tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post3194283791623542127..comments2023-11-03T09:36:22.100-04:00Comments on In From the Cold: Shinseki's Other LegacyGeorge Smileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049707648660651119noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-64618849535120701002008-12-12T00:04:00.000-05:002008-12-12T00:04:00.000-05:00I have no beef with the medical side of the house ...I have no beef with the medical side of the house at the VA - I had five medical appointments for my disability evaluation after I retired this year, and the staf was great. I also was able to register for care through them at that time...my problem with them has been how they have handled my request for Vocational Rehab counseling...the local rep in the area is a bonafide jerk, insisting that I came in on his time, when I was out of town taking care of family matters out of state. Things got so bad, that I had to write my Congressman to get him involved in having someone else help me with getting this done.<BR/> Good luck to Shinseki...he'll need it...fmfnavydochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10714903349176056488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-11585533417492824572008-12-10T20:48:00.000-05:002008-12-10T20:48:00.000-05:00Ed,We probably agree that the universal financial ...Ed,<BR/><BR/>We probably agree that the universal financial disclosure requirement for registration is a bad one. But here's what you said originally and what I responded to:<BR/><BR/><EM>It already is a tool to distribute welfare to "means tested" veterans (as a 23-year service, combat disability, retired officer, I don't qualify for even registration in the VA medical system let along services!)</EM><BR/><BR/>The point is that you DO qualify, you just don't want to provide the information necessary to register. And as a priority group 3, you wouldn't be means-tested except in the limited instance I already discussed. The point is, it's one thing to argue the registration requirements are unreasonable and it's quite another to falsely claim the VA won't let a combat disabled veteran register or receive benefits.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-40505571135720383222008-12-10T16:52:00.000-05:002008-12-10T16:52:00.000-05:00No, Andy, by refusing to divulge my personal finan...No, Andy, by refusing to divulge my personal financial details to a mindless VA bureaucrat who has never been in the cross-hairs I am preserving my dignity, freedom and rights.Ed Rasimushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667325554289268659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-48702102880204904222008-12-10T10:51:00.000-05:002008-12-10T10:51:00.000-05:00Ed,Requiring financial disclosure is not "means te...Ed,<BR/><BR/>Requiring financial disclosure is not "means testing." VA collects that information from all registrants but, as I said before, only some priorities are actually means-tested for benefits. As a priority 3 the only thing you might be means-test on are for non service-connected medications. You would be covered for everything else.<BR/><BR/>So by refusing to register all you're doing is denying yourself medical care you're legitimately entitled to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-66933778968598561072008-12-10T08:57:00.000-05:002008-12-10T08:57:00.000-05:00A quick (and minor) rebuttal to kitanis: Your disa...A quick (and minor) rebuttal to kitanis: <BR/><BR/>Your disability claim is totally independent of registration on the VA medical eligibility roster. You can file, and receive a disability without being registered.Ed Rasimushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667325554289268659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-77424073134246277102008-12-09T19:33:00.000-05:002008-12-09T19:33:00.000-05:00I recently had my medical records examined by the ...I recently had my medical records examined by the VA.. and finally got a condition that was found in there as disability.. so far the VA has not requested any financial information from me at all. <BR/><BR/>In fact.. further examination of my records caused them to request I go through examination for something that happened to me in 2000 and was treated.. but the doctor seem's to think that they should do further tests.<BR/><BR/>I will say this.. while going through the VA process when they required me to go through a couple examinations.. reminded me of the medical care that was once available to active duty personnel before Tri-Care was implemented. Straitforward.. Proffessional and Carring without all the stigma of getting statements and bills from treatment facilities when Tri-Care dose not pay the total ammount what those facilities charge.<BR/><BR/>I am not praising the VA.. I am only stating what I have experienced in the last few weeks. I have talked to many people in the waiting rooms.. most state that the VA dose a good job.. but there is always someone who dose not like it.<BR/><BR/>As far as using the VA as a model for nationalized heath care.. I don't think thats a good idea.. Imagine the ammount of people to be treated.. and set up the system like the VA.. it would have to have at least seven times the personnel to handle the load.kitanishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10657260938925328929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-29880998426317382912008-12-09T17:09:00.000-05:002008-12-09T17:09:00.000-05:00You might want to check on your assertions, Andy. ...You might want to check on your assertions, Andy. I accompanied a friend to a VA facility (Bonham TX) and decided while there to register. In order to register (not to receive any services, but simply to get on the VA registry), I was asked for a full and complete financial disclosure including statements of all sources of income, all debts and obligations, all investments and property owned, types of vehicles and value for both me and my spouse. <BR/><BR/>If that ain't "means testing" I don't know what is. Why wouldn't a valid DOD ID card showing retired status as a field grade officer handle that?<BR/><BR/>I tried again by direct paper filing to the Waco VA Center, pointing out my qualification as priority 3 (not priority 7) in the VA handbook, but was rejected and told I still must supply full financial disclosure to be eligible. <BR/><BR/>As for the bureaucratic self-justification, I'd recommend you read Burkett's excellent work, "Stolen Valor" which spends as much time on the VA fiasco as it does on impostors and wannabes.Ed Rasimushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667325554289268659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-14173577899565741062008-12-09T11:43:00.000-05:002008-12-09T11:43:00.000-05:00Without knowing what went on in the inner circle I...Without knowing what went on in the inner circle I would hazard a guess that Shinseki is there because of who he is. You should see the shrine dedicated to Shinseki at the Hawaii Army Museum at Fort Derussy in Honolulu.<BR/><BR/>However, he's not in a position to compete with Gates. The positions of Gates and Shinseki are diametrically opposed when it comes to force structure.TOFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14234091783167165660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-86759603993426895722008-12-09T11:13:00.000-05:002008-12-09T11:13:00.000-05:00Spook,When General Zinni was head of centcom his O...Spook,<BR/><BR/>When General Zinni was head of centcom his OPLAN called for 400,000 troops for an invasion and phase IV operations. When Franks took over, the plan got reduced a bit to 385,000. While I agree on the beret issue, on Iraq Shinseki was more right than anyone in the administration and he did get fired for it. It's amazing to me that people still try to get what digs they can on that point. <BR/><BR/>The Shinseki nomination is important as a message to the officer corps. It indicates that this administration is probably not going to fire officers who give unwanted advice.<BR/><BR/>Ed,<BR/><BR/>Your information on the VA is completely wrong.<BR/><BR/>1. If you served and were not dishonorably discharged, you can register with the VA.<BR/><BR/>2. If you have a service-connected disability, then they only thing you MIGHT be means-tested on are prescriptions. Vets with greater than 50% service-related disability have no means testing for anything. Means-testing for services only applies to those with no service-related disability.<BR/><BR/>3. VA "bureaucratic justification," as you call it, is required by Congress. Benefits provided by the VA are determined by Congress, not the VA, so if you have a problem with PTSD, Agent Orange, etc., then you're barking up the wrong tree. Regardless, PTSD has a strong medical basis and Gulf War syndrome has been epidemiologically proven. I don't know about Agent Orange.<BR/><BR/>4. WTF are you talking about "welfare conduit?" Since when is medical care provided primarily for disabled vets "welfare?" Government assistance to disabled veterans predates the founding of our republic. This accusation seems particularly disingenuous coming from a retired officer who is presumably collecting retired pay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-16237751382887912362008-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:002008-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00Certainly Shinseki's military legacy should be...Certainly Shinseki's military legacy should be considered (although National Review commented that he was neither fired as C-of-S nor did he really comment as characterized in the media.) His Chinese-sourced beret stunt should disqualify him for any future job. (This from a former black beret wearer as an AF tactical air control party member.)<BR/><BR/>More critical is the distinction of how exactly Obama will use the VA. It already is a tool to distribute welfare to "means tested" veterans (as a 23-year service, combat disability, retired officer, I don't qualify for even registration in the VA medical system let along services!)<BR/><BR/>The VA does a fine job with rehab for active duty wounded, but it has a long history of bureaucratic self-justification through soliciting cases of PTSD, Agent Orange or Gulf War Syndrome with strictly emotional and little medical basis. The details of much have this malfeasance were laid out in Burkett & Whitley's excellent work, "Stolen Valor."<BR/><BR/>My bet is that the VA will accelerate their role as a welfare conduit while simultaneously degrading the veteran as a drug-addicted, alcoholic, psychologically unfit to succeed in civilized society after service to his country.Ed Rasimushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13667325554289268659noreply@blogger.com