3 video clips from The Daily Show
From Denny: While other equally pressing news stories push to the front of the public's attention - like Israel attacking idiot terrorist-supporting Syria and the tragic Boston marathon bombing by less experienced terrorists - the very soldiers who fought America's terrorism wars are told to wait for help by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
Granted the VA does process around one million claims a year, all this while in the midst of trying to change over from an outdated dinosaur 1970's paper culture and advance into the digital age. Currently, they are looking at another two years before believing they will have arrived in said digital age. Let's get real; multiple that by ten and the estimate might be near accurate.
No military sacrifice is ever left behind or forgotten, thank you
* * * Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort! You rock!
Meanwhile, there are far too many veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars suffering some serious PTSD who need immediate treatment. When they find themselves waiting eight months just to get a phone call back or their paperwork is rejected until more is provided and then another months long wait, well, they are literally killing themselves because they can't take it any more. Suicide rates are high among those suffering PTSD.
After a media outrage six weeks ago - that has quieted the past couple of weeks because of redirected attention to the Boston marathon bombing coverage - the VA decided to start up a call-in hot line for the PTSD vets to get moved to the head of the line for help. That's a good start. At least they are doing something to provide some kind of immediate relief.
The latest this week is that VA Director (former General) Shinseki displayed his frustration by withholding bonuses from those top directors who were supposed to get this transition handled in a timely manner and fumbled the football on the goal line. When almost one million vets are waiting in line to get basic help those VA employees should be embarrassed and resign.
A large part of the problem is that the veterans' records are scattered all over the country and are not easily accessible either physically or digitally. Add to that is there are various medical software programs that don't talk to each other so records cannot easily be retrieved. It's a tech mess. Perhaps it's past due time the President tell those tech companies to get their sorry asses in gear.
It would also be advisable for those tech companies - making millions from the federal government - to supply free support to digitize said paper records if they want to keep the contracts. And, it's past due time they configure their programs to talk to each other. How lazy can you get? Where is their integrity? It isn't like the VA employees have not voiced their frustrations with these programs over the years? What ever happened to work ethic and pride in your product in this country? The tech companies are taking advantage because they can. It's time the President and VA Director Shinseki step in to remedy this bad attitude.
Listed in this post are links to recent VA press releases and the Veterans Crisis Line. Keep this veterans' health care hell story on your front burner until the logjam is broken and these people get the help they need. Pass this post around to your friends and on various social sites. Look for other stories written that put pressure on the VA to perform to a higher standard and post them as well. The more the better!
Feel free to yell at the medical software tech companies who fell down on the job a long time ago. Volunteer your time to help ferry physical records from location to location to help out a vet in need of finding all his records stored in various states. Flood the VA with volunteer calls until they get it and quit stiff-arming outside help.
Now take a look at the three video clips from Jon Stewart who is on the hunt for a vet's records and claims forms. This story is so ridiculous that a comic doesn't need to make it up. It's real life.
* * * Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort! You rock!
The Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255 press 1) connects Veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text (Text 838255). Veterans and their loved ones can call, chat online, and text message.
The Red Tape Diaries - VA Reform
The government designates "paper" as an enemy combatant in the ongoing war over veteran medical benefits.
Thursday May 2, 2013
Zero Dark 900,000
Samantha Bee and the Best F#@king News Team Ever conduct a massive manhunt for an Iraq War veteran's elusive benefit claim form.
Thursday May 2, 2013
Zero Dark 900,000 - The Raid
Samantha Bee and the Best F#@king News Team Ever use enhanced interrogation techniques to track down a vet's missing benefits claim.
No military sacrifice is ever left behind or forgotten, thank you
* * * Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort! You rock!
The Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255 press 1) connects Veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text (Text 838255). Veterans and their loved ones can call, chat online, and text message.
VA Completes Over 1 Million Compensation Claims in 2012
Jon Stewart Slams Vets Admin For Damning 900,000 Vets To Health Care Hell (this blog and more video)
* * * Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort! You rock!
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