Immediate action needed!

[Gimpy]

Just got this from the DAV.
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To: dav_list@capwiz.mailmanager.net





Health Care Appropriations Take Action!

Immediate Action Needed

Yielding to strong pressure from the White House, a majority of the conferees on the Iraq Emergency Supplemental appropriations measure agreed to strip the provision to provide $1.3 billion for VA health care from the measure. Although the conference took place behind closed doors, information on some of the negotiations has been provided to us by some of the conferees. While it was acknowledged that the $1.3 billion for veterans health care was critical to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) being able to keep America?s promise to deliver timely, quality health care to our nation?s veterans, it was felt that this money could be provided in the VA/HUD appropriations bill currently pending before the Senate. However, no definite plan to ensure that this money would be made available to VA in fiscal year 2004 was provided.

Some of the options discussed included keeping the emergency spending designation provided for in the Senate VA/HUD appropriations bill. However, this would not guarantee that the $1.3 billion would be made available to the VA because the President would have to agree to the emergency designation and the need for these funds, notwithstanding the fact that the Administration?s budget did not call for this additional level of funding. A second option would be to provide the $1.3 billion without the emergency designation and without any corresponding offsets in spending. This option could subject the appropriations bill to a budget point of order and require a super majority vote for passage. The third option would provide for the $1.3 billion in additional spending with corresponding across-the-board cuts in other programs, including non-medical VA programs. These across-the-board cuts would occur in the VA/HUD spending bill, if that bill was passed as a stand-alone bill, or, if the VA/HUD bill was incorporated in an omnibus package including five other appropriations bills, the across-the-board cuts would be taken from all the programs contained in that omnibus bill, thereby lessening the percentage of the offset for any individual program.

We therefore ask you to urge your elected officials to honor their commitment to veterans by providing, at a minimum, a $1.8 billion increase for veterans medical care, as called for in the Congressional Budget Resolution, without any ?strings? attached.

Please call or e-mail your Senators immediately, as a vote on appropriations for VA spending could occur as early as next week, November 3, 2003.

As always, thank you for your support.



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[Mom]

Hi Gimpy. Interesting. Just joined so not up to latest. Know anything about "fee basis" for disabled vets?

[theoddz]

Hi Mom, and welcome to the board!!

What you have asked about (fee basis for disabled vets) is a broad topic. Everything you need to know about fee basis, however, is contained within Title 38 of US Code. You can find US Code at www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode and look under Title 38. You'll need to weed through it to find what you are looking for, but it's there.

On that note, here is what I know about fee basis for disabled vets. Title 38 states that, if a veteran is service connected at a rate of 50% or over (may be the case for lesser percentages when pertaining to a service connected disease or injury), and a medically necessary treatment, procedure, etc., is not available in the VA system or cannot be delivered in a timely, prudent manner, then that treatment, procedure, etc., has to be paid for by the VA in the private sector. I'll take a look today at some of my stuff here and see if I can tell you the exact part and passage of that.

Another thing about the VA. I know this because I work for the system. Whenever money is involved, the VA will try to give you a load of BS and everything else....even flat out lie to you, unless you stick these laws up their noses. It's a crying shame that we have to fight for our care like this, but what's sadder is that there are vets out there who are too old, sick and uninformed to be able to demand better from a system that was designed to take care of them. The VA operates under a veil of "secrecy" and it takes advantage of the fact that few of us know the rules.

If you have any more questions or need info, please feel free to ask here on this board. There are many many of us here who have a lot of info about many topics. We're good people, too, and a very close community.

Good luck to you.

Peace.

[Mom]

By the way theodz I'm a woman you attacked on another website. Peace?

I don't think so. But, if you keep a civil post I will.

[BLUEHAWK]

Welcome Mom, we needed some more Moms around this place...

Coffee's always on...

[theoddz]

I have always been willing to keep a "civil post" and will help any fellow vets whenever I can, if I can. If you need information and nicely ask for it, as you did in your post, I will be more than happy to help.

I happen to work for the VA system, and this does NOT mean that I endorse or agree with ANY or ALL of it's doings, because I don't. There are a LOT of the VA's policies and procedures that I don't agree with. In my experiences with working for the VA, I have come to learn a little bit about it and the laws. This is where I try to help other vets.

This board is not for the abuse of others or to make accusations towards fellow vets who are, in fact, trying to help. Venting?? Yes, we can all understand that. However, "busting a spring" and directly and deliberately inciting hate and discontent here isn't going to solve anything or do anything except get one's posting privileges revoked.

If I can help or offer advice, I will. I refuse, however, to be a target for your rage against my employer. I am not to blame for your problems with the VA. That understood, welcome.

Peace.

[Mom]

As I said it was directed at me by you on another website, not your employer, YOU. that said peace IF.....

And thank you for the info. I'm on fee basis and haven't figured out how it works and no help from them either.

notice you are from Las Vegas area...how's the weather? My sorta step-son ( my son's half brother) and his mother live in the area as well (she is demolitions).

[theoddz]

Weather's been pretty nice here lately. Seems like the Fall might be here for awhile. It's still dry as all getout, but they're forecasting for a *slight* chance of rain this weekend.

As for the fee basis, I've had to "remind" these folks in the Fee Basis dept., on numerous occasions, that I am 100% + service connected and that they HAVE to fee base me out if they cannot provide the service or treatment within the VA system. I think I even quoted the Title 38 part and parcel to them. Keep in mind, though, that if what you are seeking IS available in the VA system, even if they have to fly you to another VA medical facility, they can do that and deny to fee base you out locally.

You should see what they're doing here in Las Vegas. We have no full service hospital here yet. One is being planned, but that won't be for another 3-5 years. In the meantime, the Las Vegas system pays for veterans to *fly* to San Diego or Los Angeles for treatment that is not available here. It's all perfectly legal, in most cases, but that's how it happens.

Not sure if this is what you mean about not understanding how fee basis works, but the mechanism of the process is this. You visit your VA doctor and he/she makes recommendations for your treatment. They usually write a "consult" for a needed treatment or service. If this is not available in the system, the consult is directed to the Fee Services dept. Once there, a specialist looks over what you need and they look at where this service would be available and they do a "cost analysis" of where they can get it done cheaper. If they figure out that they can fly you somewhere within the VISN, or even out of it, and it is cheaper than sending you to a facility or provider that may be right down the street from you, then they will send you to Timbuktu in the VA system. It is my understanding that you can make a case for yourself to have it done locally for "personal reasons", if it's something like surgery and having your family support system nearby will be necessary for your recovery.

If I should run across that provision within Title 38, in reference to fee basis, I'll post it here.

Good luck.

[Mom]

W-e-l-l, I'm on fee basis because I kicked up a fuss and they just said pick anyone I like for anything and they will pay for it locally. We have full here....or so I heard. Just tons of vets and few MD's and such and being female with a bad heart (atrial septal anyuresm) a couple of twisted carotid arteries, 6 brain lesions on the right side and 3 on the left, left sided weakness and a couple of other things which someone thinks for some darned reason may be service connected but nobody wants to amit it....so they gave me PTSD at 50% and may be coming up with 100%....going on 3 months at ratings board (ALSO something I kicked up a fuss about...the reeval not the board) They do have my opinion on file as to a bunch of bizare peoples incompetence.....ever hear of a person ammiting (in writing, official forms) that death threats and such are proven to be directed at you then have that same person call you nuts cause you think some one may be out to harm you? OOPS! (they are blushing a bit on that one). Of course I let them have it.....pills that diflect bullets! DO TELL USwhen they are on the market! Bound to be a winner! But, um, don't ask me to test em cause I'm not crazy nor am I a fool. And I wouldn't hold your breath that anyone else would test em...well, maybe the dingbat who suggested it....

By the way I'm a nurse with 16 years experience in ER and Critical care and rehab so do know what I'm taking about....which is why they are rather SILENT when I tell them like it is. Proven competence on my part....awards and such for having my stuff together.

Thanks for the info.