| Tim_M |
| (journeyman) |
| 07/31/07 11:09 AM |
Re: Actually, you do have an out...
|
My attorney is afraid that if we seek emergency support now, that my wife will immediately cutoff the support she agreed to, and he said that it would take a month or more to get a court hearing on the motion. He is also afraid that I could end up having to pay a portion of our bills as well, negating the support. It is also taking some time to gather the medical documentation needed for even temporary maintenance. But the minute she reneges or the divorce becomes final, he will be filing that motion.
You are right about the ratings. I was hospitalized 4 times with the VA (120 days total), so I've met a lot of wartime vets. (Bear in mind that this was after the 1st Gulf War, not during the current war.) Every single vet I met had been twice denied their claims, approved on the third (taking a year for each claim), and all of them were underrated. It seems to be standard practice with the VA. I am told that this occurs with the Social Security disability system as well -- 60% of the claims initially denied end up being approved in the long run, after sometimes years of going through the process. I think that they want to discourage applicants from going through the red tape, so that they can save money.
I met an Iraqi War disabled vet last spring, who had similar injuries and rank at discharge. His claim was approved after six months, at something like $2,200/month. He claimed that disabled vets from the current war have priority over us older vets; he didn't think that was morally right, but that it was a deliberate decision by the VA so that they could maintain support for the war in that group.
80,000 disabled vets have dropped out of the VA system within the last 10 years, because of disgust at the red tape and difficulty in getting timely medical attention. The current Congress is improving it, from what I hear, but remember that bureacrats within the VA are very good at resisting change, and it will take some time. The Congress is also putting the blame for these conditions at the VA and Walter Reed Army Hospital (where I spent 7 weeks) squarely on 2d Bush, but I have seen these disgraceful conditions through 1st Bush and Clinton as well; they ALL are responsible. The only good President we had for military support and vet support was Reagan, whom I served under. (I joined under Carter, and THAT was a disgrace as well.)
I intend to reapply with help from the Legion, but I do not even have gas money to travel for the required examinations, 100 miles away. It will have to wait for now.