VeTALKX: 2024 Veterans Town Hall. Watch Now!

What specific challenges are you facing in helping veterans transition to civilian society?

Why does the VA rate a disability at a certain % and then cut it in half if it's the next in a list of disabilities? For example, if your highest disability is 30% for a fractured hip, and another disability is rated at 20%, your VA rating will be 40%, not 50%. I was rated at 90% total for a couple of disparate medical problems, but the VA calculates that to be 60%. It's like saying that - Sure, the first bullet did the most damage, but then you got shot somewhere else the next day, and the second one will only be half as significant. The VA insists that putting all ratings into a black box disability calculator to determine the overall rating, rather than just adding all percentages is somehow fair. What is the rationale behind that?

Secretary McDonough:
The 'burn pit' program needs a review of its medical scheduling procedures: After submitting a 'burn pit application, twice the VA contract health provider scheduled an exam date without my knowledge or consent. Upon seeking a newer date, I was told 'I had missed my appointment and was beyond a five-day window. My case was closed. Is it the VA policy to assign exam dates without coordination with the recipient? If I'm experiencing this frustrating process as retired field grade offer, what must be happening to our enlisted men and women who often feel they have no voice to authority.
Respectfully,
Brian J. Cummins
LTC USA (ret)
Fairfax, VA 22032

Why Isn't Dental Health Considered Primary Medical Care accessible to everyone using the VA? Ailments of the mouth can put the body at risk for a slew of other ills that will affect the body.
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/time-dental-care-be-considered-essential-us-health-care-policy/2022-01

Arguably, the VA system has improved. Thank you.
But at the risk of making an assumption, my guess is that the VA collects a tremendous amount of data that the veteran community has provided over several decades of providing good, actionable feedback from those who have served. However, it seems despite the number of officials who've cycled through leading the VA, we continue to face many of the same problems and difficulties with processes, people, and systems...year after year...cumulatively impacting the degree and standard of care provided/received. Many health organizations outside of the VA, while "off the chart" expensive, provide world-class care and support. We've been in desperate need of VA leaders who have the authority (and the budget) to be visible change agents. Generally, we aren't facing "new" problems in receiving support. Your own data, metrics, procedural tracking, and KPI's should support that and drive more data backed change and decision-making. Again, you have volumes of feedback to rely upon.
These Town Hall's, while perhaps informative on some level, shouldn't be opportunities to gain new insight. Consider providing the veteran community a prioritized list of the core items where you've made progress, current state, and what the future holds...key action items you'd classify as "must wins". We need the VA to help us...and clearly, we need to help and trust each other. Many of us have battled on foreign soil. Many of us have battled wars at home...both psychological and physical. But we shouldn't have to battle on our own soil for the help we now desperately need as a result. Get people inside the system who know how to get things done...especially veterans. I know these aren't easy problems to solve and there's no single panacea, but these individuals (veterans) know how to work difficult issues and aren't afraid to challenge.

All of this must start at the top with you/leadership being unapologetic about the change you want to see, and doggedly determined to see those changes through with a results orientation. Trust me, vets will let you know how well we're performing, and the data will validate.
My apology for the length.

Sir,

I am a 22-year USAF veteran with a Masters Degree from the AF Institute of Technology. I analyzed data for leadership my entire 22 year career. I have studied the VA Annual Suicide Reports and the VA efforts to reduce US veteran suicides starting in 2020. Your analysts could more clearly tell you, and America's leaders, the real situation regarding the increase in veteran suicides during the last twenty years. Since 2001, according to VA data in the VA Annual Veteran Suicide 2023 Report, the ratio of veteran suicides compared to veterans alive has the gone up (about 6000 suicides in 2001 with 22 million veterans alive; compared to about 6300+ suicides in 2021 with 18 million veterans alive). My analysis shows an increase of about 30 percent during those 20 years. I believe the dollars the VA has spent to reduce veteran suicides during those years was unsuccessful. To be objective, i will commend the VA for these changes: Veteran Crisis Line, Vet Center(s) creation, increased mental health programs, increased funding to mental health programs in general.

However, in my opinion, the VA has not listened to veterans about how to PROACTIVELY help veterans in crisis. In my own case, two suicide attempts since 2020, I have observed your offices not wanting to hear about this failure. Nor do your offices have any notion of more effective ways to help us.
My contact with numerous VA employees show that your organization listens to Florida State University (FSU). (FSU is not even ranked in the top ten psychiatric colleges in the US.) I was challenged by a VA employee of a Suicide Prevention Team to study works Dr Thomas Joiner of FSU. In reading a book of his about suicide, published in 2024, it's my opinion he does not understand what drives veterans to suicide nor how to proactively help prevent our suicides.

With the above comments in mind, my questions to VA leadership and you:
1. Why isn't a leading psychiatric college, like DUKE, giving the VA advice?
2. Why isn't the VA actively listening to veterans and possibly achieving better success, rather than the dismal failure of the last 20 years?
3. When will VA analysts actually tell VA leadership in clear, understandable reports with graphs which portray the consistent upward (bad) trends of US veteran suicides?
4. How does the VA attempt to do better? (Not just a regurgitating of the words in the VA Suicide Prevention Plans.)

Thank you in advance. And THANK YOU FOR ASKING ABOUT OUR NEEDS.
Sincerely,
Patrick M Howard, LtCol(R), USAF

To many veterans forced to suffer due to cdc rulings. Many of us were injured terribly. But if you want to live in any kind of comfort, forget it. I guess us broken veterans are supposed to fall into the grave like good soldiers ! With a body full of broken bones, all 4 limbs with titanium. And we are treated as though we are drug addicts because living in never ending pain, and wanting to not be in so much pain, automatically deems you as a drug seeker. I've list too many friends, not from overdose, but from their own hands when the suffering becomes to much. My younger friends see how we are treated after being injured seriously, they have no desire to join . I was 16 when I joined, before my 18th birthday I was injured for life on the flight deck of a aircraft carrier. We have no more dignity left, so not only are we scared physically, but with the way we are treated, yes even our dignity has been taken. Just the truth.

If a veteran (civilian) retiree opts not to take part B at the time of retirement, then subsequently would like to add Part B, there is a penalty charge of 10% year over year for every year waived unless you've had acceptable coverage in place during that period (e.g. employer provided plans), and VA COVERAGE IS NOT CONSIDERED "ACCEPTABLE" COVERAGE! This makes a delayed choice for part B a completely unaffordable option for any retiree trying to survive on social security.
Why is VA COVERAGE not considered "acceptable"?

I would like to know why a married veteran is not able to receive care through the VA just because the spouse makes to much money Are you saying that MY service doesn't count? The VA claims their motto is "Serve ALL that have served", however they don't spread the rest of that around which is "only if you don't make enough money". It seems that you have turned the VA into a welfare program.

Sir, with highest respect. Why does the VA refuse to look at exceptionally good DBQs, completed by a physician, submitted in a fully developed claim, for worsening service connected disabilities? Claim submitted October 17 and the VA insists on a C&P exam BEFORE THEY EVEN LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTS I SUBMITTED??? I fully understand scheduling a C&P exam for additional information/data beyond what is in the DBQs but I fail to understand the VA process of NOT reviewing submitted documents prior to C&P exam scheduling...especially for a fully developed claim.