VA to Review Improperly Denied PTSD Claims for Sexual Assault Victims
Veterans’ advocacy groups point to national figures in VA to assert their claim that VA is failing in its adjudication of benefits for victims of sexual assault.
In response, VA Under Secretary Allison Hickey has vowed to renew VA’s promise to review claims from assault victims who may have been improperly denied.
Hickey pointed out that VA disability adjudicators “have dramatically improved VA’s overall sensitivity” to MST type PTSD claims. This increased sensitivity has resulted in more approvals. Though, the numbers are still lagging.
The ACLU, Yale Law School, and Service Women’s Action Network released a report recently that criticized VA for using discriminatory processes in PTSD adjudication.
Their claims were based on data collected from figures the groups received from two settled lawsuits covering years from 2008 to 2012.
According to the report, female and male sexual assault victims experience a dramatically lower approval rating for PTSD than other veterans.
“Leave it to the VA to figure out how to discriminate simultaneously against both male and female veterans,” said Kathryn Mammel, a Yale Law student who is an author of the report.
Read the whole article at CTPost.com – VA discriminates against sexual assault victims
As I’ve stated before, Lincoln needs to rise from the “dead” and see how those,who serve, will put their lives on the line, yet deny any “wrong doing” what so ever. The letter they sent me, I spiraled back to that place of memories I wished to forget, and barely recovered before another letter. Then at an offsite counseling, I have to speak again of these events. How many times do I have to shed tears of a broken life, a broken soul? Yes, they best look into it. I am very tempted to contact the ACLU, GLORIA ALRED WHO LOVES STORIES OF RAPE AND ABUSIVE SYSTEMS!
I will tell you, I totally believe it. With “missing” health records, with a claim on my back, they were given a signature to release and gather information in 2011. Today, a letter stating if I did not produce the records from my spine surgeon in 30 days, and I added the hospital recently, they would make a decision, even though it states disability V.A. Recommended. I was pregnant and having a major move. I just lived with the pain, and that’s what women do until one day, it fails you. Also, I do have PTSD from one event, then MST from other events! Last week they sent me a letter along with a request for my records at the V.A. The questions asked set me off into that place of deep anger and painful memories! I sent them a letter right back. Yes, I told my mom, but you will have to hire a “good psychic” because she is dead. And yes, two civilian friends know, you may speak with them, but at this point, why should I put any trust in you to do the right thing? So, you may do a conference call, with me on the line, but I will not give you names, since I’ve gotten two different answers regarding my medical records from one number and information that contradicted the other responses! So, I want a copy of all you have on my case to date! And yes, I will take it to the next level!
Every veteran, every woman, every American needs to watch this video.
This heroic woman is a veteran who suffered terribly at the hands of the VA.
WAKE UP, PEOPLE!
The VA is institutionalized madness!
https://youtu.be/NEl7GT96x6M
This action of reviewing is probably going to change my life. I’ve found errors they made. A VA DOCTOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED ME & THERE WAS A RAPE. I know that the VA claims processors applied an inappropriate definition of sexual assault the first time around. I have a VA Psychologist who wrote in a 1992 C&P report (my assault was 1986) who said I HAVE EVERY CRITERIA FOR PTSD EXCEPT FOR A TRAUMATIC EVENT. I have all of the symptoms for the “aftermath” but I don’t have a traumatizing incident. They are carrying PTSD as one of my diagnoses, but it is listed as non-s/c, Under Section 1151, Title 38 U.S.C., they don’t have any excuse to have deprived me of service-connection. bullshit. I’m going to get them!!