Ridge Runner
AH legend
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2017
- Messages
- 3,515
- Reaction score
- 7,556
- Media
- 27
- Member of
- NMLRA, SCI,
- Hunted
- East Cape, South Africa, Zimbabwe
My son recently retired after 22 years of service and the VA has taken good care of him. Not the same experience I had in the 70’s and 80’s. I haven’t been back to VA since but my son tells me it is different now that people appreciate vets again.
Hate to burst many older vets perceptions, but facts are facts!!!
It's not so much being appreciated as it is about being medically, physically, mentally cared for.
Many providers and All Those Others, then and now appreciate vets, for various reasons.
As then, As now, Vets want proper care!! We earned it!!!......FACT: Illegals and criminals in prisons have better and easier access to Healthcare than Veterans!!!.
Is or has the V.A. improved or changed since the 1970's - 80's ? I don't know. Because I didn't start my claims until 2002. This is 2024. I can only account for my experiences at Mountain Home V.A. till 2014-15? More money was spent on upgrades/ remodeling and remodeling the remodeled and remodeling the previous remodeled. Until finally a parking garage was finally built to improve parking in 2022?? That's from BS remodeling of offices in 2002 to constuction of a much more badly needed parking area for vets in 2022. Billions of dollars wasted at just 1 V.A. facility over 20 years.
Veteran care is definitely political. And not until V.A. administrators, and any and all employees can be terminated on the spot for lack of care or erroneous behavior towards vets will vets be at least 95% properly treated with respect!! provided with proper medical, physical, men healthcare!!!.
Yes!!, There are many more programs, ie. The PACT Act, to acknowledge and supposedly improve the veterans chances approval for V.A. Healthcare.
Overall: No!! Nothing has improved in the V.A. since the 70's-80's. Vets still receive automatic claim denial letters, spend years fighting to prove their claim(s). All because the initial claim approval person failed to, or can't - didn't want to read the vet claim and attached evidence.
The vet, even with the best VSO, has to provide repeated documentation before getting approved and a V.A. rating, usually the minimal possible, and the vet or his/her rep in conjuction with the VSO continually have to proved repeated evidence before a vet can achieve their respective highest percentage rating for injuries: physical, mental, health sustained during military service.
Case in point: a former friend/acquaintance, was denied a V.A. rating at Mountain Home V.A.M.C. he served in the Army was blown up by an IED TWICE, once in Iraq and once in Afghanistan. His wide took him to Nashville V.A.M.C. where he was automatically given 100% T&C before being wheeled (chair) into the vet rep's office. 100% T&C is the max he was rated, last I heard 200% with added compensation for incognisence and ED.
This is all first hand knowledge not hearsay or opinionated.