Reporting for ROLL CALL 9:08AM 8/10/13
Hey Captain!
OK, you've asked 4 specific questions and I think the best way to answer the first 3 is to say you've answered them by asking them. With that said, I'm going to get to the brief 'cut to the chase' phase on this. We've gone down the whole road on ROLL CALL in Phase 1. The reader at this point should have his VA card, be signed in at the VA, has seen his primary care doctor, his mental hygiene doctor and has had a total 'discharge' physical.
Many factors enter the picture at this point in the Cherry Troop's decision making process. Assuming the Cherry Troop is young, in his 20's, then he/she has life out of the military in front of him. He might want to take advantage of many 'outside' benefits that are offered to him. College, job, home loan, business loan, etc. These outside benefits are available with detailed descriptions from the VA offices, or their web site. I encourage the Cherry Troop to look into all these 'opportunities' and to take advantage of any and all. Remember, you have 'earned' them. They are not gifts from Uncle Sam. Like getting your pay check at the end of the week for the week you have worked, you have 'earned' your pay.
Now, back to the VA hospital. If in fact you have physical injuries, then those have already been listed with your primary care doctor. There are logarithms in place at the VA for percentages for each and every physical injury. After having them all listed by your primary care doctor, you ask him to file your claim. He will then instruct you as to who to do that with, and give you specifics. The most important part is to have these physical injuries logged into your medical records. And the filing of the claim is a matter of fact process. Simple. Do it!
Now, the next step is to determine if in fact you have a non-physical wound from your service to your nation in whatever particular military branch you were in and got your honorable discharge. My feeling is that if the Cherry Troop served in combat, he has a non-physical wound. That is PTSD. Many of the Troops returning from service today have been deployed for many tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some back to back. Some 18 months. The simple fact is that if that Cherry Troop has served in combat, he is either going to decide to file a claim for PTSD or he isn't. My advice is that he do so. And the sooner the better.
Many of our fighting men and women in all the Rich Man Wars after the end of World War II have been brainwashed to believe that to claim they have been wounded by PTSD is being a coward or a 'loser'. At this point, I think it is most important to put that kind of crap out of your mind and choose to file for PTSD wounds. So we need to hit this point with that decision. Will you file a claim for PTSD or won't you.
LT
out
Reporting for Roll Call : 15:15 Hrs – 8-14-13
ReplyDeleteHi LT:
Re: Your Post No. 4 – Concur. It really is a personal decision on the part of Cherry Troop. But before he/she does so, believe there are a couple of things that should be considered:
1) You previously mentioned that disability claims (for physical and non-physical wounds alike) are initially reviewed by a VA …Claims Adjuster…using, as you just mentioned, whatever algorithms it has in place. This tells me that the VA has adapted the insurance industry’s method for determining a claim. So…since s Claim Adjuster’s job/mission is to minimize the value of any filed claim, that means a disability claim begins to move through an “adversarial” process…right from the start (which may explain a lot about why there’s such a backlog with the VA…it just doesn’t have enough qualified Claims Adjusters to handle the volume). Thus, if Cherry Troop understands that’s the framework involved with any claim, your previous advice to use an Advocate for that purpose makes a lot of sense, because that’s the equivalent of having an attorney when dealing with an insurance company Adjuster. Of course, Cherry Troop better hope that such an Advocate is well versed in how to work with an Adjuster, and, more importantly, knows the lingo and terminology involved, along with related VA rules and regs. Big question…how many “advocates” have that specialized knowledge? Still, having one is probably better than not.
2) As regards PTSD (and other non-visible wounds). What you’re saying is…anyone who’s been exposed to combat, has PTSD to some degree or other. It may be nominal…to severe. You’re therefor suggesting that we use the same approach as most Law Enforcement organizations use whenever an officer is involved in any kind of shooting incident…it’s a mandatory…automatic process. Frankly, I think it should be the same with the Services, but, since it isn’t, then, like you say, Cherry Troop has to take the initiative (if that doesn’t qualify as a FUBAR situation, don’t know what does. Hah!). All of which ties in with your previous mentions of asking for all those “examinations” including those mental health ones, keeping in mind that the VA doesn’t operate by date of diagnosis, but by date of claim, so it looks like Cherry Troop has to work a pretty tight “scheduling” deal for that.
3) As for anyone from earlier eras…I don’t think it’s so much a question of “machismo”, as it is a question of…at their times…there wasn’t much of an understanding of it…so..it was mostly chalked up to …c’est la guerre( that’s war).
Meanwhile, most have moved on with their lives, careers, etc.. Some, managing to more or less cope and overcome its effects…others…not so much…and still others….not at all. Given the way the VA is “backlogged”, filing a claim after such a length of time may be problematical. Frankly…who wants to have to deal with a bunch of bureaucratic crap at a late stage in life? Life’s too short! (and hard enough as it is). But, like you said, it’s an individual decision.
Okay, that’s about it for today. Hope I’ve summarized things correctly. Let me know where I’m off the mark.
CENTURION