Happy New Year From DisabledVeterans.org
I wanted to take a minute to wish all my readers a Happy New Year from DisabledVeterans.org.
Our readership grew substantially this year from 15,000 unique visitors per month to over 50,000 unique visitors. I have been working a great deal on creating a new web platform for readers that will go live in January. The new platform should help readers see more stories from the home page. I plan to add forums and a more functional subscriber section.
DisabledVeterans.org Accomplishments 2015
Here are a few major reforms that were brought about by research and activism through this website:
Invisible Wounds – 50 TBI Sufferers Get Justice
This was the biggest scandal of the year that we broke through my research and partnership with NBC KARE 11 News. St. Paul RO and Minneapolis VAMC were caught by me ripping off veterans suffering from TBI service connection and health care services.
Doctor Credentialing Crisis In VA
I uncovered that VA was misleading the public by claiming their doctors were Board certified when they were not. This scandal was in part connected with the TBI scandal. It was also linked to the Tomah VAMC death of Thomas Baer. KARE 11 picked up this lead and ran with it publicly, which resulted in VA conducting a massive audit of its credentialing system for online publication.
Written Testimony To Congress
Over the summer, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs asked me to provide written testimony about the state of its Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. The Committee internet staff linked my name to the wrong testimony, but nonetheless, the fact that I was selected to provide information about the program shows this website and my activism – through your support – is making a difference.
Veterans Choice Story Wins Emmy
Reporter AJ Lagoe reported on the story of my client Paul Walker and his experience fighting with Veterans Choice to get access to health care for his stage 4 cancer. This heart-breaking story was picked up by John Stewart. AJ won an Emmy for exposing the hardship VA forced veterans to endure through its outrageous “crow flies” rule.
Numerous ‘VA is Lying’ Billboards Nationwide
Some of you may not be aware of my involvement behind the scenes to help Ron Nesler broadcast his message across cyberspace and in the press. That campaign reached the backyards of some of the most dysfunctional VA facilities in the nation and embarrassed thousands of employees. I actually helped design the billboard.
Creation Of Bad VA Art
This year, I found my true calling. A parody hack artist making fun of VA politicians and bureaucrats. My hope next year is to start selling shirts and magazines that help belittle and poke fun at our fearful leaders.
These are but a few examples of what happened this year related to activism. Next year, I hope the trend continues with added readership and added support so that I can afford to hire researchers to help the cause.
None of it would be possible without your readership and support. Purchases of the Voc Rehab Guide help fund the software I use to publish this website and for my research tools. VA and VA contractors are watching what goes on here on DisabledVeterans.org. They know we will work at all hours to ensure the People hold VA accountable even when no one else will.
So enjoy your time with family. I will leave you with this image for the weekend and hope there are many more to come.
Happy New Year Ben and thanks for your dedication and work that impacts on all of us.
I did a radio show with Bob Walsh, notable vet attorney about 2 weeks ago,at our web site, hadit.com, and he mentioned that you have some C & P info that a reporter here in NY might be interested in.
The reporter called me and I gave him a few tips to where he can get some info but I also realized, he is looking for successful FTCAers here in NY but I told him the malpractice problem at VA is far great then just NY and I have not replied to him with the info I gave Miller (H VAC —after Phoenix)which was probably an exercise in futility anyhow,….as to how VA hides their true malpractice stats.
In any event… a veteran at our site got a lousy C & P exam recently and took our advise and googled the examiner’s name (QTC) after he got a copy of the exam, and here she is a OBGYN and he had a shin splint claim, but maybe even worse is that he found her listed on his state’s disciplined doctors list, as having apparently been involved in the death of a fetus.
There is a CUE in his decision because she wrote down he didn’t have shin splints but that is fully documented within all of his med recs and past decisions.(Violation of 38 CFR 4.6 ) and I told him to use the info from the state sight in order to get another C & P exam by someone who is qualified and has no bad paper medical trail- as long as he can prove it is the same doctor.
Veterans have to start using their state HHS web sites to see if their VA doctor or C & P examiner has had any past disciplinary action against them,as well as check their credentials to see if they are fully qualified to opine on the claimed condition.
We can gripe about the RO raters all we want but they justify denials based on C & P exams…. and every posthumous C & P exam I have gotten in 2 decades regarding my dead husband has been wrong and I fought them all.
This is a major part of the backlog.
And why many TBI vets in the Minnesota story he4re have had their lousy C & P exams corrected.
THANKS To You!
Just want say thank you Ben and all the posters here; with one exceptions the VA Trolls. It is truly a great place to gain knowledge about the and understanding about the true VA.
To all Veterans and especially the Veterans who are still using any form of VA Health Care I would like to point two tools worth learning.
“PubMed.com” and “clinicaltrials.gov”
Check out not only your Doctors at the VA but also the medications you are being prescribed.
The tools can truly be a life saver.
Happy New Year to All
I salute you ben and everybody else HAPPY NEW YEAR
Happy New Years to all Veterans and Survivors! I too hope that I am able to help point a Veteran/Survivor in the correct direction so they may be empowered with resources/knowledge in filing their 100% Service Connected Veteran Claim successfully as I indeed did without need for any Appeals, making sure Vets/Survivors know that even though supposedly the “burden of proof” may legally lay with the VA to Assist Vets with this, that the way it REALLY works is by the VETERAN having ALL evidence that establishes and proves without a doubt Service Connection, by sharing the wealth of websites/forums I benefited from in doing my own research.
Empowering Vets with Knowledge which is indeed that thing called Power.
I too will ask yet again, “WHERE IS VA SEC. McDONALD”????? Surely he cannot keep his head in the sand for one more entire year, avoiding accountability, and ONLY coming out when he needs to beg for more $$$$ when sending his underlings just is not enough.
Get to work, Bob! Veterans are not impressed with your lackadaisical sense of urgency!!!!!
Great job this year, Ben! Let’s ramp-up the momentum. We have only just begun!!
Happy New Year to all Ben’s readers! Thank you Ben for making
us aware of the many issues with the VA.
Here’s hoping I can make a difference in at least one person’s life in 2016, making it better for a senior, a veteran or anyone who cannot help themselves.
Best wishes for the New Year, to each of you!
Happy New Years to you and all out here.
Many are hoping for better things…but we know how that goes usually.
One of my NYRs is leaving the VA socialist health system of incompetence, lies, abuse, corruption and the ability to feed multitudes of vets and the public poop sandwiches smothered in propaganda and lies, and seemingly most like it wanting more.
Not getting younger, more problems or issues after years of game playing still left in the air thanks to the VA and bureaucracy. One thing I can do which will be costly and create more issues is to walk away from all the intentional stress put on us. Not having all the many leftist and special interest groups with their attitudes and agendas in our face at times and in places where it’s all un-needed or necessary, or down right wrong to push their PC-ness and demands on us. So for 2016.. one huge anti-American very stressful game playing part of this government/college kiddies in training, is out of my life before it kills me like I have seen it do to many others.
Off to a new year of hoping to never get another lie or letter reading VA anything or letter-heads from anything associated with those poor excuses for human beings and wasted tax dollars thrown to the entire network. Oh happy day!