Congressman Tim Walz Calls For Brain Injury Inquiry
Congressman Tim Walz called for a national investigation into VA yesterday after Minneapolis VA was caught defrauding veterans while ignoring clear VA policy.
But is this kind of response enough or is more needed such as bringing criminal charges against those responsible for ignoring clear Federal policies while getting paid big dollars? Will VA really care about yet another inquiry or blow off the issue all together?
RELATED: VA Caught Defrauding 300 Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury
Congressman Walz lashed out against VA following Tuesday’s report by NBC KARE 11 into a VA scandal and cover-up of botched brain injury exams by unqualified doctors. Now, the lawmaker who sits on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs is calling for an investigation into the same agency he supported just following exposure of the wait list scandal.
At that time, the agency reassured Congressman Walz that the scandal was not happening at the Minneapolis facility. This claim proved to be knowingly false. Since that time, numerous scandals have been exposed across Minnesota related to poor health care and cover-ups. The current traumatic brain injury (TBI) scandal is no different.
Any veteran who experiences a TBI could experience life-altering complications that never go away. VA is required to provide health care, rehabilitative services and compensation to veterans who suffer a TBI with residuals while on active duty.
However, to save a buck, VA across the country has engaged in all out fraud against its nation’s heroes. The effect of that fraud is pushing the burden of the injury and necessary care onto families and state welfare services without giving them the resources needed.
How should Congressman Walz and other lawmakers respond to this clear fraud?
I was seen by a doctor that comp and pen and he examined me for I think it was maybe 10 minutes and wrote down on my paperwork that I was cured and no longer had TBI. So what they did then was reduced my disability from 40% to 0 %.
I’m wondering how much good it does to file a concussion or tbi claim after 10 or more years have passed unless you can’t maintain employment. From what I have read, it seems like the va is trying to tie those claims in with mental health disabilities so instead of having tbi and ptsd they combine it into one rating. Correct me if I’m wrong.
In April of 2015, I had a VA Neurological (Head) Compen and Pension examination, at the Johnson City, TN VA. The Neurologist typed and dictated examination notes in medical records and also requested that the VA schedule me for further Neurological medical exams. As of July 01, 2015, the Johnson City VA, TN lost the entire Neurological examination. The loss of my medical information is an example of the lack medical care I received and continue to get from the Veterans Administration Medical Centers.The Veterans Administration Medical Centers has refused to treat and provide medical care for my TBI. Anthony M. Cheeks’ trauma to his brain occurred in September of 1982, when this Disable Veteran’s was a passenger in a Motor Vehicle Accident, where his skull stroke, the car’s windshield. Over the past 30-plus years, I have and continue to suffer through long periods of loss of or a decreased level of consciousness; or any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the injury; or any alteration in mental state at the time of the injury (confusion, disorientation, slowed thinking, etc.); or neurological deficits (weakness, loss of balance, change in vision, praxis, paresis sensory loss, aphasia, etc.).
Deficits result from Anthony M. Cheeks’ TBI:
The consequences of my TBI includes physical, sensory, cognitive-communication, swallowing and behavioral issues. These problems significantly impair the affected this Disable Veteran’s ability to live independently and keep stead employment.
Anthony M. Cheeks’ health problems vary depending on how serve my migraine headaches, which are very intensive and spread all over my head.
Anthony M. Cheeks’ Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI) has become one of the signature injuries that this Disable Veteran has and is presently suffering through.
The government wants to just grow and grow and grow so they have everybody under their control. Everybody feeling dependent on them (that is what control means) and needing welfare. That’s the plan. Everyone working for the government, and that includes all at the VA which is a small part of it, has to go along with “the plan”. Everyone – including Dr. David Shulkin who works for B. McD., the Presbo, and everyone else. The Republicans ain’t much better (ref. G. Bush growing the Fed. too)
This is the “order” from the most richest people and groups in the world, that would make Bill Gates look poor. World Order! Shrieks, groups who own major stakes in conglomerates internationally, ruminants from Nazi Germany (Rothschilds family), elements from political parties in multiple countries, and most of all – The Financial Industry who owns even them.
They want only two parties – it doesn’t matter which one – because it is controllable that way for them. A third party would fuck them up royally though, so they will do everything they can to not have that happen in any country. That would screw them – that would end it all for them – that would be one too many. They want control, not iffy-ness on what the third leg is doing in our finely tuned set up. They have the power of a Hitler being in control and don’t give a rats ass about 99% of the rest of us. Trickle that down .to how the VA operates and covers themselves for the vet population who fights the wars created by them to keep the military-industrial complex humming along making them more money.
Nah, only kidding! Forget about what I just wrote.
The Washington Times just gave the VA the “Golden Hammer Award”.! On Sept. 3rd, 2015, Kellan Howell wrote a scathing article, it’s title:
“VA’s record of waste, fraud and abuse keeps piling up”
Question, after you read the article, think this– “Has anyone been held accountable?”
I don’t believe so, should be the answer. WHY? When McD gets his sh!t together and starts firing people, then we MIGHT believe VA is wanting to change the corruption within. Until that happens- screw them as much as possible. Just like they have been screwing the veterans and taxpayers for decades.
Another thing I don’t like is for McD to say what he did Wednesday about Vietnam Vets. Go to “VAwatchdog” to read the crap he said about us. Basically, He’s saying we are the reasons behind all the shit VA’s got themselves into…. this should piss off every veteran out there!!!!!!!
Clear breach of protocol…It’s time to start putting these people in jail…CALL THE FBI..
Nothing is ever going to change until some of these people get arrested,put on trial, convicted, and then sentenced to prison for many years. It’s time to stop debating about it and get something done about it! We can’t go on tolerating these sort of things!
How should they respond? They should be responding that makes clear they will crawl up every orifice a VA manager has, with the clear intent that criminal referrals will be made to the DOJ. This fraud and corruption will not stop until congressional committees get serious about trying to stop it.
Only one way federal charges placed upon VA employees! , but these officials need teeth and not just lip service. People now a day seem not to care what happens to anyone, as long as it don’t effect them personally! That goes for our political representatives! American people wake up and force congress to pass laws that will allow for federal employees to be fired and or arrested, when the employees make statements that are found out to be falsely stated and harm any veteran.
Do y’all remember the woman who was incharge of the IRS scandal? Well the last we heard on that was months ago. The “Committee” said they would bring her back when they found out if she could take the fifth. Well, they ain’t done it yet. Gotta feeling it ain’t gonna happen either.
That’s the same with VA, they come in front of the committee, tell different stories, lie their asses off and not one damn thing happens.
What needs to be done, when anyone from VA comes before a committee, swear them in under oath. If they lie, march them to jail for contempt. Let them sit there until hell freezes over, if need be! Just like the feds did to that Davis woman in Kentucky.
What we have here is — “different penalties for different citizens!” People in high places get away with just about everything the average citizen goes to jail or prison for!
Brothers and Sisters
“CONFUSION” and “CHAOS” are Signatures of the
“Delay, Deny, Wait till they Die” Mission of the VA!
PS: and remember my addition “…. and if they don’t Die, Kill them!”
MSG VAM
Maybe Rep Walz can help Rep Lee Zeldin find Baghdad Bob McDonald. He sent a letter a month ago asking why the VA violated the law in deciding SMC T for my husband. He is already service connected for TBI.
I sent an email to Alison Hickey and crew asking for someone to find Bob and have him call Zeldin’s office. While he is begging congress for more money maybe returning the phone call of a member of the veterans affairs committee might be a good idea…or is the VA such a rogue organization that congress doesn’t even matter any more?
Robin,
I don’t know how true this is, but I heard two things within the past week. 1.) Bagdad Bob McDonald is asking for an “additional 7.5% increase overtop of the $165 billion. (Or whatever that $$$ number is). But, “Obama wants to cut VA’s budget ($$$$) by 7.5%!”
I have a feeling no one can get the truth outta anyone!!!!
I can believe both…does Obama even return Baghdad Bob’s call?
Baghdad Bob wants more money..for that concrete hole in Colorado, for more doctors that don’t speak English, more bonuses for “good” employees in order to keep them.
All the money in the world will not fix the VA unless we find a leader and give them the tools they need. Like jail time and no pension for bad employees.
Reagan did it to the air traffic controllers…so can Obama.
I also have a feeling we’re in for another “crybaby”, “spoiled brat” and “congressional temper tantrum” because of a “threat of a shutdown over the Planned Parenthood fiasco”!
I bet it’s more than that though. I bet it’s because Obama and his cronies want to do lots more illegal political maneuvering with a lot of $$$. Monies they want to hide from the public, that’s going into their pockets. That’s my opinion guys and gals….
Yeah, everything is Obama’s fault. So cut and dry….
Do you really think if criminal charges are filed, that anyone in the VA would face any type of punitive damage other than monetary and a black mark on there record.
You Right Brother!
“Fucking Up, moving Up”
(The old DoD saying applies to VA too! Especially to the C&P “Mighty Folks”)
MSG VAM
That depends on how high up the chain the person is who is charged. For it to have any impact, it must be a hospital director or higher. Look at Sharon Helman? Defrauding government for bonuses, 40 vets dead and only ousted over improper gifts…and fighting to get her job back.
Glad this is being officially looked into. Hope the Congressman also realizes how the corruption bleeds profusely into the VA OIG as well.
Another HUGE problem is any Veteran that may move to another State will most probably encounter another anomaly and disservice…the fact that ANY other VARO or VAMC **may not** even acknowledge or respect previous diagnosis from OTHER VA Dr.’s…there’s absolutely NO “standardization other than chaos”…they have the chaos thing down like rocket science, standardization and obeying Title 38, not so much. A Veteran should not be afraid of moving to another State just because that State’s VA may totally throw out whatever hell may have gone through to get where one is with medical care, prescriptions, and even one’s Disability Compensation…this is SO wrong. A VARO/VAMC in all 50 States should be standardized…it’s not…what IS standardized is the VA’s adversarial persona on steroids.
namnibor, I actually had a physicians assistant tell me, quote, “All VA’s don’t run the same way!”
That’s when I told him to “leave the room, and get me a qualified physician in here, now!”
He walked out, and my appointment was cancelled. How’s that for “quality healthcare”?
Care should be standardized and it should be “gold standard community care”. Medications are another thing and it all comes down to cost in different locations.
I ran into that with the caregiver program. The wisconsin guy sat on it and denied it till i had involved elected officials. He was saying that the Fayetteville VAH was approving everything and he felt that was wrong so HE was not processing the claim. He stated same thing, different VAH,s and VAROs do things differently regardless of what the written policy is..its their interpretation of the policy that they play by.