Doing this to the vets? This is just a preview of what barry's take over of health care has planned for the workers who pay taxes in favor of the takers. ........................................................... Thomas Breen was so proud of his military service that he would go nowhere but the VA for treatment A fatal wait: Veterans languish and die on a VA hospital's secret list - CNN.com (CNN) -- At least 40 U.S. veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system, many of whom were placed on a secret waiting list. The secret list was part of an elaborate scheme designed by Veterans Affairs managers in Phoenix who were trying to hide that 1,400 to 1,600 sick veterans were forced to wait months to see a doctor, according to a recently retired top VA doctor and several high-level sources. For six months, CNN has been reporting on extended delays in health care appointments suffered by veterans across the country and who died while waiting for appointments and care. But the new revelations about the Phoenix VA are perhaps the most disturbing and striking to come to light thus far. Internal e-mails obtained by CNN show that top management at the VA hospital in Arizona knew about the practice and even defended it. Dr. Sam Foote just retired after spending 24 years with the VA system in Phoenix. The veteran doctor told CNN in an exclusive interview that the Phoenix VA works off two lists for patient appointments: There's an "official" list that's shared with officials in Washington and shows the VA has been providing timely appointments, which Foote calls a sham list. And then there's the real list that's hidden from outsiders, where wait times can last more than a year.
You forget that most of these guys are receiving service connected disability compensation...in other words, the same organization that must pay them every month is also in charge of their health care. When one dies, it is like a double bonus for the VA...they don't have to provide the care for the vet, nor do they have to send out a comp check every month. Any service connected vet who can afford it and does not opt for private primary care (while there still is such a thing) is foolish.
Not exactly the facts. If a Vet dies from service connected illness then their survivor continues to receive the compensation. I do not know to what level, maybe 100% but it does continue.
Not exactly the facts... If the vet is not married (or have minor children), nobody gets benefits. A surviving wife gets what is called Dependency Indemnification Compensation if the veteran dies of the service connected condition or the veteran was 100% disabled due to a service connected condition at the time of death. The DIC rate is currently $1215 per month as opposed to just over $3000 per month for a married veteran that is 100% service connected plus about $300 for each minor child (about the same as added to the 100% rate while the veteran lives). I volunteer at the local Vet Center assisting vets in receiving disability compensation so have a fairly good handle on what is available. EDIT: I forgot to mention that, if the veteran is 100% service connected and dies of something other than the service connected condition, the wife and kids are not eligible unless the vet had been rated at 100% for ten years (it was 8 years until Jan 1 of this year) prior to their death or since they were discharged if that is a lesser period.
Nothing new on that front on most any survivor benefits. Thank you for your service PAX MENTIS, "I volunteer at the local Vet Center" . I too am a volunteer, for me it is the DAV and we assist vets in most any way we can, from filling out forms to making sure they can live a better life even to buying a load of foods to making sure the rent is paid and the power is on. We also provide services to the local State Guard, Christmas Party last year and gifts for all the kids. I also have Disabilities and am rated as a multi level holder. Compensation Home CFR 38 is a good place to check for those who want to better understand the laws that affect us. YMMV
