thedrifter
11-11-05, 09:04 AM
November 10, 2005
VA backs off review of veterans receiving PTSD compensation
By Deborah Funk and Rick Maze
Times staff wrters
Veterans receiving disability compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder can breathe a little easier.
On the eve of Veterans Day, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson rescinded a previous announcement that the VA’s Veterans Benefits Association would review the files of 72,000 veterans who are being compensated for PTSD. A VA review of a small sample of those cases found administrative problems, but no fraud.
“Not all combat wounds are caused by bullets and shrapnel,” Nicholson said in a news release. “We have a commitment to ensure veterans with PTSD receive compassionate, world-class health care and appropriate disability compensation determinations.”
During an examination this spring of state-by-state differences in disability determinations, VA’s inspector general found a large increase in the number of PTSD cases granted disability compensation. The cases involved veterans awarded 100 percent disability between fiscal year 1999 and 2004.
The inspector general selected 2,100 files for review and found they lacked sufficient documentation to determine whether compensation was justified.
VA officials have now reviewed those 2,100 cases. “The problems with these files appear to be administrative in nature, such as missing documents, and not fraud,” Nicholson said.
Rather than increase veterans’ anxiety by ordering widespread reviews, VA is going to make some in-house improvements, including better training for VA workers who process disability claims and tighter oversight, Nicholson said.
“This is a victory for common sense and for veterans,” said Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., the senior democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Evans had written Nicholson last month expressing concern that the veterans under review are those who have serious disabilities “involving such symptoms as ‘persistent danger of hurting self or others.’ ” And a witness at a Senate VA committee hearing last month testified that news of the review contributed to the death of one veteran who had PTSD, even though his case was not under review. Other witnesses said veterans felt that an attack on one veteran was an attack on all of them.
The Nov. 10 announcement came at the same time Senate Democrats were holding a press conference to complain about the review of PTSD claims and other efforts to hold down spending on veterans’ programs. Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he was pleased the VA had dropped the review.
“This is great news as we celebrate Veterans’ Day,” he said.
Other Democrats, however, cautioned that dropping the review would not resolve all of the issues facing disabled veterans.
Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., said they were both concerned about a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing called by Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, that focused on ways to get unemployed disabled veterans back to work so their benefits could be cut.
Obama said he was all for helping veterans find work if they were capable and willing but would not support efforts to try to force disabled veterans to try to find jobs.
Murray said it would be a “disservice” to unemployed veterans to require them to go to job interview after job interview in order to keep their disability benefits if there was no realistic chance of their getting a job because of a service-connected disability.
Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he accepts VA’s decision that further review of the 72,000 cases isn’t necessary.
“Today’s announcement proves, contrary to some assertions, that the process works,” Buyer said.
Ellie
VA backs off review of veterans receiving PTSD compensation
By Deborah Funk and Rick Maze
Times staff wrters
Veterans receiving disability compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder can breathe a little easier.
On the eve of Veterans Day, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson rescinded a previous announcement that the VA’s Veterans Benefits Association would review the files of 72,000 veterans who are being compensated for PTSD. A VA review of a small sample of those cases found administrative problems, but no fraud.
“Not all combat wounds are caused by bullets and shrapnel,” Nicholson said in a news release. “We have a commitment to ensure veterans with PTSD receive compassionate, world-class health care and appropriate disability compensation determinations.”
During an examination this spring of state-by-state differences in disability determinations, VA’s inspector general found a large increase in the number of PTSD cases granted disability compensation. The cases involved veterans awarded 100 percent disability between fiscal year 1999 and 2004.
The inspector general selected 2,100 files for review and found they lacked sufficient documentation to determine whether compensation was justified.
VA officials have now reviewed those 2,100 cases. “The problems with these files appear to be administrative in nature, such as missing documents, and not fraud,” Nicholson said.
Rather than increase veterans’ anxiety by ordering widespread reviews, VA is going to make some in-house improvements, including better training for VA workers who process disability claims and tighter oversight, Nicholson said.
“This is a victory for common sense and for veterans,” said Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., the senior democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Evans had written Nicholson last month expressing concern that the veterans under review are those who have serious disabilities “involving such symptoms as ‘persistent danger of hurting self or others.’ ” And a witness at a Senate VA committee hearing last month testified that news of the review contributed to the death of one veteran who had PTSD, even though his case was not under review. Other witnesses said veterans felt that an attack on one veteran was an attack on all of them.
The Nov. 10 announcement came at the same time Senate Democrats were holding a press conference to complain about the review of PTSD claims and other efforts to hold down spending on veterans’ programs. Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he was pleased the VA had dropped the review.
“This is great news as we celebrate Veterans’ Day,” he said.
Other Democrats, however, cautioned that dropping the review would not resolve all of the issues facing disabled veterans.
Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., said they were both concerned about a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing called by Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, that focused on ways to get unemployed disabled veterans back to work so their benefits could be cut.
Obama said he was all for helping veterans find work if they were capable and willing but would not support efforts to try to force disabled veterans to try to find jobs.
Murray said it would be a “disservice” to unemployed veterans to require them to go to job interview after job interview in order to keep their disability benefits if there was no realistic chance of their getting a job because of a service-connected disability.
Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he accepts VA’s decision that further review of the 72,000 cases isn’t necessary.
“Today’s announcement proves, contrary to some assertions, that the process works,” Buyer said.
Ellie