VA Denies Vet’s Disability Claim–Cites Membership In VoteVets As Reason

LoyaltyisaCurse · June 13th, 2008, 10:04 PM

By: Nicole Belle @ 2:00 PM - PDT
I know they’re making it harder for vets to get disability, but this is outrageous:

The VA rejected an Afghanistan veteran’s disability claim for PTSD last month, citing his membership in VoteVets.org as a reason for the denial.
Staff Sergeant Will King retired from the Army in late 2003, after serving in both the first Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan. As one of the first troops into the Afghan theater after 9/11, Will had been awarded a Bronze Star after participating in fierce fighting in the Shah-e-Kot Valley in March 2002. I know, because I was there with him.
As the months turned to years after his retirement, however, Will started having problems as the Iraq War dragged on. Depressed and unable to sleep, he thought it might be PTSD. Because, as those who study PTSD know, this is perfectly normal: The symptoms of PTSD frequently have a delayed onset that can take months or years to fully materialize. That’s why, in April 2007, Will filed a claim with the VA for combat-related PTSD. The VA eventually agreed with Will and diagnosed him with mild PTSD. But Will felt like his condition was worse than that. And to boot, he thought it was getting worse. So Will appealed, and filed another disability claim with the VA in November 2007: He felt his symptoms were serious enough to warrant an increase in his disability rating from “mild” to “moderate.”*
Unfortunately for Will, the VA denied his claim six months later, in May 2008. And while I won’t challenge the VA’s ultimate decision (I’m not a doctor), I find it repulsive that they cited Will’s membership in VoteVets.org as a reason to deny his claim.
This is what the VA told Will in his denial letter:
The examiner states your PTSD symptoms are still present but you do not report symptoms at a degree or level which appears to suggest more severity. The examiner concurred with the previous diagnosis and assigned Global Assessment of Functioning Score of 52, stating you have occasional suicidal ideation but are able to cope with these symptoms and continue to function. The treatment reports from Memphis show you are currently involved with VoteVets.org, an advocacy group for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. You indicated involvement with this advocacy group makes you feel coping with your symptoms is worthwhile. The treatment note of March 10, 2008, indicates no homicidal or suicidal ideation and no thought disorder.

AZZenny · June 13th, 2008, 11:08 PM

I'm sorry, but when I assign a GAF of 51-60 on a disability case, that means by definition Moderate symptoms, i.e. flat affect (emotions) circumstantial speech, occasional panic attacks, OR moderate difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning i.e., few friends, conflicts with peers. It is usually enough for me to assert partial or temporary disability.

Suicidal ideation by definition indicates 'Serious disability (GAF 41-50) Suicidal ideation OR serious impairment in work, social functioning i.e. no friends, can't keep a job.'

So they may be saying 'you'd be 41-50 for suicidal thought BUT you are able to remain active and involved in an organization, so that bumps you to 51-60.' However, suicidal ideation alone merits the serious designation, and as noted, 52 is Moderate impairment, not Mild. That's simple fricken MATH, people.

Yuma · June 14th, 2008, 02:19 PM

WWW.VoteVets.org is simply awesome. The founder came to speak at our state convention, and I could not believe how they treated him as a veteran. I am not a veteran, but worked at a military base for 15 years, and I am aware of a lot of things vets have to go through. It's a shame. I was talking to a vet here in Reno and she was saying how she could buy insurance for the war when she's in a conflict for $100 dollars a month. I told her why should she HAVE to even pay that when she's putting herself in harm's way for America. The US should be paying that bill for her, imho. Most vets don't speak up for their benefits as a whole in my experience because they have been taught to "suck it up," in their training. I knew a guy who had serious health problems as a result of the first gulf war, and they basically examined him and said, gulf war syndrome, and by the way, we don't treat that.