Saturday, November 15, 2008

VETS' GROUPS SUE VA FOR DELAYS IN BENEFITS

From Poison Pen comes this:

As SOMEONE WHO ASSISTS VETERANS WITH DISABILITY CLAIMS, I UNDERSTAND THE LONG TEDIOUS MEASURES A VETERAN MUST ENDURE TO PROCESS A CLAIM. OFTEN TIMES THE VA HOPES A VETERAN WILL EITHER GET FRUSTRATED AND QUIT, OR ULTIMATELY JUST DIE (AGE RELATED VETERANS WHO FILE LATER IN LIFE).
IT IS DIFFICULT FOR A VETERAN TO FILE A CLAIM INITIALLY-SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE INDOCTRINATED TO BELIEVE THAT COMPLAINING ABOUT INJURIES AND ILLNESSES ARE NOT AN OPTION. THEY "SIGNED UP" AND THEREFORE THEY ARE EXCLUDED FROM ANY TREATMENTS OR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES BY WHICH TO SEEK ASSISTANCE. IT TAKES ADVOCATES FOR VETERANS MONTHS IF NOT YEARS TO CONVINCE THEM OTHERWISE.
THEN THE PAPERWORK PROCESS BEGINS, AND THE VETERAN HAS YET ANOTHER FIGHT--ONE WITH THE VERY ENTITY WITH WHOM WITHOUT THE VETERAN, 'JOB SECURITY' WOULD JUST BE TWO FOREIGN WORDS.

Go read it all here.