Veterans Affairs Canada:Well-oiled machine or department in crisis?

[schart28]

you can turn to VAC and the rehab program. They offer the same SISIP finacial benifits and are less demanding on getting a full disability. SISIP has started to pay less and less since the introduction of the VAC Rehab program. In fact only 3% go over the initial 2 years.

grunt, what is your disability if you don't mind me asking, so that SISIP extended you?  I was told by SISIP that i didn't meet their criteria for being completely disabled, I guess severe arthritis both knees, chronic lower back pain, arthritis in my neck, peripheral neuropathy, and major depressive disorder, having to walk with a cane, and will likely end up in a wheelchair before I'm 40. My doctor even stated that I would find it extremely difficult to hold any meaningful job with my restrictions, but that wasn't good enough for them. Maybe I should stop fighting it and just go into the chair and maybe they'd cover me then, but now I have to go and try to find a job that will accommodate my disabilities while giving me enough income that I and my family won't suffer. 

You might also be interested that the class action certification hearing against SISIP went well, and the judge said that this case will proceed one way or other, we will receive his written decision in a few months, this will force SISIP from subtracting your VAC pension from your LTD payments, as income.

 

[retiredgrunt45]

BixRex, I had both my legs crushed when a HLVW loaded with rations backed over them in Petawawa. Six surgeries later, IM Rodding in both Tibia's along with surgical nails to hold the rodding in place. They had to remove my right Fibula bone because it was crushed beyond repair and I had external fixtators in both legs for 8 months. I've lost 75% of motor function in my legs because the nerves were damaged so I go from excruciating pain to total numbness in both legs on a daily basis.

I was deemed 100% disabled and placed on LTD. I use an electric wheelchair most of the time, used to use a manual but ended up with carpol tunnel in my wrists.

 

[the 48th regulator]

Guys, Guys!

Please, we are beating each other up for no reason.  Let's cool the jets.


BTW, I got the scars to allow me to say that.

dileas

tess

 

[Greymatters]

To change the tone a bit, and to show that I am not completely biased against VAC and associated departments...

Finally got my new knee brace, was approved by VAC with no problem end of last year.  Even though it took 4 months, most of the delay was from the ortho specialist and the manufacturer, not VAC (for a change).

 

[Bigrex]

To illustrate how the Conservatives and the Minister of veterans affairs are guilty of committing a political snowjob in the name of supporting the veterans, to the general public, I will list the statements from the Veterans bill of rights that the Conservatives introduced keep saying is groundbreaking, and in brackets will be the VAC service standards that have been on their website for years, as you will see, they are nearly identical.

Veterans Bill of Rights                                                                                                                                                                                                        VAC Service Standards

   

* Be treated with respect, dignity, fairness and courtesy.      (treat you with courtesy, equity, fairness, respect and sensitivity)
    * Take part in discussions that involve you and your family.  (ensure you are included in the decision-making process on matters affecting your health and well-being)
    * Have someone with you for support when you deal with Veterans Affairs.  (acknowledge the important role that your family and community have in your well-being.)
    * Receive clear, easy-to-understand information about our programs and services, in English or French, as set out in the Official Languages Act. (deliver services to you in the official language of your choice, using easy-to understand language)
    * Have your privacy protected as set out in the Privacy Act.  (respect your privacy and make sure your personal information remains protected)
    * Receive benefits and services as set out in our published service standards and to know your appeal rights.  (provide you with accurate information about our benefits and services)
​

One service standard that they did omit from the BoR, is probably the most poignant one, that states " be consistent in the quality and level of services and benefits provided to you".

And since the Bill of Rights isn't a legal document, it has no real weight behind it and if VAC does treat you unfairly, you cannot go to court with the BoR and be awarded damages. A true veterans Bill of Rights should ensure or rights are respected by every government organization, not just VAC, and apply to ALL veterans, not just VAC clients, as it stands right now.


And to grunt, I`m sorry that you`ve had to go through what you have, but imagine if the accident report hadn't made it into your file, or when it happened you were taken to see civilian doctor or a junior med tech, where they may have written truck in their report because they didn't know what a HLVW (as a sailor, I`m not even sure what it is, honestly), so when you submitted your claim VAC said there is no solid link to your disability and service, and denied your claim, then you would not have been a client and even when things worsened, you would have had to buy your own wheelchair. This is a situation more than a fair share of veterans have come across and have battled VAC for years over. So even if i was assessed at 100%, which may be possible once my appeal goes through, I have friends and family that have been wronged by VAC, so as long as I can type, I will advocate for them. But that`s just me.

 

[retiredgrunt45]

Bigrex, I can understand your frustration. My accident was well documented, witnesses who saw the accident came forward immediately and gave there statement. My Pl Wo (God bless that man) who immediately compiled the witness statements and completed all the required documents CF-98, incident report etc, on my behalf while I was in the hospital. He made me copies of everything, I still can't thank him enough.
In my case it was pretty well cut and dried, they had nothing to refute.

A HLVW is a 16 ton heavy lift truck (Heavy Lift Vehicle Wheeled) My Pl WO spelled it out just like this in his report.

If I'm reading what you wrote correctly it seems that the system and your superiors are just as much to blame if not completely in your case for failing to ensure that the proper documentation was completed and placed in your file as to the cause of or the severity of your injuries, CF-98's incident reports etc. If this is correct, how are the VAC or SISIP expected to make a favourable decision on your behalf with incomplete documentation as to how, when and where the injuries happended. As you said yourself, if my files had been mishandled by my superiors I would have been in the same boat. It all boils down to being in possession of in refutable facts and if those facts are missing, well you don't pass go until you can prove otherwise. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.

I have a just a few bits of advice to young soldiers. If you get hurt make sure you ask to complete a CF-98 ASAP, or if you've been  incapacitated ask to see the witness and incident reports etc at the soonest possible time. "Keep a copy of everything" and I mean everything! Ask and ensure that these reports are placed in the proper files, sometimes things stay in the "In basket" to long and get lost or misplaced. You, yourself are your best advacate, I just lucked in and had an outstanding Pl WO who took complete care of my needs, don't expect this all the time.

All I can say is I do sympathise with your situation. I wish you all the luck and I do hope this bares fruit in the end.

I can only comment on my own experience with the VAC and it has been a positive one, so far...

 

[Bigrex]

It is true, there is a very different mentality between supervisors in the Army and those in the navy. I had three surgeries in the last 16 months of service, and spent over 2 weeks in the hospital following them, yet i was never visited by any of my supervisors, out of an office of 15 people, so it's not like I was lost in the shuffle of a large unit. My father, a retired Sgt with the Field Engineers said that was reprehensible and a slap in the face to any injured personnel. When still serving, I have seen him visit persons in the hospital during his off time, and has gone out of his way to arrange snow removal for them while there or on sick leave, when they were unable to do it themselves. the Navy on the other hand doesn't care, in fact I had to pay for 2 PMQs one month even though it was a medical requirement that I move from the row house into a bungalow.

One problem that I came across was that the ortho surgeon who did all three of my knee surgeries was retiring and refused to write a letter for VRAB, so i was forced to see a Civie doctor, who had to make his assessment based on x-rays and the surgery reports alone and wasn't fully aware of the time line involved. In 2003, diagnosed with mild OA in both knees, x-rays showed +2 degs of cartilage, right knee was covered fully due to an injury in the gulf. 1 year later , new x-rays showed a 3 degree loss in my left knee, which according to the surgeon was a massive change in such a short period of time, so surgery was scheduled in Apr 04, my right knee remained unchanged. I had the surgery at the end of Apr, and was ordered to weight bear on my right leg, gradually increasing weight on the left leg as the months passed. in July another x-ray showed that my right knee had lost 4 degrees of cartilage, the surgeon scheduled my for surgery the week after the summer leave period, in Aug 04 and a second surgery in Nov 05. My claim with VAC was that the treatment for my OA left knee (covered) permanently aggravated a pre-existing condition, but was told that the worsening of my OA right knee was coincidental, and had nothing to do with excessive weight bearing following my first surgery, and therefor denied.  VRAb totally disregarded my Orthos opinion that substantiated my claim, and ignored the medical facts that compensating for a disability in one joint will often cause issues with other joints, such as the opposite knee and hips. Hpefully my Appeal hearing will be next month, but since only around 37% of cases get approved at that level, i'm rather wary of being positive, for fear of being disappointed.

 

[wildman0101]

first of all thank you for your responses...appreciated
regards to my med release 3b
i was rewarded a 2% lump sum upon  or shortly after  my release...
about 4 years after tha i recieved a flyer along with my pension cheque regarding
supplementary retirement benifits (srb) under  part 111 of the canadian forces
superannuation act (cfsa)....dappp 4-4 can be reached at 1-800-267-0352
the form to request is nhw-365 of the suppplement retirement benefit....
along with all your medical info including military,,,civilian (after military service)
and any other pertinent medical info you have regarding your military service...
said form will be completed by your practitioner (hopefully you will have your
medical copies also) and a good practitioner who understands what is required
as i had....
when you get the nhw-365 form it will also include where to send it ie;
i had to send to occupational and environmental health services,,,health canada,,
medical services branch,,,,blah blah here in bc
you will probably have to do same in your region of canada as will state when you
get the application....
there is a part you fill out and the rest your doctor...
hope this helps regard above...
sorry about the misunderstanding,,,as i was referring to the srb benifits,,,in regards
to the canadian forces superannuation act..
sorry bout the mix up,,,you have permission to shoot me in the foot lol....
best regards all and hope this clears things up
                                                scoty b

 

[schart28]

http://www.thehilltimes.ca/html/cover_index.php?display=story&full_path=/2008/february/18/letter8/&c=1


The Hill Times, February 18th, 2008

LETTERS
Some questions for Canada´s Veterans Affairs Minister Thompson

Re: "Veterans Affairs´ spending is not top heavy, says Thompson," (The Hill Times, letter to the editor, Feb. 11, p. 8). Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson claims that he and the Conservatives "happily side with the veterans at every turn," but I´d like him to explain a few points.

Did Mr. Thompson and the Tories side with the veterans when they voted against the NDP´s veterans´ first motion, and haven´t ignored it even after it passed in the House?

Did the minister and the Tories side with veterans when they had government lawyers fight the court decision to award mentally disabled veterans the interest that was owed to them on monies being managed by the Government of Canada?

Did Mr. Thompson and the Tories side with veterans and their widows when they delayed extending VIP services as promised for over two years? I´m curious to see if this gets included in this next budget like the Conservatives promised last year, now that we are fiscally handcuffed by the tax cuts.

Did Mr. Thompson and the Tories side with veterans when they introduced the un-legislated and legally-empty Veterans Bill of Rights, which is nothing more than a rewritten version of VAC service commitments that have been listed on their website for years, or a VAC ombudsman who has to answer to the very minister of the department he is supposed to oversee?

Did Mr. Thompson and the Tories side with the veterans who were ignored after being affected by defoliant spraying at bases across Canada, by limiting payments to those affected by American Agent Orange, clearing the Government of Canada of any wrongdoing, which was far cry from the minister´s position as the opposition veterans affairs critic?

Did Mr. Thompson and the Tories side with the veterans when they sat on their laurels, while thousands of their "clients" were and still are having their pension act payments awarded by Veterans Affairs for disabilities caused by service to this country reduced from long-term disability benefits by an insurance company?

Did Mr. Thompson and the Tories side with the veterans when, as opposition, said they would eliminate the VRAB, yet have failed to do so after two years in power?

Conservatives are guilty of committing a political snow-job in the name of supporting the veterans.

S.T. White

Lower Sackville, N.S.

(The letter-writer is a disabled veteran who has been fighting for a pension for three years.)