The first of ODEP’s six listening sessions will be held on January 21 in Dallas. The second session will be held on January 27 in Philadelphia. The registration and comment period for both of these sessions is now open. Other sessions will be held in Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and Boston.

ODEP needs to hear your ideas. More information about the listening sessions is available at www.disabilitylisteningtour.com.

The scammers claim that they are assisting the VA in administering its prescription drug program. Specifically, they assert that the VA’s prescription co-payment billing procedures have changed, and that the VA now requires credit card information to be on file before it can dispense prescription medication to eligible veterans.

The VA does not charge veterans co-payments in advance of filling thier prescriptions. If someone that you don’t know contacts you and tries to obtain credit card or other financial information from you, do not provide them with the information.

VetsFirst does not want any veteran to fall victim to identity theft or any other scam. If you have questions about scams or other veterans-related issues, please contact us through the “Ask VetsFirst” feature on this website – and please stay alert!!

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movements and causes rapid degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord. The disease often results in death within several years of its diagnosis.

A VA spokesperson announced that out of 2,500 veterans who received letters explaining about VA disability benefits and health care for their ALS, at least 1,200 of them were sent the letter by mistake. Once it discovered the error, the VA sent letters of apology to those veterans and confirmed that they had not been actually diagnosed with ALS. However, after receiving the first letter, many skeptical veterans underwent painful and expensive diagnostic tests at their own expense to determine whether they actually had the fatal illness. The VA has agreed to reimburse these veterans for related out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The VA does not know exactly how many of the erroneous letters have actually been sent to veterans without formal diagnoses of ALS. VA officials have blamed the mistake on a “coding” error that caused the computer-generated letters to include as recipients VA patients that have undiagnosed neurological symptoms, in addition to those who have confirmed ALS diagnoses.

Although it is understandable that clerical mistakes can happen, especially in computerized bureaucracies, VetsFirst strongly believes that the VA must be more vigilant to prevent these kinds of errors. Veterans in fragile states of physical and mental health can be seriously affected such shocking news. Some could even be driven to suicide, rather than face a prolonged battle with a deadly disease that they don’t actually have.

Earlier this year, VetsFirst reported that the VA discovered that it had exposed more than 10,000 veterans to HIV, Hepatitis C and other serious diseases as the result of cross-contaminated medical equipment used during endoscopic procedures, including routine colonoscopies. The equipment had been improperly sterilized after use between patients. The exposures went undiscovered for almost five years!

More recently, the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia revealed that it had given at least 98 veteran cancer patients incorrect dosages of radiation therapy over a six-year period!

VetsFirst considers these kinds of errors to be unacceptable. When the lives and health of our nation’s veterans are at stake the VA cannot simply say “we goofed and we’re sorry”. It must implement measures to detect such errors immediately, strategies to prevent them from occurring in the first place and meaningful improved quality control in both its claims administration and health care delivery systems.

If you have received a VA ALS notification letter, we urge you to contact us immediately for assistance or to answer any questions that you may have. Simply go to our website, www.vetsfirst.org, and use the “Ask VetsFIrst” feature. One of our national service officers will respond directly to you.

VetsFirst believes that the actual number of backlogged claims is closer to the latter number, if you include appeals in the mix. However, the VA often gets innovative in times of crisis. But – does innovation for the sake of just doing something really solve big problems? Let’s take a closer look.

In response to the claims backlog, the VA has implemented a two-year pilot program called the Expedited Claims Adjudication (ECA) initiative to speed up the claims process. There are currently four test sites participating in the e ECA program (Philadelphia, PA, Seattle, WA, Lincoln, NE and Nashville, TN.)
The VA asserts that ECA will allow proactive veterans to have eligible claims adjudicated more quickly. Sounds great, right? Better read the fine print before you decide.

Congress, the federal courts and even the VA have spent decades establishing procedural and substantive due process rights for veterans, their family members and survivors who file claims for VA benefits. These rights include setting deadlines to file benefit applications, appeals and responses to VA inquiries that allow sufficient time for the claimant to do what is required, These rights also include freedom of choice in selecting a representative to handle a claim or an appeal before the VA.

In order to participate in the ECA program, however, a claimant must sign a waiver of these important rights. This waiver must be made at the very start of the claims process – when the claim is actually filed. In other words, time is shaved off the decision making process by forcing VA claimants to agree to shortened or even eliminated time limits to gather evidence, respond to VA inquiries, prepare appeals and to take other actions. All of the sacrifice for expediting the process is carried by the claimant, while the VA is not required to expedite its own actions.

A major problem with agreeing to the ECA sacrifices at the beginning of the process is that often, the issues that must be resolved are extremely complex. Evidence needed to prove entitlement to a benefit can be quite difficult and time consuming to obtain. On top of that, VA laws and regulations are equally complex. Even experienced veterans service representatives, attorneys and agents need time to research and prepare legal arguments. You never know what is going to happen during the claims process and it is that uncertainty that makes it so dangerous to waive your due process rights before the start whistle even blows.

Another problematic ECA eligibility requirement is that the claimant must be represented by a VA-recognized veterans service organization (VSO) or a VA-accredited attorney or agent in order to participate in the program. The representation must be in effect at the time that the claim is filed. Nevertheless, many VA claimants, for whatever reason, do not have VSO, attorney or agent representation. As a result, these claimant will not be allowed to participate in the ECA program.

Perhaps the most glaring problem with the ECA program is that even though a VA benefits decision may be made faster, the VA is not required to make any more effort than it normally does ensure that the quality, accuracy and correctness of the expedited claims or appeals decision. Denied VA benefit decisions are appealed and won all of the time. There is simply no reason to believe that veterans and their family members or survivors will not vigorously appeal denied ECA decisions as well. This will only add to the VA’s claims backlog, not help to reduce it.

The bottom line is that ECA is a tempest in a teapot. It sounds just fine in theory. In reality, however, it could do more harm than good.

Veterans and others who are eligible to participate in the ECA program will receive a letter from the VA when they file a claim for VA benefits. If you receive such a letter and are considering waiving your due process rights in exchange for a quicker decision, we strongly urge you to contact VetsFirst to learn about the consequences that you are facing.

(Washington, D.C., February 25) – United Spinal Association and its veterans services program, VetsFirst, in partnership with Vietnam Veterans of America introduced the Veterans Health Council at a press conference today at the National Press Club.

The Veterans Health Council hopes to improve veterans’ health by creating an ongoing educational forum for health care professionals, advocacy organizations, educational institutions, employee representatives, businesses, state and local governments and veterans themselves.

Approximately 80 percent of veterans do not use the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) medical facilities for their health care. Many of these veterans are simply unaware that they may have health problems related to their military service that would entitle them to VA health care, as well as disability compensation and other VA benefits.

United Spinal Association President and CEO Paul J. Tobin said, “There has been a desperate need for the Veterans Health Council for a long time. Veterans must be informed about health risks related to their military service and the VA health care that is available to them.”

Tobin added, “We need to educate healthcare communities about the multiple health issues associated with military service, so that they can better identify, diagnose and treat at-risk veterans. We must also develop educational materials for medical schools, nursing schools, teaching hospitals and related entities along the same lines. Besides its educational functions, the Council will also advocate on behalf of healthcare initiatives for veterans.”

The Veterans Health Council is the first comprehensive collaboration between veteran’s service organizations, private sector businesses and nonprofits dedicated specifically to the welfare of veterans and their families.

The Veterans Health Council website provides information on health conditions associated with military service, links to healthcare websites related to specific diseases and general information about the VA claims process.

Veterans and other claimants for VA benefits can contact VetsFirst with questions about VA benefits, health care and to request representation from our accredited veterans service representatives by accessing the “Ask VetsFirst” service.

About United Spinal Association
United Spinal is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization formed in 1946 by paralyzed veterans and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Americans with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, ALS and post polio. We have played a significant role in writing the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other important legislation. For over 60 years we have provided vital and life enhancing services and assistance to disabled veterans and their families. Membership is free and is open to all individuals with spinal cord disorders.

VetsFirst, a program of United Spinal Association, is the embodiment of United Spinal’s veterans service program.

For more information contact:
Len Selfon
Senior Vice President
United Spinal Association VetsFirst
301-495-4460, Lselfon@unitedspinal.org

Last fall, the VA offered veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) $30 a month to participate in a smoking cessation study. About 1000 veterans participated in the study and 143 were given the anti-smoking drug Varenicline (Chantix). In November 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert that linked Chantix to suicidal thoughts, psychosis and violent behavior. Nevertheless, the VA waited more than three months before warning veterans about the possible side effects in a letter sent to the test participants.

During the study, 26 veterans who took Chantix reported that they had experienced “serious” side effects, including hallucinations, violent outbursts and suicidal thoughts. One veteran had to be tasered by police and was arrested after his fiancé reported that he had retrieved his gun and was acting strangely. The VA’s letter to the veterans warned of psychiatric side effects, but did not mention suicidal thoughts as being one of the dangers. In defense of its continuing to use Chantix in the program, the VA maintained that the notification letters had been tied up in the bureaucracy and that a three-month lag time does not constitute an unreasonable delay. The VA explained that it did not mention suicide as a risk of using Chantix because some veterans who had taken it were elderly or had eyesight problems.

Meanwhile, members of Congress have ordered the suspension of the Chantix testing program and an investigation by the VA Inspector General into that study and other VA drug testing programs.

Although offering a small amount of money as a recruitment incentive for participation in clinical drug trials is a common practice in government and private drug testing programs, VetsFirst believes that offering nominal payments to often lower-income veterans seems unfair and manipulative. This is especially true when they suffer from a psychiatric disorder such as PTSD which already predisposes them to violent and suicidal behavior. No matter how well intentioned or beneficial these programs may be, the VA must balance their advantages against health risks to its patients. The VA should be held accountable for any direct or indirect violation of the first rule of medical practice: Do No Harm.

VetsFirst strongly encourages any veteran who has participated, or is currently participating, in any VA drug testing program to keep all of the paperwork associated with the test and to document the drug(s) taken, the dosage and any short- or long-term side effects experienced. This information will be useful if the veteran subsequently develops a disability as a result of the drug taken and pursues a claim for VA compensation and/or health care in the future.

The handbook is revised every year to reflect the most current VA benefits and health care programs and services, as well as the rates for certain benefits payments. The 2008 version of the handbook also contains a state-by-state listing of VA medical facilities, including locations and contact information, an overview of programs and services for veterans provided by other federal agencies and a list of related Internet websites.

Some of the programs discussed in the handbook include disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities, VA health-care, burial benefits, home loan guaranties, special housing and automotive adaptations, educational assistance, training and vocational rehabilitation, income assistance pensions, life insurance and survivors’ benefits.

The handbook can be downloaded free from VA’s website at http://www.va.gov/OPA/vadocs/current_benefits.asp. Printed copies of the handbook may be ordered from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). The GPO accepts credit card orders by calling 866-512-1800 (toll-free) for a cost of $5.00 per copy to U.S. addresses, or $67.00 for bulk orders of 25 copies. The handbook may also be ordered by mail from the GPO at Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000 (stock number 051-000-00233-4), or on line at www.bookstore.gpo.gov.

The state’s budget-writing committee helped Wisconsin’s university and technical college systems by covering part of the cost of giving veterans free tuition, but also hurt some veterans by limiting the benefit in various ways.

The limitations approved by the Joint Finance Committee last week:…

Read the entire story at The Capital Times

The U.S. government’s system for rating the severity of military veterans’ disabilities to set payment levels is "out of sync with modern medicine" and should be overhauled, an expert panel said on Thursday.
By Will Dunham
Jun 7, 2007
Read the entire article at ABC News