VA Accountability Executive Order

New Executive Order May Divorce Veterans Appeals Reform From VA Accountability

VA Accountability Executive Order

President Donald Trump has announced he will sign an Executive Order this Thursday to create the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection.

The Executive Order is written for the purpose of helping “the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to discipline or terminate VA managers or employees who fail to carry out their duties in helping our veterans. The Office will also identify barriers to the Secretary’s authority to put the well-being of our veterans first.” It will also help protect whistleblowers.

New accountability legislation is moving through Congress but is noted by The Daily Caller News Foundation (TheDCNF) to presently be facing an uphill battle.

That uphill battle is the result of crafty lawmakers colluding with VA officials in a move to marry veterans appeals reform with the accountability act.

Outcry within the veteran community has resulted in a groundswell against appeals reforms because the reforms will limit veterans rights and the duties VA is required to adhere to when assisting a veteran’s claim on appeal.

If the reforms become law, they will restrict a veteran’s ability to develop evidence for a claim on appeal and will significantly limit the agency’s duty to assist the veteran in developing evidence on appeal in the manner presently required.

Shadow Meeting

In a shadow meeting with The Big Six, the Department of Veterans Affairs negotiated an agreement with leadership of at least a few of the organizations to take the heat for the regulatory reforms coming should the present accountability and appeals reforms be voted into law.

With this Executive Order, President Trump is effectively shunting the “accountability” portion of the legislation, which will force the appeals reforms to stand on their own.

Without the public leverage for VA accountability to lean on, the reforms package as they stand will likely not be successful.

New VA Office

So, in theory, the new office will be created to help VA leadership terminate the employment of bad VA managers and those same managers who retaliate against whistleblowers. However, some are concerned the joint mission of the office will result in good employees being terminated for whistleblowing, depending on who staffs the office.

Now, isn’t there already an office for this called the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Inspector General? Both of these offices, one outside the VA and the other is the supposed designated VA watchdog, supposed to make recommendations the administration should follow?

Brandon Coleman, an infamous VA whistleblower and activist who was retaliated against, thinks the move might be positive.

“I smiled when I heard this was happening Thursday,” Brandon Coleman, a noted Phoenix VA whistleblower, told TheDCNF. “I applaud President Trump for not waiting to take action but instead continuing his push for accountability at the VA with this executive order.”

“I think we have a VA Secretary in Dr. David Shulkin that wants to bring transparency to the Department of Veterans Affairs and setting up a whistleblower division is a great way to bring whistleblowers to the table instead of trying to destroy our careers, as the VA has done time and time again over the past 3 years,” Coleman added. “Whistleblowers are the only ones who have continued to tell the truth at great risk to our professional careers within VA.”

As stated earlier, this Executive Order divorces appeals reform from accountability.

While the creation of yet another office may not be a perfect solution, veterans may experience some benefits by not losing appeals rights in order to hold rogue agency employees accountable.

Source: https://dailycaller.com/2017/04/24/trump-will-sign-an-executive-order-creating-an-office-to-get-rid-of-bad-veterans-affairs-employees/

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80 Comments

  1. Read the EO in its entirety

    “https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/04/27/presidential-executive-order-improving-accountability-and-whistleblower”

    1. @LP: Thanks LP, I read it, and in the end I am perty sure it say blah blah blah, nothing changes. Read the very end, carefully…………another useless EO. Should be called the empty promise EO.

    2. @LP, thanks for posting. It sounds a little different than statutes. Doesn’t say they will protect anyone rights. If it is all subject to interpretation than it means very little.

  2. i was watching the news the other night, and they were speaking with a veteran (team rubicon) wanting his opinion on the new accountability bill Pres Trump signed.

    They showed shulkin speaking at WH lawn afterwards of the signing.

    what really gets to me, is i rarely hear any talk or analysis of the many other VA issues, one in particular, that’s the VBA area. you know, the rampant mis-diagnosis to thwart compensation or if its not to thwart compensation then these doctors are reckless swampers, the backlog/appeals issues, etc.

    well, i do hear once in awhile a news org discussing the claims/backlog/appeals issues, but zero traction is worked on that. oh, we see the band-aids and VA/VBA heads speaking through smoke-n-mirrors, but that is about all i see and hear about that.

    i applaud what the veteran and his teamrubiconusa is doing, though i know little about it. but him or the interviewer to suggest after hearing shulkin talk that the VA is making progress and moving towards better technology, my mind gets aghast at the failure to mention the decades of on-purpose-misdiagnosis-deny_claims issues.

    granted i’m too close to the issue since i, like most on this blogs, had to battle decades to get the correct diagnosis acknowledged and thus correct compensation codes.

    @Ben, write the WH one of your letter-head letters asking if this new accountability office is going to tackle the issue i raised. they may read a letter from you versus most of us has our correspondence trashed on arrival. most online veterans groups certainly has this issue of rightful benefits as one of their chief complaints. geez, VA recently sent out letters stopping veteran caregivers their slot in the caregiver program…that is, out of the blue, their caregiver benefits were stopped. due to the news coverage i think they VA corrected this though i don’t know if that correction is permanent.

    as for Miller, over tired of asking and expecting his help regarding veterans & VA. becoming a lobbyist tells most of us what we need to know or already knew. saw a lot of drama between him and VA, but he was ineffective getting real changes at VA. with last administrations, VA simply gave Congress the flippant bird and went about its corrupt business still getting mo money from the taxpayers.

    @Ben: While the creation of yet another office may not be a perfect solution, veterans may experience some benefits by not losing appeals rights in order to hold rogue agency employees accountable.

    so, we are NOT losing appeals rights with this new EO? at first it read like we were losing appeals rights…isn’t that why NOVA walked out of one meeting?

    when it comes to the VA/VBA and veterans claims and th ehistory of VA mis-diagnosing on purpose, like the halls of Congress go deaf, dumb & blind.

    1. VBA employees are part of the VA and they are to be held accountable, just like the rest.

      First to be held accountable should be management. The rest will get the message.

      If they do not, they can join the dismissed manages. The VA sub committee on veterans affairs is introducing a Bill, that will allow outside medical evidence as proof of a disability.

      The way it sounded only VA evidence could be used. There lies a problem with VBA, it seems they don’t even look at the VA evidence, unless the veterans send them a copy of their medical evidence from the VA.

      You are correct in your thinking, it’s not all about the lack of care, it’s getting an adjudicated claim approved.

      That must be investigated and many claims must be examined for errors or right out denial.

      Again it all starts with how the manager’s teach their employees. The difference between right and wrong.

      VA employees are so use to doing as they please, with no checks or balances or they just look the other way.

      Veteran’s voices must be listened too and the benefit of the doubt go in favor of the veterans.

      The good old buddy system must be addressed. I do not think manager’s should be able to hire employees.

      This should be left to someone else. This will not allow for friends from being hired and the deck stacked.

      1. The VA doesn’t even look at VA medical documents sent to them as evidence for a claim. I sent in ONLY VA medical documents that stated Clearly and in bold/highlighted that I was diagnosed with TBI by two separate VA neurologists on two separate visits, with MRI images and reports to back it. The claim was outright denied with a letter back to me after 18 months that stated: ” your claim is denied due to a lack of medical documentation.”
        (I appealed it that same day. They sent back the same letter after 14 months)
        I appealed again the same day I got the second letter, and they sent me a third denial letter two years later stating that my appeal is denied because I didn’t file for the appeal within 12 months of the last denial letter…I appealed it again. Still waiting.

  3. Our government makes filing a complaint so difficult and VA simply keeps making red tape and hoops for we vets to jump thru knowing that many of us will simply grow so weary of it all and give up. I have a spinal injury from in service. The army knew it at the time but because it was 1976 they did not have the technology that we do today and dismissed my medical injury. Now via a MRI they have found 2 old fractures of my spine! But will the VA take responsibility, grant me in service disability pension…no! I receive $1,000.00 a month total income for non-service connected disability when in fact it is service connected. I have tried to even go to Congresswoman Jackie Walorski’s office where I was simply blown off though she claims to fight for the vet…haven’t seen any truth in that yet. (Indiana congresswoman) I can only hope that President Trump will be able to do all he says he will for all of us veterans.

  4. Would someone tell J. Gallegass, that during the Viet Nam era there was no such diagnosis as PTSD. It was through the research done on returning veterans during the war and after that the criteria was developed to establish a full diagnosis. Thanks to the Veterans of Viet Nam, in 1980 a diagnosis of PTSD was added to the DSM by the American Psychological Association.

  5. I gotta really bad feeling about this!
    As in —–
    “Dog and pony show!”
    “Smoke and Mirrors!”
    “Band-Aid Fixer-upper!”
    All at the expense of the veterans!
    I don’t believe we’re going to see any true reform of the Veterans Administration until ________ _______ _________ _________ _______?

    Y’all fill in the blanks!

    1. @Crazy elf- Let me try: Until Hell Itself Freezes Over? Close? 🙂 If not, how about: Until AFGE Weaned From Teats? 🙂

      1. Until the military is starved of fresh meat. Go make life miserable for your local recruiter.

    2. Listen Up – Just Approved – Guess the right 5 word phrase by Crazy elf, and the VA will give you 100% proper healthcare, streamline and approve your claim(s), remove your name from the VA’s Disruptive Behavior Committee’s List, and a bonus of $25k. Plus, you’ll be able to pick and submit the names of 1000 VA Union Employees that will immediately be dismissed upon the correct phrase being submitted.

      All Veterans are eligible whether you have the right or wrong discharge paper(s). One submission per each branch of military that you served in.

      As a special bonus, the winner will be invited to the White House for dinner, and then give the Donald a ballah head haircut. Contest expires when a winner is announced.

      1. @Psychological Imposter – – – BOLO Head. Not BALLAH head. Garans Ballbarans, Brah!

      2. @Disgruntled Veteran – VA Shully Shulkster reviewed your VA records. You’ve been put back onto the Disruptive Behavior Committee’s List [DBRL] for the umpteenth time due to possibly recognizing the real PI and for challenging the contents of an approved post. You’re a Veteran that can’t focus on the prizes; a downright trouble maker because of your perceived awkward and deviant behavior and knowledge. Your complete military jacket has been put into a special category, one that will be named when the VA figures out how to file you. Please standby for further orders from the VA’s Senility Selecting Authority [SSA]. No need for additional posts, the Reply buttons don’t work. Thank you for not understanding and your disservice. Please watch your six due to sneaky and unsatisfied Mahu’s that quickly come up from behind. POTUS has issue an Executive Order, that informed the Home Office that you’re eligible for a relocation voucher to an isolated area of your choice. The authorities are going to secretly pick you up, and force you to eat Humuhumunukunukuapua’a until you admit to nothing. Mahalo Nui Loa from PI.

    3. @Elf – – – National Military Service Is Mandatory.

      Caveat: With Zero Exception.

  6. The VA doesn’t teat me very well. And I don’t think it teats anyone well so long as the DBC is around.

    1. How long do you think a civilian hospital would remain viable if they instituted a DBC in the general population!?!? Pile on top of that what would happen if that same civilian hospital employed its own armed security force whom they could dictate escort you at all times while on property.

      How any milliseconds Ben, would it take for an ENORMOUS lawsuit to be filed if they started sending out letters to paying customers that they had been deemed misfit for further treatment without just cause, Due Process, or any evidence that the patient had mistreated their folks? Now heap on top of that that ONLY one group of patients are thusly targetted.

      Are we talking ten milliseconds or twenty? How big of a lawsuit Ben, would it be if your civilian doctors began to withhold treatment from paying customers based on what an internal hospital committee decided! How much money would be subtracted from their coffers for treating people this way? How many docs would be fired and therefor be forced into VA residencies because they are deemed unsafe to practice these things on people who have access to Due Process (non vets)?

      Can ANYONE explain to me the justification for denying Due Process to the sub class of Americans known as veterans? Mr. President, want to give it a shot? No?

      Why?

      1. I’m thinking at this point it would take some ‘ring-knocker veterans’ receiving shitty substandard third world medicine for change to actually happen to benefit Veterans but even then, those changes might only apply to those accustomed to the metallic taste of silver when eating their caviar in first class when traveling or wiping their asses. Same orifice, same difference. 🙂

  7. Off topic…

    “https://wakingtimesmedia.com/never-forget-hero-cop-blew-whistle-okc-bombing-not-commit-suicide/?utm_source=Waking+Times+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a071b0d370-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_25f1e048c1-a071b0d370-54424941”

    1. LP i read that one when it came out …another one gets screwed for being honest….According to his widow, instead of being showered with accolades by the US government for his heroism, Yeakey was killed, with his death being framed to look like a suicide (although a very poorly staged one) only days before receiving the police department’s Medal of Valor for his heroic rescue efforts on day of the Oklahoma City bombing…..

  8. Hey Elf,

    Did you happen to catch what needs to be added to the list.

    “https://www.facebook.com/30thSpaceWing/posts/10156032139989897”

    “30th Space Wing (Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.)”

    “MINUTEMAN III SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH

    VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled for Wednesday, April. 26, between 12:01 a.m. to 6:01 a.m. from north Vandenberg Air Force Base.

    The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapon system, according to Air Force Global Strike Command.

    Col. John Moss, 30th Space Wing commander, is the launch decision authority.

    “Team V is once again ready to work with Air Force Global Strike Command to successfully launch another Minuteman III missile,” said Moss. “These Minuteman launches are essential to verify the status of our national nuclear force and to demonstrate our national nuclear capabilities. We are proud of our long history in partnering with the men and women of the 576th Flight Test Squadron to execute these missions for the nation.”

    The 576th Flight Test Squadron will be responsible for installed tracking, telemetry, and command destruct systems on the missile.”

    Also you know how President Trump waited until he had China’s President seated and eating dinner before launching the 48 cruise missiles on Syria. I wonder what surprise he might have in store for the swamp rats when they meet at the White House today.

    1. Didn’t know about the missile firing.

      I gotta feeling we may like the outcome of his meeting with the Senate!

      How about Ted Cruz’ idea of using ‘El Chapo’s’ drug money to build the wall, since the GOP’s new budget doesn’t include it!

      Here’s one for you ——–
      From; “The Still Report”
      dated: 25 April 2017 (9:00 min long)
      Titled;

      “Why Did Rep Chaffetz Attack Gen Flynn?,1596

      This video has a video within it from Freedom Watch. (The Federal Prosecutor who started Judicial Watch started Freedom Watch!)
      He’s got something very interesting concerning that helicopter that was shot down carrying all those SEALS awhile back! I believe it was carrying two “teams” which was unusual!

  9. Let us be blunt; IF America decides that vets need to be pushed off onto a government run clusterfuck called VA healthcare, there is ONLY one way to institute accountability.

    We must allow the system alreaady in place and refined through thousands uupon thousands of individual cases in America. We have a system so very good at holding doctors accountable that ONLY in VA can doctors maim, hurt, and neglect patients because in the private sector they simply do not get away with this.

    We remove now and forever the progibition of suing the doctors on an individual basis for malpractice, as well as all other persons at VA. Society at large has already embraced this model of accountability and in order to maintain domestic tranquility the process is continually refined throug the continued use and practice of it. Doctors in the real world also screw the pooch, but in doing so the pooch bites back. Let me ask you, if a person within VA who sits on a DBC committee can be personally held liable for damages including emotional despair for their actions then they will get to answer to a “special” kind of Disruptive Behavior Committee that society calls a “jury”.

    What these Presidents all end up doing is really the same thing; they add more layers to the onion. Think about the logic here; we have a system in which we need to employ people to retaliate against those we employ to supervise those who provide healthcare, AND when at doesn’t work, we create another agency that we employ to monitor the corruption levels of those who are supposed to be he watchdog???

    The VA does NOT generally employ corrupt persons – it is the VA that corrupts the person. My question to POTUS is this; “Are VA employees above the law?” They either are or they are not. Second question, “What precisely does America gain by exempting ONLY the doctors who serve exclusively veteran populations from the ordinary legal remedies provided for the rest of America?”

    What America gains is pain, suffering, malice towards vets, and RAMPANT corruption. What America gains instead of asking a judge and jury to determine what is good and what is bad is that we know leave it up to a “committee” whom you cannot face despite accusation, whom you cannot know, whom may or may not be an American, and whom gets to determine on a case by case basis what precisely constitutes an infraction and who gets to decide on a case by case basis the duration, extent, manner in which the punishment will be applied.

    The hatred generated by these notorious committees is beyond measure and transcends generations. We have father, son, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, and brothers and sisters and wives of vets all being tried and convicted of ANY perceived slight and then be labelled in official records that follow you nationwide. It is far worse than most realize. I do not think it is a handful at all who are victims of the DBC – it is thousands.

    This is what America has gained by holding harmless ONLY those medical technicians who serve VA and it is this that must stop or any office created simply becomes corrupted itself and is within months welcomed into the fold…

  10. potous triumper is the swamp now VETS SCREWED AGIN BUY VA DC HQ COME MERDIA POTUS TRUMPER YO ARE THE SWAMP NOW IN DC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

  11. The congress critters are actively also again, exempting themselves AND ALL congress critter interns and aids from new healthcare bill….AND…guess what else?

    The congress critters are ALSO going to allow individual states to opt-out on medical preconditions, meaning, if you happen to have a few more chronic health issues, you will be paying premiums and costs out the ass………….WTF?

    RAT BASTARDS.

  12. This action kinda reminds me when the started to reform the internal revenue service. People were losing homes and everything when the irs was out of control. All the charges and fees where so that an individual could not afford to pay the penalties. The irs lost ground in a lot of court cases and then it finally began to change. I feel that maybe with the va being sued and losing in courts they may lose their authority like the irs lost some of theirs. I am not saying the irs still doesn’t still hurt individuals financially, they are not as bad as they once were.

    The va is so political i am afraid it will take reform on such a scale that they will refuse to do it. The va is very good at dodging and then hiding until the storm blows over. The media doesn’t seem to want to pick up the stories of the crimes against Veterans. We do not have much leverage in that arena. It has to change somehow. I do not trust Shulkin, he is not getting the job done for accountability. Maybe he will hear POTUS famous words first. “Your fired”.

  13. Where going to have Mexico build the Great Wall of the US’s Southern Boarder. And, if Canada keeps hoarding the wood product prices, I’ll have them Red Mounties build a Northern Boarder Wall. Bad behavior, bad behavior. I’m going to put those Northern neighbors of ours on the Nation Disruptive Behavior List. And, I’ll create another Executive Order. Mess with me will they. Suck my teat.

  14. Not a single positive comment…………….Hey President Trump…….you getting the memo here?

    1. @-.-..—, trying to be somewhat positive here. The government has made agencies change in the past when they became out of control. The va has just had too much authority without any accountability.

      How is your dog? I hope everything is fine.

    2. @-.-..—, sorry i missed you tonight lost charge tonight for some reason. Talk to you later. Take care.

  15. This is interesting news. I did not know rat bastards in Congress were trying to tie screwing veterans and appeals with VA accountability.

    Why not do this with other federal programs? Why is it a veteran promised benefits always getting the short end of the stick from Congress when they don’t screw recipients in other federal programs like Medicare? School loans? Farm subsidies?

    Can you imagine what would happen if Congress were constantly screwing around behind the scenes to reduce a farmers subsidy in favor of some other federal program or contractor?

    And I am not at all surprised that VSO’s are in the middle of this screwing their own members.

    What bothers me greatly is that it suggests a massive, uphill fight to reform the VA. If reform were to happen to where a veteran would benefit then Congress would not have that money spent on veterans benefits to waste elsewhere. Friggin swamp rats.

    I still don’t know if Trump will truly be able to help veterans as he campaigned on, but if Congress is tying appeals reform to accountability, then it shows what he is up against.

    It also suggests this was a smart move on his part to create this office and force Congress to expose themselves as weasels if they continue pushing appeals reform without any real accountability.

    Not to sound like a Trump cheerleader, he still has until June 20th, but I am encouraged to see him do this without waiting on Congress to continue screwing us while smiling at us.

  16. THE VA DC HQ FEDERAL RICO CRIME RACKET GOES ON @ ON @ ON SAME CRAP DIFFERENT DAY DC HQ RATS ARE DOGS IN HEAT FOR4 THE 2017 BUDGET OF 182 BILLION $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

  17. I want to say that after seeing quite a few Veterans and Disabled Veterans at my father’s funeral and talking to them and telling them about this site of Ben’s, each and everyone of them have been seriously let-down by the VA Medical. Everyone of them. Note: each Veteran relative that has option to use Medicare because of age or disability, refuses to utilize the VA…and I heard stories of their friends from current wars that also have been seriously let-down. Apparently, Indiana and Indy VA is a zoo and circus show….funny hats and all…

  18. Rat Bastards! All this will do is make the process even more convoluted with the fulfillment of the VA and Gov’t’s incessant need to create even more bureaucracy in the name of a “band aid fix”, which unfortunately, like all other previous “band aid fixes” eventually peel right off and yet another is placed on the leaky dike. (that did not look right when typed, but oh well)

    Hope to be wrong but the VA has a negative track record that always proves the VA loves to create fixes for tomorrow’s problems while creating all brand new ones in the process, which again fulfills the incessant desire to feed on bureaucracy….while Veterans are stuck in the meatgrinder’s jaws!

    Rat Bastards! (needed to blow-off some steam)

    1. @Namnibor – – – Good to see you!

      I, too – – – hope you are wrong. But I know you are not. The problem however is not an impossible one to solve. It can be accomplished with a “7-Step Solution”:

      FIX THE DAMN BROKEN VA:

      1. Expedite implementing the HOLMAN RULE.

      2. Recognize the problems inherent in the VA are SYSTEM-WIDE, not just limited to a few locations.

      3. Fire all the Lazy No Good Workers. Fire EVERY single AFGE/SES Employee.

      4. Sell off all the VA facilities. Alternatively, they may be converted into housing for homeless veterans.

      5. Issue all veterans a card that allows them to choose their own doctors within their community that they can TRUST.

      6. The United States Government will PAY those doctors promptly for the care they provide veterans.

      7. Completely ELIMINATE the “Federal Protection” Umbrella for incompetent QUACKS that the VA sends to other states to practice other than their own. Gonna practice in Hawaii? You need to be LICENSED in Hawaii. Same applies to all other states.

      1. All those VA facilities could be easily converted to prisons for the AFGE Piggies then encase in concrete, set, and forget. Sham Wow!

      2. @Namnibor – – – Too bad we couldn’t get them under the dome at Chernobyl. From what I read, it will need recasing soon. Think of all the Toxic US Cancer we could eradicate with that Radiation Treatment.

        Any VA/AFGE folks up for a Volunteer Study for Veterans Research?

      3. @Disgruntled Veteran-

        Actually, what would happen with VA Swamp Beasts if they were encased in a Chernobyl concrete radiation-containment dome is they would mutate into even more gregarious assholes.
        That, or they are completely resistant to heavy dose radiation due to working at a VAMC where the VA likely never spent the $$ to properly shield the plethora of X-Rays and such, let alone properly dispose of such waste and old machines, so they all get freely radiated each and everyday to maintain that resistance, might even be a special AFGE bonus if you reach a certain exposure level.

        Remember that comic book, tv show and movies, “The Hulk”? It could happen. 🙂

        AFGE: Atomic Freaks Gamma Exposed Union

      4. @Nam – – – Yeah, man. Must be more brain damaged than I thought! Don’t know how I could have missed that. Particularly as every time I file a VA claim – – – they respond with “VA SMASH !!!”

        Explains it all . . .

      5. @Disgruntled Veteran- Okay, you made me spit coffee all over my recently cleaned screen…and I had honey in coffee for sweetener, making it oh so much more fun! 🙂 Thanks for the laugh. “VA SMASH !!!” 🙂

      6. @Nam – – – I’ll quote an Old Biker Friend of mine who did the same thing to me a few months ago: “Always Glad to help”. Fortunately when he did it, I did NOT have my honey sweetener in my coffee.

        I think we have probably met in real life. Many eons ago . . .

  19. @figure8fan, I can’t count the number of times, in last 3 years, a similar account. I think every Veteran has been there at least once. More often, it’s too often. By speaking one’s mind, without a threat, was free speech. Look what people say all the time. Lying is protected by free speech. Like Dennis says, without a crime, accusations of a crime, no rights offered; They took from you, what life,liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Your property. They do some of those to most of us. Sadly, yours isn’t the worst. What the**** is going on. Seems every good, immediately followed by bad. No expectations.

    1. Truly it is all bad but they like to dress it up with a good cover story for window dressing.

  20. I’ve said this all along . Claim improved accountability with 2017 bill . But fail to mention Appeals Modernization Act attached to it ,while removing rights we already have in the Appeals process. Shizam Appeals backlog fixed . Just like denying hundreds of thousands of Claims , forcing veterans to Appeal fixed the claims backlog .Evil magicians at it again . Oh and VA lawyers .Let’s see one caught masterbating , at work in front of large window to crowd in next building . Oh and lets not forget The VA lawyer , also head of VA homeland security ( yes two VA jobs ) claiming to be A Green Beret and also running the worst Veterans charity on record , 8 million in 120 thousand out in three years . He received awards from VA secretary McDonald , yet No One aware of his shinanigans .Yes Office of Inspector General and Office of Special Councel Oh sooooooooh effective .McDonald was given new power to fire too .Did he use it ? Of course not .Face it , follow the money .We simply are Not dying fast enough to negate the cost of benifits. Bonuses and defense contract’s , just not enough to share with veterans.

  21. Off topic but important..

    So there is a military ran Disney resort I discovered while searching for a summer vacation to take my family to. It’s called shades of green. I was really excited about it until I read into it further. There website states that you are only eligible if you are active duty retired or 100% disabled vet. Non retired vets can only visit during the months of January and September. WTF kind of a “spit in the face” is that?! I am a 15 year hurricane Katrina, OEF, and OIF combat vet who is partially disabled “got f***ed up a few times during my army time” with 3 combat MOS’s under my belt. But I am not good enough to go to your resort! FU shades of green. FU very much!

  22. The right hand giveth while the left hand taketh away. Nothing new since the Revolutionary War Warrants.

  23. What does the new legislation do to protect veteran whistleblowers from the notorious DBC process? Seems to me the Kangaroo Court system embraced by VA is more out of control than ever. Accused, tried by a jury from a common labor union, convicted, THEN a vet is informed post trial that you have been charged with a crime, convicted by unknown persons, who met at an undisclosed location, at an undisclosed time, that merits interference with your liberty and property….

    and the POTUS is gonna make a whole new office to protect the VA workers??? What about the vets who are labelled traitor by these notorious committees who mete out sentences like slop to the pigs? What about Due Process and equal protection under the law instead of one more office opening in The Swamp for mosquito control? Tell me, Mr. President, does your new office have authority to prosecute miscarriage of justice and Due Process denied and perpetrated upon untold thousands of vets, or are you just gonna make the VA workers safer from themselves?

    1. @Dennis- “[…Tell me, Mr. President, does your new office have authority to prosecute miscarriage of justice and Due Process denied and perpetrated upon untold thousands of vets, or are you just gonna make the VA workers safer from themselves?…]”

      Body condoms should work.

      1. Nami – minor correction respectfully suggested, “Tell me Mr. President, is your new office even interested in prosecuting miscarriage of ……” Body bags are inevitable…

  24. Gretchen,
    I know what you are talking about. I started to send proof of what I had been telling the Roudebush VAMC to the Roudebush VAMC and I am now flagged as a disruptive Patient. I have not been disruptive, I have advocated for myself as no one at the Roudebush VAMC will do that for me. I am now under this flag for two years. If I do anything that they consider to be disruptive, I will be removed from the facility by the VA Police and my “privileges??” will be restricted.
    This is what was sent to me and what is in my records.

    Category I PRF.
    SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:
    Pursuant to Federal Regulation, 38 CFR, Part 17.107, VA may restrict the time,
    place and manner of medical care to Veterans who are disruptive or pose a risk
    of disruptive behavior. After careful review of the patient’s behaviors and
    risk factors, and in an effort to provide a safe environment and effective care
    for the Veteran and others, the following changes to the Veteran’s care are
    hereby in effect:
    1.Your Primary Care treatment and provider, including walk-in Primary Care
    needs, has now been transferred to the Green Team (317-988-4570). You will no
    longer be allowed into the Purple Clinic for any reason.
    2.Although your input into treatment options and decisions is important, you
    have been characterized by challenging, bullying, and intimidating staff when
    you disagree with their clinical recommendations. Therefore, disruptive
    interactions of this nature will be ended by staff members whether it occurs in
    person, by phone, or via secure messaging.
    3.You are to comply with the Terms and Conditions of Secure Messaging, which
    includes avoiding abusive and profane language, and the discontinuation of
    sending excessive messages. Ongoing misuse will result in your secure messaging
    privileges being suspended.
    4.While at the Medical Center, should any disruptions occur, the VA Police will
    immediately escort you from the Medical Center grounds and you will not be
    permitted to return that day, except for evaluation of potentially lifethreatening
    emergencies. You may return at the time of your next appointment.
    5.In the event that you choose to receive VA care at another VA Medical Center,
    please be aware that the Category I National Behavioral Flag that has been
    placed on your chart and can be viewed nationally by VA staff. Please
    understand that continued disruptive, threatening or violent behavior may result
    in additional restrictions.
    The above restrictions will remain in effect until the review date, at which
    time the Disruptive Behavior Committee will review the Veteran’s risk for
    further disruptive behavior or threats. Based upon their risk assessment and
    recommendations, a decision will be made to continue or to discontinue these
    restrictions. The final decision on removing the flag on this chart resides with
    the VA Medical Center’s Disruptive Behavior Committee. Continued disruptive,
    threatening or violent behavior may result in additional restrictions.
    Due to the activation of this Category I PRF, the following special
    considerations are to be followed as outlined below:
    If veteran becomes verbally aggressive or disruptive:
    1) Use GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, including Prevention and Management of
    Disruptive Behavior (PMDB) skills, in all verbal and nonverbal
    communications.
    2) Be aware of veteran’s physical location and potential for aggression.
    3) It is Medical Center policy to provide a safe environment for patients,
    visitors, and employees. Should the veteran become disruptive and/or
    threaten verbally, physically or by intimidation, call VA Police or a Code
    Orange (911).
    4) Report all incidents in the Disruptive Behavior Reporting System(DBRS).
    5) Completion of a DBRS report will NOT replace appropriate documentation in
    the patient’s medical record.
    /es/ BOB BROWN, LCSW
    SOCIAL WORKER
    Signed: 04/07/2017 07:46

    The second part in the “special Instructions” is the best.
    2.Although your input into treatment options and decisions is important, you
    have been characterized by challenging, bullying, and intimidating staff when
    you disagree with their clinical recommendations. Therefore, disruptive
    interactions of this nature will be ended by staff members whether it occurs in
    person, by phone, or via secure messaging.

    This part ….when you disagree with their clinical recommendations. therefore, disruptive
    interactions of this nature will be ended by staff members whether it occurs in
    person, by phone, or via secure messaging.” is the part telling me to shut up and do what I am told to do. If I question anything, I am done. I now have NO SAY IN MY HEALTHCARE!!!
    I have private insurance now and they know that. I believe this along with my going to the media and my Senator, is largely responsible for this. They think if they can bully me, I will simply give up on them and go with my private insurance. They also want me to sign a release to give them permission to release my “Drug abuse” reports to my private insurance. I do not have any Drug abuse problems but I am sure they have informed my private insurance that I do.
    They may think I will simply give up; however, I will fight them to the end. I know I will lose, but they will know I was there.
    f8f

    1. So they can’t tell you the status of any claim for benefits with any accuracy, but they have a national reporting system (DBRS) to make sure all the little snowflakes are aware of pissed off veterans.

      You might want to send them a FOIA/Privacy Act request for any records they have in that system with your name on them. It would be interesting to see if that system is any more accurate than any other VA record.

      1. 91Veteran,
        I will do that. I am sure I will not receive anything or it will be not much. I am also wondering if I go to see my psychiatrist and make ANY comments to him and he puts it into my records if that could be considered a violation of the flag. This would indicate that I cannot tell my shrink the actual truth for fear of more retaliation. If I do tell him and he does not put how and what I am feeling in my records then there is no records to help my side.
        I also believe that all of us veterans are currently being used for the many studies, trials, experiments, ETC… that the VA is trying. Take the pain medicine crap that is going on now. I believe that we are being use to see what other type of medicine works besides the narcotics, how much is enough, how is it tolerated, ETC…
        Think about it, who has the most single diverse group of people with the most different types of simple and complicated medical problems? Veterans. Who has been used in the past for experimentation on? Veterans. Who does the Government see as an expendable asset? Yep, Veterans. Why does the VAMC’s refuse to tell us when we have cancer until it is too late? Research. How quickly does a certain type of cancer grow without any type of treatment? When does that cancer become inoperable and terminal?
        Have you ever looked at older studies and looked at who did the research? Many times you will see the VA was involved in the research. Did the veterans know they were guinea pigs? Most likely not. I know I will never agree to voluntarily be in ANY study the VA is doing.
        Just my 2¢.
        f8f

      2. F8f, you may want to think of something you can tell your shrink that isn’t too bad and get you in serious trouble, and see if it comes out the other end before the DBC.

        I don’t recall the details, but I thought mental health records were treated more securely than regular VA medical records. I seem to recall having to jump through additional hoops to get my records, or have them released to others.

        The DBC might be able to come up with some BS excuse for why they can view your regular records, but I can’t believe they can just rifle through your mental health records without having specific authorization.

        I could be wrong.

        I also thought you could request records of who all within the VA has accessed your medical record. That too might be worth getting.

      3. 91Veteran,
        My shrink notes are in with my normal notes from anyone else. They are there for anyone to read if they choose. Maybe they are supposed to be more restricted but we are talking about the VA and the Roudebush VAMC. I am sure the committee is looking for anything they can to boot me out of that place. They know i have been a pain in the ass and now they know i have private insurance so I would bet they will take anything they can to put me out the door.
        My former PCP put in for an Ortho consult on March 13. The VA Othro could not get me in until mid-May so they moved me to the choice program. My former PCP decided she would deliberately mess up the consult to the choice program as a retaliation move. I finally got the consult corrected Thurs. Apr. 20. The VA Ortho also tried to take away the Choice option but I demanded they leave it as it was. My former PCP completely ignored my attempts to get this right as she put nothing in the consult to inform the private Ortho place of what to do.
        The Choice program was getting tired of calling me only to have me tell them it is not the correct one. They finally got the correct one and I was called by an Ortho place. I checked with them and they have the wrong one. I still have yet to make an appointment. I will have saved no time in doing this as it will be mid-May before I get to see the private Ortho.
        Man I am gonna miss the VAMC after I get a private doctor. NOT A CHANCE AT HAPPENING!!!!
        f8f

      4. F8f, I have run in to similar problems with Choice.

        Have you talked with a Choice Champion at your VA? If not, I suggest you call them and tell them they need to sort this mess out. Explain what you have gone through, and that you want that Champion to get the right consult to your Choice provider, and do it by the end of the week.

        They can handle all of that electronically, through email, fax or other means.

        The VA continues to screw up that program, even after using Choice money to hire these Champions that are supposed to help vets with Choice.

        Call them up and make them do their damn jobs.

      5. 91Veteran,
        For once i really do not blame the Choice Program. This is directly due to the Roudebush VAMC wanting to remove me from the Roudebush VAMC. They are the ones, especially my former PCP, who have made this so difficult. My former PCP told me what the consult would be for and then sent the consult with a vague reference of what was to be done. The consult was to be for both my knees, she sent it for the right only. After I contacted her about this, she removed the right knee and changed it to “up to twenty visits”. 20 visits for what? It has taken this long because of the Roudebush VAMC. The Choice Program has two consults and neither of them are the correct one. They have what the Roudebush VAMC sent to them.
        I finally got the Patient Advocate to get it with the correct “bilateral knee” reference. I then talked to the Roudebush VAMC Ortho Dept. who had the correct consult. This was last Thurs, and it appears that they did not send the correct one to the Choice Program yet. I will contact them and make sure they will or did send it.

      6. F8f, VA administration of Choice changed somewhat before Trump signed the extension of it.

        It appears that VA discovered the program was run so bad that they had over a billion dollars to spend on it, and all that would be lost unless the program was extended.

        Since the VA was suddenly trying to not look stupid by having so much money lost, they got better at referring vets to Choice, making multiple visits to the provider, and at times authorizing any procedure or test necessary for treatment.

        It looks like your provider was trying to do that with the 20 visits, but did not specify what was to be checked.

        I would call the VA choice champion and see what they say.

    2. Hmmmm….

      As provocative as this may sound, I think at some point soon, we, as veterans and for which these facilities are to allegedly operate, we must literally tgo in and take over the VA nationwide.

      It is apparent that these pathetic pieces of human inconvenience dictate a liberal and marxist policy of obedience especially without due process. This is sickening…….

      Those womb rejects working in the VA essentially are the handlers of the strings and they want veterans to remain puppets and look at them as if they are gods. VA peronnel screw up, it is the fault of the vet..
      They at the VA are never wrong…..

      So, after a year, or even a few months of no contact by thd VA andceven after promises or verbal affirmations of intended contact, veterans cannot get pissed, angry or upset..
      Suck it up…

      C’MON VET’S, tis time we took our ground…

    3. Write to the Secretary with all documentation you have and tell your story if enough of us write what happened maybe he can follow the OIG recommendations an stop this illegal committee.

      they wonder why veterans are committing suicide.

  25. I was in the Air Force. Today I have to ask at least 3 times what a person said. I’m enrolled in VA Healthcare and can’t even get them to give me a hearing test. I put in for disability compensation so that I could go buy my own hearing aids and the VA gives me 10% disability for Tinnitus.

  26. “Now, isn’t there already an office for this called the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Inspector General?”

    Office of Inspector General is worthless against abuse (retaliation) by the VA Disruptive Behavior Committee (DBC). I’m secretly flagged for unknown offenses. I’m not allowed to know. I’m basically told to “just behave” and don’t send any e-mails to the VA top brass in Washington DC to complain against the DBC.

    I complained to my PCP several years ago about a secret (no discussion) about a wrong and unprofessional alcoholic diagnosis. VA removed the wrong diagnosis, but I was flagged anyway ever since. My local DBC gets away with telling non-VA health care providers that I have a long history of disruptive behavior and violence, and telling surrounding law enforcement agencies and courts lies about me, as part of VA’s retaliation against me.

    You might ask, why don’t I go to the Patient Advocate. That’s the first thing the DBC removed from my access. There is no “due process” in the flagging procedure, and complaining about that is yeat another excuse for the VA to continue to flag me with a PRF.

    1. They are just adding another cog in the money machine. Another way to extract cash for us and put it in their pockets.

    2. That’s exactly what some of these bad characters, Door stop to healthcare for veterans WHOM they pick out to use as an example of what they can do to people who expose their ongoing wrongdoing
      The never fire V A POLICY allows these pathological psychotics to continue to mess up real veterans lives.

      I have investigated near 2 dozen VA’ s across the USA over the last 22 years and it just gets worse.

      Information technology with multivariable calculus-algebraic math platforms calable of infinite variables if used in tandem with Block Chain Architecture and IBM Watson mainframe panels could VERTICALLY INTEGRATE ALL MEDICAL SPECIALTIES INTO A SINGLE DATA BASE used to monitor diagnosis and treatment to PREVENT wrongful Diagnosis and treatment by medical staff incapable OF understanding other sub specialties they are without study or practice currently referred, OR NOT, that represents MANY issues of WHATS WRONG WITH VA HEALTHCARE and indeed our entire healthcare system.

      Modernize VA healthcare and the world will follow using the same data base.

      VERTICAL INTEGRATION IS OUR FUTURE across our entire spectrum of so-called educational studies where accredation is given for studying subjective specialties setup before information and mathplaftforms expressed in data flow charts AI USES TO DEVELOP DATA BASES to better manage our spectrum of human activity throughout society, thereby elevating our magnitudes of literacy with data processing systems to understand our ever expanding of the variables that make up our matrix of human activities forever under change with Time as the significant variable. Complexity is only as complex as information systems present.

      1. Simply put, IBM Watson in artificial intelligence mode will diagnose and suggest best treatment of disease/conditions based on tapping world-wide medical databases. Need simpler terms? Your robot or AI doctor will see you now…and don’t complain about how human the experience is. Vertical Experience? I don’t know. Maybe, it’s a new religion.

    3. The VA does this to many veterans, as ben has written about. I am in the same boat. Falsely accused and the VA employee did not have to furnish any proof and I was to have come into the clinic at least twice a month and become disruptive. How many months I do not know.

      Every inquiry sent to the Denver VA from senators and the DAV were sent right back to the employee making the false allegation’s to answer herself. First they said I wanted to shoot the rater and then changed to he wants to shoot employees at the Denver VA, to he wants to shoot certain people at his local clinic.

      When asked to provide the proof, the chief of staff stated there is no proof. The director wrote to Senator Bennett’s office ” do the reporting of disruptive behavior Mr. Gallegos medical records were never coded for disruptive behavior nor were his official medical records ever flagged. All incidents of disruptive behavior must be Documented in the chart.

      If you look up Libel, Once they printed the lie into my records, no proof and them punishing me just as a retaliatory act in order to harm me. Constitutes Criminal Libel and is considered a class 6 felony.

      I have been compiling proof since 2004 and it proves my case. I am sending it all to the Secretary and ask that a through investigation be completed and I hope they will see through their lies and take appropriate action.

      The proof is there is no proof period and the only reason it was reported because an employee whom I use to work with retaliated against me, for something I said about her work.

      I suggest you also write to the secretary with your story. Hell if you read the VA regulation on disruptive behavior or the OIG report the VA has written it in away that they can claim your disruptive for anything they choose. You don’t have to do anything, but they claim you might do something in the future.

      Your right veterans have no avenue to defend ourselves. In my opinion, this regulation, the disruptive committee is an illegal committee, that takes away every right afforded a regular citizen. Their civil human and constitutional right.

      They do not want anyone to press charges against the veterans, because then the VA would have to go to court and prove their case. They know they would loose and its easier to take away your rights and punish you under the table, for lack of words.

      They can not get their story together. They

      1. James,
        I had a so called pain pharmacist put in my notes after our appointment that I became verbally abusive toward her and this continued for 90 minutes. What person in any position in any office would allow someone to be verbally abusive to them for 90 minutes without terminating the appointment? No one would do it. This did not happen but she was on a mission to make me out to be a drug addict. This caused the Roudebush VAMC to make a Disruptive Patient Note in my records. This was done before my current one that is in effect. The Disruptive patient note was found to be without merit and no actions were taken. Do you think they are trying very hard to kick me to the curb? With what they are doing, they will succeed but I will continue to give them hell until that day comes.
        f8f

      2. I think if any veterans that were reported to the disruptive committee, should write down exactly what happened who was involved and sent to the Secretary of veterans affairs.

        If enough veterans tell their horror story, may be something can be done. Other that Ben writing about it, I have seen nothing in the news.

        If they insist on using the disruptive committee for veterans. Then the veterans should be able to have a disruptive committee to deal with disruptive employees !
        And treat them the same way they treat us. You guilty and you can’t say anything about how the veterans deside to punish you.

        See how they like it. !

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