Patriot Publishings

For years I’ve lent my advice and guidance to other veterans who are proactive about their own situation. I’ve tried to give valid information whenever it was asked, in the hopes that whomever I was speaking to, could avoid the pitfalls that I have/had experienced (and in some cases, still experiencing).

Last year, around November of 2023, I was contacted by the VA in Wisconsin. Tomah, Wisconsin to be exact. I was informed (by letter AND by phone calls) that ‘a’ doctor in Tomah did not FULLY conduct the physical assessment the way it was supposed to be done. I was told that I could come back for that appointment, to ensure an accurate assessment was conducted and paperwork submitted.

Sounds innocent, right?

Perhaps, if I haven’t spent the past 20 years climbing through the fiery gauntlet of abuses, lies and deliberate denials of disabilities that are/were clearly recorded in my medical records, I would have thought this request to redo an appointment was innocent. However that is not the case.

In the November 2023 conversation, I voiced my concern about having to redo an appointment that should’ve been conducted correctly the first time and my hesitancy to open that up again, just to have to face further chaos from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The person on the call informed me that he will put it into the notes to give me some time to think about that offer. I thanked him and we ended the conversation.

As of this month (August 2024), I received a call from the VA. I returned the call and asked what the call was for. The woman informed me that she was following up with me regarding attending the appointment that was not appropriately fulfilled in the past, due to the medical professional not conducting the examination in the manner it was supposed to be conducted.

My reply was as follows:

“Ma’am, since the VA has consistently denied me of ratings for the disabilities I have noted in my medical records, AND that the veteran trusts that each examination/appointment should be conducted with ethical and appropriate means, which does not seem to be the case in this situation, I will not be setting up a repeat appointment.”

“If I would allow an appointment to take place, the VA will do what they’ve done to me 6 previous times, where they take my current rating and drop it back to zero (0%) and force me to go through the entire process all over again. They do this because it allows the VA to possibly lower any of my ratings, which have been done to me in the past.”

“It is because of this experience over the past 20 years that I reject the VA’s attempt to set me up again, for something that should have been done correctly the first time.”

The woman apologized that I had such a terrible experience with the VA in the past and thanked me for giving her an answer. I told her to have a nice day and we concluded the call.

Bottom line: the VA did force me to redo examinations, which is their right, when an appeal was made. The VA has/had rejected factual data from my service medical record despite the disability in question was directly related to my service, and they used that ‘open door’ to force many re-examinations.

This is not a stress the average veteran needs or appreciates. Having to relive the same appointments with the same doctors, many of which talk down to the veteran and ‘hint’ that they think the veteran is lying, only creates further stress and anxiety for the veteran(s). Not something I am willing to put myself through again.

The VA has the right to push for re-examinations when an appeal or a new claim is submitted. They can open up the ratings, thus possibly dropping the percentage rating for one, or many, disability ratings previously gained. This is how the VA influences the decisions a veteran makes.

I’ve spoken with many veterans over the years, many of which have openly admitted to avoiding appeals or new claims, all because the VA put the fear into them that their ratings can run the risk of being reduced or denied, despite having a previous rating. So why would a veteran, especially a veteran who has been fighting the VA for years, take that chance?

That’s the conundrum. What to do, what to do?

You fight. You collect the information you need to track on and maintain the tracking. Include dates, times, locations of appointments, conversations, etc. in your tracking. This allows a picture to be painted by showing the actions and locations used in your experiences. This can be helpful when/if a politician is needed for support. If you supply the politician with a cataloged record of events, appointments, conversations, denials, etc. it helps them fight for you.

I get it, the VA has put me through the ringer for years, and I did reject their attempt at putting me through another appointment (which should have been done correctly the first time), but only because it would have been a huge waste of time for me.

Depending on where you are seen, which state, which doctor, which time, etc., you may have a great health care team, or you may not. Some departments may have great people, while some may have one or two people who are not pleasant to be around. It’s hit or miss. I can say, from experience, location definitely matters.