NEWS: VA Cancels PTSD Claim Review

After looking closely at a sample of 2100 claims, the Veterans Administration has decided to cancel a full scale review of 72,000 full disability PTSD claims filed between 1999 and 2004 because they found most discrepancies seemed to be due to missing documents. Instead of the full scale review, the VA has decide to increase training and add administrative oversight.



The article goes on to state the investigation was begun in the first place because Sen.s Burdin and Obama found that Illinois vets were receiving less PTSD benefits than vets in any other state in the U.S.

Sen. Obama thought it odd that his observation would result in an investigation of why so many other veterans were getting full PTSD benefits, not why so many Illinois veterans weren't.

Now they are chucking the investigation entirely. Has it become another embarrassment to the administration? The whole thing never added up to me to begin with, and I said so then.

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
VA to Review PTSD Claims (moved from ATSNN)


[edit on 11/12/05 by FredT]

This is good for those veterans who have claims pending and who were concerned about getting caught up in more red tape than it already takes to get a claim through the system.

It's good to see that this was voted up. The treatment of our veterans is very crucial to the ongoing health of our nation.

“With malice toward none, with charity for all,
with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,
let us strive on to finish the work we are in,
to bind up the nation’s wounds,
to care for him who shall have borne the battle
and for his widow, and his orphan,
to do all which may achieve and cherish
a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

--Abraham Lincoln

www1.va.gov...



[edit on 2005/11/12 by GradyPhilpott]

Grady,

It is refreshing to see your about-face on this issue after the comments you posted and I responded too when I first brought news of this story to the board.

I think the Cindy Sheehan thing brought a lot of polarity into board posts that may have poisoned the virtual atmosphere around here for awhile. Hopefully, your change of heart on this is an indication that things are returning to some semblance of normalcy, not just here on the board, but in the general political climate, as well. At least until the next big media frenzy, that is.

My position on this matter has not changed.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Currently, I know of several vets who have been rated 100% for PTSD and who do not possess the symptoms or the problems in living associated with a serious mental illness. Clearly, in my opinion, there needs to be an investigation. Poor diagnoses and unneccesary expenditures do not benefit the greater good. Actually, I knew this was coming.

My initial concern was that there were irregularities in the rating process and as it turned out, New Mexico was right in the middle of the controversy. I'm very glad that the issue has been put to rest and that the system is as fair as any bureaucracy can be.

You should also know that I was the victim of a very corrupt system in Louisiana and with the help of a certain US Representative, helped to get certain irregularities corrected.

All I want is a fair system that rates veterans based on the facts of his case--nothing more, nothing less.

[edit on 2005/11/12 by GradyPhilpott]

originally posted by GradyPhilpott
My position on this matter has not changed.

The contrast in your comments between this story and the first one I posted led me to believe otherwise.

originally posted by GradyPhilpott
Clearly, in my opinion, there needs to be an investigation.

This leads me to believe you are in favor of the investigation.

originally posted by GradyPhilpott
This is good for those veterans who have claims pending and who were concerned about getting caught up in more red tape than it already takes to get a claim through the system.

(and)

It's good to see that this was voted up. The treatment of our veterans is very crucial to the ongoing health of our nation.

This leads me to believe you are in favor of the investigation being cancelled.

Maybe your position on this matter hasn't changed. Maybe it has evolved to encompass new information not initially considered the first time around. That's a good thing, too.

Maybe you still believe there are guys claiming PTSD ratings they don't deserve, maybe that is even true to a greater or lesser degree. I think we both agree now that ending the investigation serves the greater good. There are systems in place for catching fraudulent claims, and the increased training and oversight ought to go a ways toward strengthening these safeguards.

originally posted by GradyPhilpott
With malice toward none, with charity for all,
with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,
let us strive on to finish the work we are in,
to bind up the nation’s wounds,

Thanks for the great quote from Honest Abe. Those words apply now as much as ever.