How GW Bush wrecked the Veterans Administration

Republicans have always more concerned about taking a veteran's disability away than providing awards to deserving vets.

The VA secretary directed that a review of all the VA claims that had been approved in the past. If you lost a disability while Bush was president, now you know why. Here is the letter VA sent to their Regional Offices. 

Subject: NEW
VA SECRETARY DIRECTIVE CALLS FOR REVIEW AND RE-EVALUATION
OF ALL VETERANS SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY CLAIMS
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 13:43:00 -0700 (PDT)

THIS DIRECTIVE AFFECTS ALL VETERANS RECEIVING SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY
COMPENSATION, IN THAT THE SECRETARY'S DIRECTIVE REQUIRES THAT REGIONAL OFFICES REVIEW AND RE-EVALUATE ALL CURRENT AND PAST VETERANS CLAIMS. 

THE CLAIMS THAT WILL PROBABLY BE REVIEWED WITH THE MOST SCRUTINY ARE THOSE VETERANS RATED AT 100% - AND THOSE RATE 50%-90%...

Essentially the Republican VA secretary suggested that veterans are welfare cheats.  It take years to process a VA disability claim and the process is bureaucratic and comprehensive. Unfortunately, the VA often errors on the side of the government, contrary to congressional law. 

•  When Bush took office in he had 69,000 in 2000 that were backlogged 
•  There was a 400,000 claim backlog by 2007
• After Obama's  inauguration, 803,000 VA claims had been backlogged 

The increase in claims was also caused by returning vets form Iraq and Afghanistan, and changes to public law which affected presumptive disabilities and the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Bush letter would conservatively required that at least one third of all VA awards be reviewed. Rightardia suspects the actual percentage is a lot higher. Many VA awards would extend back to to the Korean and World War 2 Eras.

The major had a 0 per cent rating for a medical condition that was re-evaluated in 2002. Of interest, he provided documentation to the VA and his disability was raised to 10 per cent. Why would the government waste time re-evaluating a 0 per cent rating?

Between the two wars that Bush started and due to the absurd review of the old VA awards, the Republicans left the VA behind the claims power curve, one that General Shinseki, the VA secretary, is still trying to dig out from.


SOURCES:
VA, "SOLDIERS RETURNING FROM IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: The Long-term Costs of Providing Veterans Medical Care and Disability Benefits," by Linda Bilmes, Kennedy School of Government

http://vets.yuku.com/reply/373306/t/Re-President-signs-Veterans-Benefit-Act-of-2010.html

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