Veterans Affairs Officials Wimps Out when Confronted

According to an article titled “VA Moves to Prevent Veteran Violence Over Disability Claims”  “Veterans Affairs officials want to change when soldiers can view some of their medical records online, fearing veterans could become violent if they see negative comments and think their disability claims will be denied.  Veterans must get a medical exam as part of the process for filing a disability claim for a service-related injury. Within days or weeks of the exam, veterans can see the doctor's forms or notes by using the "Blue Button" on My HealtheVet, the VA's website for health records.  A group of department officials said Monday that they fear veterans could see the notes from the exam, assume from this partial picture that their claim is being denied, and take out their anger on local VA officials. They voiced their safety concerns Monday to members of the department's Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation at their meeting this week in Washington.  "Some of our C-and-P clinics are quite small … and it doesn't have much in the way of reasonable defense. We're very concerned about that."  "Many of the C-and-P docs are females, and they seem to be the ones that seem to have the evening hours or are in these far-flung [clinics]," said Denny Devine, the VA's project executive for disability and medical assessments. "Those are the ones on our weekly calls raising these concerns."

Now you know me, I am all about what is fair and just.  I do not nor will I ever condone violence being used as the answer for anything because it truly solves nothing and makes matters much worse but having said that, many of these issues can be resolved quickly and easily with just a few tweaks here and there.  The first is stop staffing those offices with women who cannot hold their own with any male.  Bring in strong ladies to take that shift, more males to handle that time or hire former military women.  Consider that it may not be the denial that makes us blow our top but the provoking and disrespectful way our issue and we are being treated.  Many military members know never to disrespect a lady but if that lady is acting more like a man than most men, then we fight fire with fire.  The most important thing to remember and a very easy way to solve this issue is exactly what were reported in the article.  It says that “the VA received more than 1 million requests for disability exams during the 2014 fiscal year. It has almost 527,500 pay and pension claims currently waiting to be decided, with more than 46 percent—or 244,727—waiting more than 125 days for a decision.”   You make me wait for what seems like years to hear that I have been denied, of course I am going to be upset.  Military members do not hold animosity toward those who deny us, it’s the long wait for one and it is made worse when you run into a condescending, arrogant or righteous person when you come to inquire. 

You see a simple solution which is probably why none of this will ever be instituted because simple things seem to confuse those who act much more intelligent than they are.  Those who are placed in authority tend to allow that power to corrupt them and treat those who fought so that they can have that power as if we are the ones who are a bother instead of the ones who sacrificed and continues to suffer for it.