Perspectives; Thoughts; Comments; Opinions; Discussions

Posts tagged ‘Denial of disability claims’

More Evidence of “Dictator” Obama is Marching Us Toward Socialism


Obama Administration Violates another Court Order and  More Veterans will Die

Posted By on Dec 17, 2013

 http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/12/obama-administration-violates-another-court-order-veterans-will-die/#qPJLSAGtb98QoELU.99

obamas-finger

The Obama Administration controlled Department of Veteran Affairs has just  told disabled veterans to “Embrace the Suck. ” This slang phrase, often used in  times of desperation, is recognized by all US military personnel as meaning, “Face it soldier. I have been there. This ain’t easy. Now let’s deal with it.”

In contempt of a 2013 Circuit Court order (in Harris v. Secretary of Veterans  Affairs et al Eric Shinseki), the Obama Veterans Administration recently filed a  potentially illegal VA policy guideline change with the federal registry. If  approved, the VA will begin stripping veteran’s legal rights, increase veterans  disability claims denials and make it more difficult for veterans to challenge  unfair VA disability ratings determinations.

In Harris v. Shinseki, a Circuit Court ruled the VA must follow established  Veterans Administration policy and cannot unfairly deny or terminate a veteran’s  right to due process in disability claims adjudication or appeal by claiming a  veteran did not fill out the proper claims form.

Hidden, yet recently discovered in the federal registry is a new Department  of Veterans Affairs policy directive dated October 31, 2013 (38 CFR Parts 3, 19  and 20 Standards Claims and Appeals Forms). Although the policies stated  objective claims “to improve the quality and timeliness of processing of  veteran’s claims”, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Obama Administration—finally fed up with being blamed for its failure to  reduce record veteran disability claims backlogs and obscene rates of veteran  homelessness and suicides—is arrogantly pursuing the violation of a 2013 court  order protecting veterans and once again violating rights to due process.

The VA directive above will cause needless delays in existing disability  claims processing, open the door for low balling of disability ratings, increase  the volume of denied claims and see many veterans reluctant to endure the stress  of a VA claim process abandon their claim altogether.

This new Veterans Administration policy will require all new VA disability  claims to be filed on a newly designed form or filed electronically. To the  average American, this seems to make sense, but to our disabled veterans—many  who do not have access to computers and the internet, and some, without an  address—this will mean further complications and delays in applying for and  receiving the benefits, they deserve.

Moreover, this new VA policy change will effectively eliminate established  grounds for disability claims appeal by eliminating “requests for  reconsideration” which includes Congressional inquiries. This would all but  purge any Congressional power to challenge an incorrect VA disability  determination on behalf of a veteran constituent. Often times, this is the court  of last resort for veterans denied VA benefits.

Once again, another Obama cabinet appointee, Eric Shinseki, Secretary of the  Department of Veterans Affairs, has ordered an extraordinary cabinet level  policy change (a potentially illegal policy change) that undermines existing  Circuit Court precedent. All to cover the Obama Administrations careless  incompetence and loyalties to the American Federation of Government Employees,  the union representing inept Veterans Administration staff. All in the dead of  night, while Congress is on its current break.

This is how the White House plans to sweep the VA deficiencies and our  veterans under the rug.

Where is the Justice Department? Where is Attorney General Eric Holder? If a  private insurer had changed their process for claims filing midstream in order  to avoid paying out, delaying or discouraging valid claims submissions the  federal government would have them in front of a Grand Jury in a heartbeat.

In the dead of night, while Congress was on break, our transparent Obama  Administration slid a new VA directive into the federal registry effectively  stripping existing veteran’s rights without so much as a hearing; all to  artificially reduce the number of outstanding or backlogged veteran’s disability  claims under current Congressional scrutiny. This is how the Obama  administration cooks their books.

Author: John DeMayo

Raised in New York, now an adopted son of Texas, John DeMayo is an advocate  for the restoration of conservative America. He has been called a “stone  thrower” by some and a “sheep dog” by others. DeMayo’s America puts the  Constitution and Conservatism first. Everything else is just colored bubbles.  Visit me at lazarusoverwatch.com, Facebook or on Twitter.  All are welcome.

Read more at http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/12/obama-administration-violates-another-court-order-veterans-will-die/#qPJLSAGtb98QoELU.99

Tag Cloud