VeTALKX: 2024 Veterans Town Hall. What Would You Ask the Secretary of Veterans Affairs?

My question is on gender affirming care and the status of expanding the ability to access gender affirming surgery through the va. Also trying to find out if the va in Massachusetts is planing at all to offer in person support groups to help with veterans looking or are in the process of transitioning genders.

My question is why are C&P examiners who don’t report the truth and what was said at the C&P exam, not held to the fire? If we as the veterans lie, we get prison time, but if a C&P examiner lies, they get nothing. There needs to be an accountability amongst the C&P examiners who aren’t doing their job correctly. It’s causing more of a back log in claims and costing the VA more money. All they new VA raters that have been hired need to do a better job at looking at everything also, because it’s also causing more issues with back logs and costing the VA more money due to retro pay.

My questions regarding the burn pit funds that would allotted for the service members that have been affected by the chemicals that were ingested through the air. What are you doing to punish those who took funds for their personal gain and give them some bonuses. Is that money being deducted back from those personnel or are the service members that fought for this country being left behind. I know personally I deal with lung issues and shortness of breath, constantly as well as random effects of severe heartburn that feels like I’m having a heart attack. I also end up with massive headaches, every so often because the result of these burn pits and chemicals that we ingested. And again, what are you doing to fix the problem With the VA has failed to correct over the past 20 years or more
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/va-improperly-approved-11m-bonuses-senior-executives-watchdog/story?id=110081569

My question I feel is dumb, but there is no dumb question except the one you don't ask, right?
For those of us who didn't make a copy of our medical records, and have tryed for years to obtain them with no luck (they were lost), is there anything we can do?
I am lucky I have the insurance I have, but I really wanted to go to a VA doctor...and can't. Let alone apply for any type of disability.
Thanks

What is the status of the Major Richard Star Act Why is this taking forever to get passed?

Will Secretary McDonough use his statutory authority to expand the PACT Act to include U.S. Army Chain-of-Command ordered and military unit operated burn pits toxic exposure during the KFOR 14 rotation in 2011 in Kosovo?

Veterans like me who were deployed to Kosovo were left out the PACT Act. I have photographs and military documents from the deployment proving my unit's military burn pits existed, along with buddy statements to this effect and have been denied service-connected disability repeatedly for years after the PACT Act was passed into law. I even documented my concern for my health after being exposed to burning trash and feces on my Post-Deployment Physical Examination while still on active duty, which I provided a copy of with my claim. I was diagnosed with cancer 3 years after returning home from Kosovo that has severely permanently affected my right shoulder/upper arm. I was only 47 years old, in good health, and I just knew at that time that this cancer was caused by those burn pit emissions. I have a Nexus statement linking my cancer to the burn pits from a board-certified MD oncologist/hematologist. The PACT Act has done nothing to "presumptively" approve my burn pit claim, and even proving my claim with all of the evidence mentioned above has still resulted in straight-up denial after denial from the VBA. I went to the federal building VA office when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 that had fractured my arm to apply, was denied help by the VA to apply for disability, and instead sent across the hall to a VSO who told me to not even apply because all of these burn pit claims were just being blanket denied. I was in so much pain and just fighting for my life at that time that I left there and just applied to Social Security Disability instead. I returned to work after a year, but my shoulder/upper arm is permanently severely affected. The PACT Act has not helped me AT ALL for my burn pit toxic exposure. I don't understand why my service in Kosovo is given lesser consideration for my disability that was caused by my unit operating burn pits in support of our mission.

My question is, I receive only active duty retirement, civil service retirement and VA disability.
Family court is counting my VA disability as income.
I have been divorced since 16 April 2015, my ex-wife gets 40% from my active duty 22 year’s retirement 31 December 2005; 28% of my civil service for 18 year retirement 25 August 2023. Also I’m court ordered to pay my ex-wife $2,200.00 alimony in cash a month. I also have to pay the SBP out of my active duty retirement, which is $182 a month out of my military retirement and was ordered to keep it in her name as beneficiary.

I retired at 61 years old because my health is going down hill quickly due to all my service connected disabilities. I received 100% disability, due to the Pact Act and six deployments in the Middle East. I petitioned the family court to remove my $2,200.00 mandatory court ordered alimony. They refused and deducted only $200.00 because I am military and my wife deserves 1/2 of my 100% Veterans Affairs Disability Benefit. I was the individual that deployed, not my ex wife. I have talked with people within the DAV organization, they told me it was illegal for my ex-wife to receive any disability benefits, unless I owed child support or in the rears on alimony. Neither of them exceptions are in play, my children are all over 30 years old. My ex-wife received her alimony pay every month on the first day of the . The DAV told me they couldn’t help me! I also contacted the VA and I was redirected to a service representative, she agreed with the DAV’s answer. The lady was on the phone with me for thirty minutes and took all my information and said an investigator will contact me 4 to 6 months, it’s been 4 months now.

How do I get them to not count my VA as income? Is there any federal laws against this?

Why he has not taken steps to clean up the VA hospital in Decatur GA. He is in charge and the buck stops with him. Lives are being affected by the lack of his taken steps to make sure the place gets up to where it should be. It's well known that it's one of the worst.

Why is the Buffalo, New York VA Pharmacy really messed up?

Is it legal for a department, within the VA, to rewrite a PD so that a candidate of their preference can get the job? Omitting a pertinent requirement.