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Visit Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change's column >>

JIM DAVIS, VETERANS-FOR-CHANGE

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Member Since: 6/2009  Last Seen: 5/18/2012

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Finally, VA cuts red tape over PTSD benefits

Seeded on Sat Jul 17, 2010 6:46 PM EDT
Read ArticleArticle Source: Bradenton.com
health, health-care, iraq, war, diabetes, veterans, korea, vietnam, world-war-ii, va, ptsd, wwii, malpractice, vets, medical-care, trauma, agent-orange, appeals, tbi, american-legion, va-benefits, desert-storm, enough-is-enough, va-claims, va-hospitals, va-medical-centers, dioxins, cold-war-veterans, dav, disable-veterans, va-denials, medical-care-and-treatment, vfw, va-appeals, veteran-affairs, war-veterans, veterans-helping-veterans, va-facilities, pow-mia-recoveries, benefits-claims
Seeded by Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change
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In a long overdue move, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials took shears to the red tape that tangled up veterans pursuing disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Noncombat veterans who served in war zones no longer need produce backing documents or buddies to vouch for a specific event that triggered their PTSD. Now, it's presumed that a combat-zone veteran's claim of PTSD is service-connected.

Certainly, the VA would have made an even bigger splash had it also lightened the load of its understaffed ranks of mental-health professionals by blessing PTSD diagnoses from private-sector therapists. Still, relaxing the claims process is progress. Progress that VA Secretary Eric Shinseki insists "goes a long way to ensure that veterans receive the benefits and services they need."

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  • Public Discussion (7)
Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change

Good news, but I don't feel it extended far enough.

Civilian Doctors reports should also be allowed in all cases not just PTSD.

The Veteran should NOT be forced to provide all documentation when the VA and the DoD have records and should be accessable electronically to ease the paper work requirement, and proof by the Veteran!

  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:01 PM EDT
steppin stones

It's about time! At least it is a step in the right direction and now these men and women can start getting the help they need.

    Reply#2 - Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:24 PM EDT
    Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change

    We can only hope, but the proof will be seeing and hearing more claims are awarded vs. denied.

    • 1 vote
    #2.1 - Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:23 PM EDT
    steppin stones

    Yes I know. I suppose I should have added hopefully at the end of my sentence.

      #2.2 - Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:53 PM EDT
      Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change

      Steppin:

      Seems like we gain a little ground and they remove more than we gain one way or another.

      Over 1,000 veteran bills presented in 2008-2009, and only one was voted on and passed. The rest are all stalled in committee.

      Word from the hill through liaisons' is that any bill pulled from committee and sent to the floor for a vote would be a "Pay Go" bill meaning if it passed we'd lose a program or benefit else where.

      They love to play russian roulette with Veterans' lives!

        #2.3 - Sun Jul 18, 2010 9:19 PM EDT
        steppin stones

        It's all about the money and unfortunately it seems as though our veterans are not high on the list.

          #2.4 - Sun Jul 18, 2010 11:39 PM EDT
          Jim Davis, Veterans-For-Change

          In 2008 we spent 334.8 billion dollars and in 2009 548 billion dollars on illegal aliens for welfare, food stamps, education, medical, housing subsidy, etc.

          This year Obama granted $2 billion to a Brazilian oil company, 2nd largest in the world.

          And is still trying to shove more amnesty down our throats.

          If we stopped this nightmare spending, and took even 1/2 of this money which could be saved and put it toward Veterans and benefits, we'd not be seeing many of the problems Veterans face every single day!

            #2.5 - Mon Jul 19, 2010 6:47 PM EDT
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