any doctor, va, or private. You have to get other opinions and research what your issues are, and then find a doctor that not only listens, but is with you 100%

        As for the graphics, just google: ascii art_____________<——insert "middle finger" etc.
        Then when you find one you like just copy and paste it into your post. You can find almost anything, dogs, snowflakes, (shhhhh I know, trouble maker), check it out and post a good one for me. Sometimes you need to mess with them a bit, line em up right etc.

      3. @cj – Thanks for you concern. I guess finding the right doctor is like finding the right woman. I’m going to check out the digital stick pencil art. In the mean time, I going to take a clonazepam, relax, and wait until the eye lids get a little lower. We’ll see what happens. Many times anxiety overpowers the meds too. Powerful stuff that adrenaline.

      4. @ANutterVet: Hey look, it’s the new V.A. Secretary.

        __,__
        .–. .-” “-. .–.
        / .. \/ .-. .-. \/ .. \
        | | ‘| / Y \ |’ | |
        | \ \ \ 0 | 0 / / / |
        \ ‘- ,\.-““ “”-./, -‘ /
        `’-‘ /_ ^ ^ _\ ‘-‘`
        .–‘| \._ _ _./ |’–.
        /` \ \.-. / / `\
        / ‘._/ |-‘ _.’ \
        / ; /–~’ | \
        / .’\|.-\–. \ \
        / .’-. /.-.;\ |\|’~’-.|\ \
        \ `-./`|_\_/ ` `\’. \
        ‘. ; ___) ‘.`; /
        ‘-.,_ ; ___) \/ /
        \ “’——‘\ \ ` /
        ‘. \ ‘. | ;/_
        ___> ‘. \_ _ _/ , ‘–.
        .’ ‘. .-~~~~~-. / |–‘`~~-. \
        // / .—‘/ .-~~-._/ / / /—..__.’ /
        ((_(_/ / / (_(_(_(—.__ .’
        | | _ `~~`
        | | \’.
        \ ‘….’ |
        ‘.,___.’

      5. @ cj, @ ANutterVet, thanks for the graphic info. @A NutterVet, are you ok? I think you handled yourself well today dealing with the va. Is your anxiety bad now? You have meds for that? I need you guys to be funny, it really helps me a lot at times. @ ANutterVet, i am worried about you and your PTSD. Are you ok?

      6. @Ex va, @cj- Yeah Brother, I’m trying to chill. I took a clonazepam earlier. Only have a few left. VA MH won’t see me for 1 1/2 months. I just seen my PCP, but they won’t communicate with each other to get me more meds to give me relieve. And, MH has already prescribed this med to me before. I’m trying to find the humor, but its a very big struggle.

        I usually with drawl for a bit, settle down, relax, get recharged, and ready for lives battle again. I think you know what I mean. Viscous cycle or circle, applies both ways. Watching Comedy Central for laughs.

      7. @ ANutterVet, glad to hear it. I go on YouTube a lot and watch stupid things to make me laugh.

      8. @AnutterVet, @Ex va: Hey look the va just hired another doctor.

        ,,,,,
        (o o)
        /. .\
        (_____)
        : :
        ##O##
        ,,,: :,,,
        _)\ : : /(____
        { \ / ___}
        \/) ((/
        (_______)
        : :
        : :
        / \ / \
        “”” “””

      9. @cj – They didn’t hire any new doctors. They’re imposters, the VA knows it, and they still get paid. What’s up with this.

      10. The simpler the ascii art the better it comes out, so pick a basic one you don’t have to mess with, that looks good when you post it in your comment before hitting post.

      11. @cj – That came across my mind after viewing ones that you sent that were a little more complex to the others. I’m going to chill for a bit. Need to rest my mind and to recalculate. Wives asleep, dog is down, and I’m a wandering wondering mind.

      12. @cj – Brother, I don’t want to be the to tell you this, but you got fucked by a fucking duck. ROFL

      13. @ANutterVet: OMG I think that makes it a threesome!!!! woo hoo checks another one off the bucket list.

      14. @ANutterVet, @Ex va: I gotta go and find some duck tape to fix my quack, after that…………….I feel soooo cheap now!!!!! Goodnight, and God Bless.

  28. I have been watching several different news sources this morning and *not one peep* yet about today’s 2:30 VA Sec. nominee Shulkin being talked about…ONLY the Supreme Ct. nominee is being talked about.

    Why do I mention this?

    Because it strikes me that we Veterans and our ongoing plight with the Dept. of Veteran Affairs is apparently either NOT “newsworthy enough” or that it’s absolutely no coincidence that just about ANYTIME anything with the VA comes-up, something ELSE ALWAYS shadows that news. Anyone else notice this unmistakable pattern that’s way beyond randomness at this point?

    What I am suggesting is that protecting the VA Cookie Jar may be a much larger effort from all around the table than we first thought. After decades of entrenched corruption and many corrupt ratty hands in cookie jar that are related to other ratty hands in jar, that nepotism has created a new bloodline and genus of SUPER RAT.
    Is this why it seemed to be the last cabinet appointee by Pres. Trump’s team to be announced, to ensure that preceding news creates smokescreen to cover-up the non-eventful nominee of Shulkin in a VA so hit hard by corruption in recent years? Not talking political parties…just pure and thick greed.
    Yes, I am asking you to consider that there are MORE hands and arms filling the cookie jar in D.C. that there’s no longer any room in that jar for Veterans.
    I only hope that Congress Critters actually show-up for the “Ghost of Shulkin Confirmation Hearing” today…I am not even hearing the ghost’s chains rattling…buried again…engineered burial in my opinion.
    Rant Out.

    1. I noticed that all day long, namnibor. Seems the MSM and even the “alt-right news organizations” are lacking in reporting the truth about VA.
      Seems like we’ve become an after thought!

    2. Nam, I was thinking along the same lines with my comment above. So much going on that overshadows what is happening with the VA.

      I am sure there are many in DC that like it exactly like that.

      It reminds me of congressional hearings in the early 90’s on Gulf War veterans. Nobody in the hearing room except a few congressman who stayed after their opening statement (many did not), a few government officials…usually VA to keep track of things, nobody from the Pentagon since they always testified before the veterans, and no media whatsoever.

      After leaving one such hearing, I walked by another hearing room where there was a lot of commotion. I saw inside when the doors had opened. The seating was filled, there were media everywhere including sitting on the floor. I asked someone what was going on.

      It was a hearing McCain was holding at the time on cable TV rates. This was back when he would be involved in hearings once in awhile to put the squeeze on certain companies. Easier to collect campaign donations.

    3. @Namnibor, @Ex va, @Crazy elf, @cj, @Dennis, @Seymore Klearly, @91Veteran, @Peterson, @Jo3n – Hey folks. The media are dumb fucks. They know what is going on with the VA. The only thing that I know they missed, in the whole time providing news, is the prediction of the come kid, President Trump. There forecasting of a winner went straight out the window and the window was open waiting for it. Dump fucks controlled by the left and fucking helmets [dick heads- and I coined this term on this blog] suck ass with the Governor, Senator, Congressman, Mayors, and every other fucking social engineering liberal dirtbag in each state.

      In actuality, the VA has been a hot issue even before Phoenix broke [those criminals]. The MSM knew all along that the VA still was having problems. And being a person that always crunches numbers, I know that when our Brothers and Sisters started to come home in mass numbers, that the system would be overloaded, therefore creating problems that would need to be attended to and solved. A fucking no brainer.

      The MSM is not for Veterans. If they were, the VA issue would always be kept in the forefront. And, as you folks know, there are so many things going on in the VA, that it makes common sense for the MSM to have many Investigative Reporters in the field. If not, why does Ben have a blog? Ben has more sense then these dumb fucks with a brain the size of a crocodile. Primal instincts in a progressive atmosphere of medical care and the challenges that come with it. Bottom line: Veteran healthcare theft.

      I’m fucking tired of the VA’s medical care. Weird thoughts going through my head. And, in my situation, there is not a patient-PCP relationship. Everything is only what they say. I’m insulted, like my education, thought processes, alternative measures, and my input doesn’t matter. They would rather me to take more opiates [Schedule 2 Controlled Substance], that IS addictive to anyone who takes them, compared to Carisoprodol (Soma)[Schedule 4], that has been shown that it MAY have addictive properties.

      Where is their fucking thinking at? I expect a lot more rationality from medical providers. It’s like I’m talking to someone that doesn’t understand common sense. There is no agreed upon plan for me to have proper help, and due to me being sedentary for a long time [muscle loss, tone, being weak], my PCP [a fucking Nurse Practitioner] doesn’t see my point that my pain and spasms has and will continue to flare up more than normal, when first starting home based Physical Therapy [OT] and Occupational Therapy [OT].

      My PCP said that she is going to have the Clinical Pharmacologist review my jacket for possible care. I informed her that under the job description of a Clinical Pharmacologist [CP], is that they are supposed to evaluate an individual [I refuse to use patient because I don’t believe CP’s should treat people] in order to offer suggestive treatments. She had nothing to say. Did even what to agree with me. I have the dam website for the definition in my favorites folder. “https://www.accp.com/about/clinicalpharmacists.aspx”

      I’m tired, disgusted, and don’t like the thoughts that are going through my mind. I see no future, but pain, and getting worse off. Who the fuck cares? For me it’s a life of dealing with the fucking VA’s in no-thought mode, take more opiates [they have no problem with this] they offered me more today, and they don’t even recognize my concerns or even agree if I’m right. Fuck them.

      As soon as I entered that VA facility my anxiety flew up off of scale. You know me, I was throwing out humor all over the place to help relief the continuous running of the mind, and being in military protective mode. Very draining. Came home, ate, crashed out, woke up, and back dealing with these thoughts combined with extreme pain and severe muscle spasms. I don’t know how much longer that I can deal with these down right no fucking care about you attitude.

      For the hell of it, I feel like contacting some old friends, and talk story with them to find out what if any Soma is on the street. I know the VA is aware that this is happening. As I write tears are streaming down my cheeks. They are forcing me to possible do things that I don’t want to do. What to do? Ranting, Panting, Disgusted, Frustrated, Tired of Bullshit, Lack of Trust, not getting any measureable positive outcomes, and I want this stupid asinine dirty science fucking shit to END !!!!!!

      Even though I don’t personally know you folks, I care and love you. Time is short for me, we need to band together to save lives and to stop this fucking madness. It goes against every grain of thought in which I was trained in to help others and K9’s. As the world fucks over Veterans. Like they need more suffering and pain.

      We should band together and make demands on the VA, just like the inmates are doing in the liberal State of Delaware. Hostage and Prison Standoff – Building C; 2 released, 2 still held as hostage. Delaware Governor Carney has no balls. Authorities said that if prisoners have concerns, they want to hear them. Shit, we as Veterans don’t get this type of an invitation.

      Prisoners said they have issues because of Trump. What the hell are they concerned for, their in jail, with 3 squares a day, medical [probably better than the VA], computers, books, in facility classes and programs, and online college classes. They get more than us. Going to go and confiscate Dennis’s joint, and not log this one as evidence for indictment of this pot head. LMAO

      I thought when President Trump came to Dover for our Brother and his family, shows how he really cares. I only hope that he fires more individuals that get in the way of reforming and reorganizing the VA, in which I consider to be a danger to my health and welfare.

      And we still get fucking turd balling comments like @ME posted. My following statement is giving you the benefit of the doubt. Wait the fuck bro. With respect, where is you dam head at? The VA needs to be upgraded to modern times of progressive and innovative medical treatment and modalities. Hey, do some research on the medical frontiers established in these countries; Israel, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Netherland, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. In fact, the VA band aid type of medical care doesn’t even truly implement medical advancements and innovations that have been and in the progress of discovering. This country is located on the VA’s home turf; you guessed it, the United States. Who is fuckin who over, again?

      1. @ ANutterVet, i am so sorry you are having this bs problems with the va and they are not addressing your pain. You are smarter and more descent of a human than all these va jerk offs could be. I believe things are going to get better for you. You need someone to talk to or just rant, you do it here. We will listen. It angers me that you are suffering like this and not getting the treatment you need. These thoughts and feelings can deceive a person and when the body is in pain it can put you in a flight or fight mode and this can be distorting to what is really going on. Veterans can make bad decisions sometimes in this state. Your intelligent and i know this is a rough patch you are going thru and i know you recognize their faulty treatment. I will continue to pray and believe that this is going to be corrected.

      2. @Ex va – Thanks Brother for standing by me. I’ve been trying to keep this under control for well over a year. I even gave them a heads up that I needed help. They make promises, then renege on them. I keep on telling them, I don’t want any more opiates, please give me the muscle relaxer that has been proven to work for me. The VA even prescribed it to me, once. If you mention Carisoprodaol [Soma], immediately they’ll say, “well your not going to be prescribed that medication, you need to try . . . .

        I have never cussed so much in my life. When I was younger and in the service I did, but nothing compared to now after being treated at the VA. Their process becomes mentally draining, gives you a feeling of hopelessness [opiated don’t help either], and with me, my mind searches, and searches for a way to change all of this.

        Same thing with our media. They know what’s going on. No guts because there controlled by the dam liberal left. And the hearings today, all I needed to do was look at the time that was spent, and a few remarks that some people posted. Another same ole, same ole. Not guts to stand up and say, I’m making changes, if you’re not for me then you’re out of here. Now lets go, we’ve got Veterans that are depending on us to make these life saving necessary changes. Thank you Brother.

      3. @ ANutterVet, if you need something done or letters sent let us know how we can help. We can figure something out to get you help somehow. Don’t like you being in this anxiety and it is not right for you to go thru all of this.

      4. @Ex va – Thank you my Brother. I’ll keep you up-to-date. Thank God for comedy on tv.

  29. The real elephant trying to hide in the room at VA is the idea that they are unfixable. They all believe it or they all perpetrate the idea as evidenced the statement from the SecVA nominee – he diverted money for the greater good. They are so very broken that Congressional directive takes a back seat to his heroic efforts at keeping Titanic afloat.

    Let me ask you how many bought that as evidence?

    Let us suppose that Donald Trump sent his hotels and firms ten billion and told them to make sure there was a doctor at every facility. Then he finds out they spent it on swimming pools and a new lounge in each place. What do you think he would say when the CFO explained that the money was better used for something else? Meanwhile one of his guests drowned at the new swimming pool while drunk and there was not a doctor in sight. I know what he would say.

    Now, why is he hiring somebody that did that to America?

    1. @Dennis along with sergent majors please suggest to the POTUS to put in a side order for some Master Chiefs just in case one of the sergent majors need to nurse a hang over or just plain has a gaf attack. They are both from the same mold just not the same uniform.

      I remember once I asked to dig a hole from mud hole filled water and move said mud and water to another location by a super kind and caring Master Chief Petty Officer. He did not think the leeches and mosquitos making babies in the water hole should be of any major concern to him. According to him I might not of been thinking clearly and he thought by letting me play in the mud and water might help to clear up my head.

      Some time latter I felt this might not be working out like he thought it would. He thanked me for my input and being the kind and caring Master Chief he was and again only thinking of my mental health he asked me if I wanted to stand a dumpster watch in my winter utils. I think he was concerned I might catch a chill or worse from the nasty tropic weather and he suggested it would be a great idea I did this until I was asked to stand down latter. He told me time was getting short and was very concerned that I would late for the dumpster watch and he did want to see me get in trouble with a thoughtless and non caring officer so I was to move along quickly it would be just fine not to wash the muck off mself prior to putting on my cold weather utls.

      He was such a kind and caring man I thought that calling him Chief, that referring to him as dad would be a much better salutation. On second thought I did not want him to treat me as son as the other young sailors might get jealous. So I left things as they were.

      He was such a busy person as all E9’s are I think it slipped his mind and it t took him a day or so to remember I was standing that highly sought after dumpster watch. When he walked with me so he could pick out the perfect dumpster for me he thought it would great that at each quarter hour I was to call out the general orders of a sentry. I guess he thought this would help to improve my mental health or memory. This was hard to do as my mud caked wrist watch was impossible to see and since he suggested how nice I would look standing at attention I was not able to look down or raise my arm. See now why this after hours activity was so highly sought after?

      This watch stood out to be great for shedding 10 quick pounds and instilling in me that I was actually the bug that he was hinting to me that was that I was.

      When I think of this and a few other things this man asked me to do only if I wanted I might add, I can not understand why the snowflakes are so afraid of our comnander in chief. I think our POTUS should take some lessons on how to make friends and influence people from the Master Chief Petty Officer who did more to make me a man then he ever knew This type of adult supervision in our society of today is much needed.

      Thank you Master Chief I think of you often.

  30. Do I see a “shell game” or “malice”? Not only no, but “Hell NO!”
    What I see is pure and simple “GREED!”
    One of the “Seven Deadly Sins!” What I also know is, that sooner or later, persons usually get caught up in their own little spider web. Only, by that time, they’re so wrapped up in the corruption, there’s no way out.
    Just like when President Hoover, in the 1920’s, caught his “poker buddy” he put in charge of the VA, making a “…100 year contract with a floor wax manufacturer out of Indiana…” Then was caught beating the crap out of him in the Oval Office! (Y’all can find this article in the “Library of Congress”!)
    Maybe we need someone to start acting as POTUS as some of those men of past years!
    There’s absolutely nothing wrong with ‘putting the fear of God’ in some of these reprobates!
    When we did something wrong in the military, were called into our Commanding Officer’s office, and read the riot act!
    Those days seem to be lost nowadays.
    Maybe it’s time to bring them back!!!!!

    1. I did something wrong once in the Marine Corps. The Sergeant Major explained in detail at elevated volumn what the infraction was. He determined that the reason for my error was that I had not run for miles and miles and miles…. so he corrected that. For many, many weeks, he corrected that error.

      1. @Bill

        I think people have this whole idea of what a SecVA should be kind of wrong. We know what West Point gave us in that position. We know what Harvard business types bring to the table. How about the following letter, drafted for POTUS to sign.

        To: SecNav, Marine Corps Commandant
        From: POTUS

        General,

        You are ordered to reassign all of your non-combat essential Seargents Major to a special detail. They will travel to each state and reside for the duration of this mission inside the Department Of Veterans Affairs. They will determine using techniques left to their own discretion, discrepencies between the VA mission statement and reality. Once these discrepencies have been identified, the Seargents Major will carry out corrective measures also left up to their own discretion.

        Mission parameters: Beatings, slapping, kicking, intimidation, and sadistic behaviour will be discouragedf in favor of more creative solutions whenever possible.

        Time Frame: Two weeks.

        Mission Completion Parameters: Established bullshit free zones within VA. Seargents Major returned to duty via nearest tavern.

        Tertiary: Please see blanket pardons contained in attachment.

        POTUS

      2. Better have one of those poop canons for each of the VA Facilities so that when the “mission is accomplished” the poop canons can be switched-on and left on a few weeks…just to be sure.

    2. Crazy Elf, I keep thinking Trump is eventually going to get around to the VA. The problem as I see it right now is that there is such a shitstorm of things swirling in DC over his cabinet picks, executive orders, etc., all of which the media are throwing a hissy fit over, there is nothing left for veterans to be heard.

      At some point, we will get past this current circus. Then they will discover veterans and the VA…and it may be worth an article on page A-12. Unless it is embarrassing enough for them to think they can draw blood.

      My concern with it is Shulkin is a hold-over, so the media may not hammer him too much…at first. Then it won’t matter. The media will hammer away.

      …or they spend more time on what the Kardashians are doing.

  31. Choice funds were also transferred to tele medicine stay at home mom docs and the purchase of “truck Clinics” in order to subvert veterans otherwise qualified from actually receiving face to face clinical care. I believe tele medicine is o k if the physician has first established a face to face in clinic knowledge of their patients. Blind tele medicine misses too much. The one I saw made erroneous assumptions and wrote a false history to back up those assumptions. But that is not just telemedicine. That is the way physicians are taught to avoid malpractice claims. A written progress note is presumed to be accurate in court. Very difficult to overcome.

    I don’t see malice unless you see a lack of caring as deliberate. But there is definitely malfeasance.

      1. @ OLDMARINE, they have to give you all copies of anything in your records. You have to sign a release.

  32. There are 18.8 million living US vets as of 1015. Ten Billion dollars divides up to over $531 for each vet. My non VA clinic charges $95 for a complete office visit and accepts walk ins. On average when I was healthy it was rare that I went every year, but assuming one trip per year at least, top off with drugs and a few lab tests and this still leaves enough left over for ice cream and movies.

    What my $95 does not pay for are the wages of the DBC, the wages of the police force at VA, the wages of countless people whose job it is to make others do their job, nor does it pay for a Rolls Royce by their legal team staffed and housed by them because they do not need a legal team.

    It also does not pay for a Cabinet level administration, AFGE union contracts, massive computer IT systems, Computer diagnostic systems codeveloped by IBM, a fleet of motor transportation, grounds keepers, a full service canteen, marbled reception halls, massive public relations campaigns, and not one single doctor from mu non VA clinic has ever been paid to move somewhere else when they fuck up. VA now pays more in late fees to outsourced healthcare than Medicare and medicare processes BILLIONS of dollars more in claims.

    I can see Shulkins point about how hard it is to spend the money on what he was told to spend it on…

      1. 1015 AD?
        Here I thought leeches were advanced medicine with the VA’s Telemedicine where once you tell them what’s wrong with you the VA witch Dr. on other end of screen pushes a button which releases a trap door above the Veteran in the Telemedicine Orgasmatron Booth, where ample amounts of leeches fall onto Veteran along with a few chicken bones and some zombie dust to finish it off for good measure.

        Hell, the VA had to work themselves up to lobotomies as mental health treatments to quiet noisy Vets and I think the VA is still transitioning to electroshock but you have to wait for a wild lightening storm for that appointment. 🙂

    1. Just to be fair, judging by the pot bellies seen wandering the halls of VA and in their photos vs. the folks at my rural clinic, then by the pound VA workers seem like a bargain. Plus at my clinic the workers step outside to excersize instead of utilizing the facility gym, and I rarely have seen non-VA healthcare folks play Hungry Hippo. They just can’t pull off the look. It is all a matter of perspective.

  33. But I don’t see malice here, just the basic inefficacy of American bureaucracy.”

    Do you agree? NO. THE RAT’S KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE CHEESE IS

  34. Meanwhile, we Veterans on Disability Comp. received a Cost Of Living Adjustment of .03% this year, not even a full percentage point…and these hacks can play with Billion$ like it’s a Monopoly Money printing press…sickening rope a dope shell game that since Shulkin approved, will certainly continue if he’s confirmed.

    It’s high time for fresh political meat on the Congressional Veterans Committees. Isaakson is one amongst a herd of dinosaur bureaucrats that needs to retire already…McCain as well. Sleepless nights…hate them. Going for a star gazing and that should help along with some Pink Floyd.

    1. and by the time they took out for Medicare part A and B I didn’t get anything so they gave themselves a raise

  35. Bureaucracy is to blame for the lack of hiring doctors when funding is available. Wrong, Liar! They don’t hire because it is hard to be a doctor or specialist at the va level of clinical productivity. They doctors (pscychiatrist, psychologist,) look to hire other doctors who would be willing to part of the scheduling scheme of not seeing veterans. to neglect Veterans and mistreat and abuse them. These are the kind of doctors and providers they want. If they are a good doctor they resent because it makes them look bad when they run performance data.

    1. That’s TRUE!
      As someone who I presume worked at the DVA (Ex VA), you are aware that most C&P examiners specialize in “Internal Medicine”. This is NOT beneficial to those Veterans, who are ordered to attend a C&P exam, that have ailments not related to Internal Medicine. In other words, these examiners don’t have sufficient enough experience/education to opine on a Veteran, that has an orthopedic problem. I am a PRIME example.
      Furthermore, I asked a few WHY they decided to work for the Gov’t, rather than their own private practice and their answer was due to not being able to afford Medical Malpractice insurance.
      Others stated that they “retired” from private practice.
      IMHO…
      I truly believe that a MAJORITY of Vet claims are backlogged based on the fact that these C&P examiners do NOT QUALIFY to examine Veterans, it THEY (doctors) don’t have the expertise, thus, they have NO BUSINESS opining on conditions, just because they have a “Basic Knowledge” on any particular field.
      Case in Point…
      IF you have an Ortho condition and decide to bypass a Primary Care Physician in public life and you decide (for the sake of argument) to see a doctor who specializes in Internal Medicine, not only are you wasting your time and possibly money, you will be told to see a PCP to be referred.
      Why then, is it different with the VA C&P exam?

      Have you also noticed that, when examined at a VA hospital, there’s a good possibility that you are being examined by an “Intern” (student) of a major university?
      I cannot speak for ALL, but Durham, NC VA Hospital is a prime example. I was operated on by an ortho intern and was glad that his Professor was there to supervise.

      The Bottom Line…
      The question we ALL have to start asking is, does the examining physician have the appropriate knowledge to opine on any given ailment that we Veterans visit them for? This includes X-ray/MRI/CT technicians who read images?
      I believe that the backlog, is in the least, partially due to wrong opinions rendered by those that have NO BUSINESS doing so.
      I ALSO know for a FACT (not ‘Alternative’), that people that review the evidence to resolve a claim are not giving a lot of people the Administrative Due Process, being that they are pressured by mgmt. to “Perform”, thus, the reviewer picks the EASY FILES (those that are small) and resolving them first. The FAT, multi volume files are left to collect dust. Today, NOT being electronic, it is even worst. A lot of people, still pressured to perform refuse to scroll to the older dates, being that it is to tedious and they must resolve “X amount of claims”, within a certain time frame, to receive the “Incentive (quota Bonus) pay!
      Sorry for the length.

      1. @BMCL, you are also correct in your experience, these so called doctors are lacking qualifications, knowledge and experience and they are performing C & P examinations????? The fat C & P files are just ridiculous and is used to legitimize their examination of the Veterans condition. You are right on with what you stated.

  36. I think anytime extreme amounts of money are involved, nobody is to be trusted, There needs to be oversight. Who should do that oversight? That is the 100 billion dollar question. The House and the Senate sure isn’t doing it, and I thought it was their job to do so. Washington has gotten so far out of hand I don’t think it could ever be brought back under control. Maybe Mark Levine is right, we need an article iv convention of states ,to take bake power from Washington, and give it back to the states where it belongs.

    So much information, and corruption, I can’t keep up. Information overload………..maybe by design? Hey look over here, and when you turn your head they pocket another check intended for you. Criminal bastards, everyone of them.

    And as you said Ben, in the meantime at least 20 veterans a day take their own lives. On top of those dieing waiting on treatments. Makes me sick to my stomach.

    I wanna release the Kraken on them spitting fire, and watching lil Senators and Congressmen, run for their lives, as the dragon chases them unrelentingly, like cockroaches scrambling when the lights are turned on.

    1. “I wanna release the Kracken on them…”…HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ALSO, Godzilla and Mothra!

      Quite honestly though, leaving it up to the States is not really a good idea. Elected officials in each State would most likely extort funds by feds for State “pet projects”!
      No matter which way, we are screwed.

    2. The careline would have unspent salary dollars because they did not hire doctors or providers and this money they had to spend or it would be forfeited. The end of a fiscal year was September, so they had to spend this money, but it had to be linked to Veteran care. They would spend on items such as solid cherry office furniture, trips for conference trainings, and other useless items that did nothing to improve Veterans care. This is how it benefits them and they can keep their licenses and their colleagues protected and not improve Veterans care. This stuff is done and administrators know this and they just let it continue to go on as business as usual. To me it is simple fixes, they just do not want to make changes because they would have to actually work.

      1. @Ex va: Yes, your correct, sometimes when I post, I don’t make sence to the topic at hand because I get blinded by anger, and still have the thougts of lost brothers and sisters intrenched in my mind. Also it is very hard for me to keep up with the rest of you. All of you have a much greater knowledge, and are better at sifting through all this information. I don’t even have the ability to form a proper sentence, or paragrah any longer. I am not complaining or anything like that. Some days, i can’t even remember the day before. When I was in jr high school I was getting straight A’s in analylitical geometry, now it is a chore to just memeber my meds, feed the dogs, let them out, and remember appointments, and the V.A. says “it’s not a TBI, it’s a personallity disorder……………………………….I got their personallity disorder right here.
        //____________
        ___________|_)
        _)_)

      2. @ cj, sorry to hear of your cognitive problems. That really sucks. My emotions get the best of me and i don’t make sense at times too. TBI is awful, sorry to hear this about you.
        The confusion and time lapsing i really hate that, i get that too. In my opinion people with personality disorders tend to not interact much. I do not see that at all with you. Your lack of sleep, and i do the same causes a lot of confusion with times and dates. I am out of balance with that it feels like hell at times. I think you do great at communicating. I am slow to respond at times i know. Hands and brain do not work well. I hate someone having the TBI because they really do not know how to give good treatment for this. I feel sorry for anyone having this injury. I know what it feels to loose function if you were high functioning. It is just a struggle at times trying to do your daily living activities.

      3. @Ex va: You have always made PERFECT sence to me. i get the absolute finest care for my TBI, just not from the V.A. I go to a memmory center, with highly qualified doctors, and have for the past 4 years. Can you imagine what it is going to be like if my case ever lands in front of a judge? Memmory center 4+ years of data vs V.A.’s 15 minute accessment by an UNQUALIFIED Psyd. Who by the way in her private practice that she failed horribly at, had numeroous complaints. Comming in drugged up and falling asleep, not knowing her patients got up and walked out. Pitting husband against wife, and laughing about it. Yes this is the same shrink that concluded that the V.A.’s own trained TBI examiner, and 3 independant outside sources with actuall qualified licensed TBI specialist, along with documented MRI scans showing the same were all wrong and she was the only one right. As for remembering things, I set alarms on my phone, along with a message for what the alarm is for. like a trained dog, only not as smart lol.

      4. @Ex va: To reitterate, when I talk about losing brothers and sisters, I am not talking about “in combat” lossed, as I am not a combat veteran. I am talking about close personal friends exposed to AO, that over the years I watched deteriorate without ever getting the help they need from the V.A. Still today, I have friends in need of the same help. This whole wait it out until they die, makes me sick. NON combat veteran with service connected left knee mangled, every single disk herniated, two of witch are completely destroyed, a fractured vertebrae, hearing loss, tinnitus, and when the hammer finally drops, TBI. It really pisses me off that all these years I thought something was wrong with me, I had no clue whatsoever it was a TBI and not me. The military, and the V.A. had all the information to know exactly what was going on and never put two and two together. Thank God I have an excellent privat pcp, that is proactive, and had the ability to see exactly what was going on. FUCK YOU, VAMC health care, my ass.

        …………………./´¯/)
        ………………..,/¯../
        ………………./…./
        …………./´¯/’…’/´¯¯`·¸
        ………./’/…/…./……./¨¯\
        ……..(‘(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)
        ………\……………..’…../
        ……….”…\………. _.·´
        …………\…………..(
        …………..\………….\…

      5. @cj, i know you will get justice from the judge when you finally get to appear before him. You have overwhelming evidence with all these injuries. Va doesn’t have enough with an assessment. Too many brothers and sisters Veterans have been abused, neglected and died from va’s care. The va just does not want to take any responsibility for their failures.

        The va credibility is worthless when they deliberately do these acts criminal acts. Sorry, you have a lot of injuries. Combat Veterans and peace time Veterans we are all Veterans and signed to serve. I do salute combat Veterans and what some of them went thru is unimaginable. I just get upset over this va medical care system because they neglect our own. Probably be fighting for years myself because i know them too well. I like your artwork. LOL!!!!! You do great.!!!! ROFL!!!! There is some comical people here. We need that sometimes!! I know i do.

        Is there any way you can get your military records to enter that with your other evidence? The va should have pulled info off your DD-214. I do not understand the dept. of defense not helping Veterans with benefits.

      6. @Ex va: Yes military records were included, now get this, I was in an explosion in an inclosed room, airlifed to a hospital, I have no memory of the incident or the airlift, or where they brought me , or who I even saw. In their denial they stated in their opinion, I was airlifed to have a 2 inch metal sliver removed from my eye, due to an explosion, and stated personality disorder and not TBI, and headaches and ringing in the ears were most likely an ear infection, although there is no medical report of any ear infection determination. As others have stated in the past, they make shit up as they go along, to support the denial.

      7. Remember, back in 77 they didn’t even know what a TBI was. I would except their denial if they mentioned the reason for refusal of a TBI, was due to the fact in 77, instead of good music like elf’s generation had, we had disco disco duck!!! And therfore it was a pre-exsiting mental disorder.

      8. @ cj, you are lucky to be alive with going thru that incident. Yes, that is what they do, just continue the lie. Once they state it, they keep repeating it. Crazy.! Is your eye ok? Keep copies of all your records. It is better if you read them and remember what is in them if you can. You probably know all of this.

        I watched some of the hearing today. It made me angry, it was like everything is great at the va, what planet are they living on? Every vet i know has had problems with va care. Most of them are afraid to have surgeries or anything serious done at the va.

        I have bone erosion in hands, joints are messed up, mostly inflammation, back is messed up, not as bad as yours. Can you get a knee replacement? I knew of a vet who had his replaced decreased some of his pain. Not surgery at va. Do you have a lot of pain? My pain gets bad at times. Meds help a little, no cure. No wonder you can’t sleep all the physical issues. My physical triggers mental issues i think. If i get some sleep i think it is worse because joints are all frozen up again. Crazy.

      9. @Ex va: I don’t know how to reponde to the pain issue and stuff. When they ask that stupid question “what’s your pain level” I refuse to answer. I think, let’s see, if a woman, giving birth, gets in an accident on the wat to the hospital, and she breaks her leg, and has a femur sticking thourgh the side of her leg, I think that is a 10, so ummm ok maybe my pain is only 1 then. Since I have been living with it for so many years, it’s normal to me, ya know? Eye’s are ok just typical vision loss for my age. I don’t think I am in as much pain as most of you guys here. They want to replace BOTH knees, but, I read a report that says people with back issues, have a high rate of failure with knee replacement surgeries. I don’t know if that is true or not. Your right, I would never trust the V.A. to ever work on me. I hear ya loudly about the pain, and sleeping and such. I don’t think there is an answer for us V.A. or not. Sometimes it’s one of those things we just have to learn to live with. Scary sometimes what goes through a persons mind at times, isn’t it? I hope you can find a way to at least manage the pain you have just enough, if not more, so you can have a good nitht’s sleep, without worrying about waking to locked up joints etc. I wish I knew a good Chinamen, that could help us all with some magical accupunture. “Ahh u go now u awl bedda now weedhoppa”. He/she could do a huge group accupuncture and make a small fortune off us. Oh no, I hope he don’t bring no mis-fortune cookies with him/her. We had enough of that. lol Will talk later Ex va. I need to have diner, drugs, and drool while watching some tv. Be good,

      10. cj, my comment is for your memory related or cognitive problems. There are ways to compensate for it which you are doing, the problem is in recognizing when remembering something could be a problem.

        I have been fighting those problems for over 25 years since they started while I was still in the Gulf War. I firmly believe the problems are from us being exposed to chemical weapons when the munitions dumps and Saddam’s chemical plants were blown up and the chemical clouds were blown south by the wind over the top of us. While the effects may not have been enough to cause immediate symptoms, there is no medical evidence of what low level prolonged exposure will do over time.

        While I was still there, I noticed I could not recall details of events that occurred a day or two previous. Those problems continued and got worse long after I came home where I could not remember things that I had easily remembered before, and got to the point where I was not only forgetting, but easily distracted from whatever I was trying to do.

        I used to keep pocket notebooks with me filled with notes, appointments, phone numbers, etc., and took detailed notes of phone calls because I would forget so much within a couple days. When PDA’s came out, a good part of my life went into it so I could remember things. Now with smart phones, I do the same, and would be lost without it.

        I don’t go to the store to buy more than 3 things without making a list because I can’t remember them, and those 3, I can only remember them when I repeat the list to myself several times.

        The funny thing is, in conversation with people like commenting on this blog, memories can be triggered and I can remember things in detail that happened long ago. There are other times when in conversation with someone about an event I was involved in, I cannot remember any detail at all…like I was never involved in it.

        One of the toughest things still is comprehending something I am reading. Some things I can read through and understand what I read, but other things I find myself having to read sentences several times to understand it. Some of it might be writing style or it may be how interested I am in it to start with, but other times it doesn’t matter…I just cannot understand what I am reading.

        Ben’s posts are easy to read and understand, but other things I read like news articles or other things are like gibberish. I can start reading, then I find myself having to read sentences over and over to understand it.

        The problem has gotten better over the years simply because I have gotten better at compensating for it.

        The two biggest things I have noticed that really cause problems with me remembering something is stress and lack of consistent sleep. Reducing stress or getting consistent sleep doesn’t fix the problem at all, but they certainly make it much worse if I am stressed about something or didn’t get good sleep over 4 hours.

        If I recognize I am getting stressed about something, I make more notes, make reminders in my phone, might not read something, etc.

        It helps, but it’s never fixed completely.

      11. @91 Veteran: Thank you for your reply. I honestly coould not beiieve my eyes, complete shock, really. Like you reached into my head, and that is what you found. I must have read it over and over again at least ten times. You know EXACTLY what this is like. Sometimes, you can’t tell if you actually had a converstation with someone, or if you just thought you did. You even do stupid shit like, take a shower, and then not remember if you washed, so you do it all over again. The anger that comes with it I can’t even discuss. I could tell you things that have happened and you would be shocked. To do something, and have your own son stop you before it was too late, and to see the look of terror on his face? I have to be very careful not to put myself into situations where I know I could snap. I remember when I was 19, and had friends over, we were talking about what to do for the night, next thing I know i am laying on the ground looking up at them all and the shocked look on their faces I will never forget. I asked what just happened? They said I passed out, and was jerking all about. My first siezure, few months later we were all out at a bar watching a live band, I went up to a waitress to order drinks, same thing happened again. Every once in a while I will be driving and In an instant I am in a fog and feeling like I am about to pass out, then it is over. Nothing like those two siezures prior. Then in 2007 two weeks after having a heart attack, sitting at the kitchen counter, I again had two siezures, one right after another. They thought it was my heart, but no, it wasn’t. They had no answer for what happened. They think they know what TBI’s are and the residual effects, but they don’t, not really, nobody does. Enough rambling on, thank you again for your reply………….simply amazing what your wrote……..I am still in disbelief.

    3. NASTY VA RATS ARE DOGS IN HEAT TO KILL VETS ON WAIT TIME SCAMS TO GET THE BONOUS $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ SCREW YO KING VA RAT DE SHULIKIN SENATOR ISSAKISION VETS SCREWED AGIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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