Veterans Together Town Hall Roundup: VA Secretary Denis McDonough answers RallyPoint member questions

Ryan Callahan — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:02:21 -0500

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough answered questions from the RallyPoint community during a Nov. 9 Veterans Month town hall, which touched on topics such as compensation for service-related injuries, coverage for care at non-VA facilities and much more.

Ahead of the “2022 VetXL Veterans Together Town Hall,” RallyPoint Veterans and their caregivers, family members and survivors submitted hundreds of queries for the VA secretary and other experts to address. The VA secretary answered selected questions during the one-hour live event, in front of an audience at the Washington, D.C., VA medical center. Meanwhile, VA and Veteran-serving nonprofit officials posted additional answers on the RallyPoint chat page at https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/vetxl-veterans-together-townhall-ask-questions-now.

Below are highlights from the town hall, the live portion of which was moderated by Jose Llamas of VA’s Veterans Experience Office. Find the full video at https://news.va.gov/110853/town-hall-with-va-secretary-denis-mcdonough.

On benefits for exposure to air- and waterborne toxins while in service …

McDonough opened his talk by saying that during the pandemic, VA “service never stopped” and continued at a high level, despite employees having to adjust to COVID-19 restrictions. VA provided more services, more care and more benefits over the last two years than at any time in history, he said. He added that more Veterans’ benefits claims were processed in the last year than ever before.

Nevertheless, the secretary was asked several questions about compensation, and about why certain benefits are not presumed to be service related, which expedites VA claims processing.

For instance, the recently signed PACT Act presumes a service connection for certain health issues of Veterans and family members deployed between 1953 and 1987 to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina. (The full name of the PACT Act is the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022.) Military officials acknowledge that’s when the drinking water was contaminated with industrial solvents, including benzene and other chemicals.

A Marine Corps Veteran asked the secretary why VA doesn’t provide compensation for his kidney cancer, which he believes was caused by exposure to toxic water while on active duty.

“What is the difference between that (Camp Lejeune) water and the water we drank from streams in the jungle when we went on ops?” the Veteran asked.

McDonough said that there are scientific studies clearly linking the water contamination at Camp Lejeune to many cancers and other illnesses (https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/camp-lejeune-water-contamination). “And,” he said, “we are continually reviewing that science to try to establish additional presumptions of service connection.”

He added that coming into contact with water from jungle rivers and streams can cause infectious diseases, and the secretary said VA will cover conditions found to be service related. “But they are different, obviously, than the cancers,” he said.

A U.S. Army Veteran joined other Veterans attending the town hall in asking why VA hasn’t compensated military personnel stationed at Fort McClellan in Alabama for air- and waterborne exposure to chemicals similar to those leaked into the groundwater at Camp Lejeune.

“When are we going to be recognized?” one Veteran asked the secretary.

There have been multimillion-dollar settlements regarding polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination south of the base, which is now closed. But here again, the secretary said, VA doesn’t yet have sufficient scientific data to establish a connection between that contamination and service at the base.

“We are looking closely at connections between those chemicals and conditions that are manifesting among our Vets,” McDonough said.

The secretary urged Veterans to contact the Veterans Benefits Administration to file claims for conditions believed to be service related at http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage. Find more PACT Act-related coverage at https://www.rallypoint.com/topics/burn-pits.

On getting coverage for health care at non-VA facilities …

A Veteran with service-connected disabilities said he’s located 30 minutes away from a VA clinic, which is understaffed and slow, and an hour away from a VA hospital with the specialist care he needs.

At the clinic, “simply having blood drawn is a half-day ordeal,” the Marine Corps Veteran said. “I’ve gotten to where I just pay out of pocket to go to a private practice due to it being much less of a hassle.”

He asked McDonough how he could get compensation for the non-VA health care available near where he lives.

The secretary said the VA Community Care program is an option. The program is available to Veterans who meet requirements established by the 2018 MISSION Act. Eligible Veterans who meet one of six criteria — including long drive times to VA facilities — can be approved for community care. Visit http://www.va.gov/communitycare.

On benefits for survivors and caregivers and for specific health issues …

VA officials addressed additional subjects raised by the RallyPoint community during the digital portion of event, including:

Benefits for surviving spouses: A VA official urged a surviving spouse asking about VA benefits to explore the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation page at https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation. Survivors who think they may have PACT Act-related claims can visit https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/#information-for-survivors.

Caregiver support: “Is there any help for peacetime Veterans that need caregiving services, respite care or hospice services?” a military family member asked. The VA responded by linking the questioner to the recently expanded VA Caregiver Support program at https://www.caregiver.va.gov/index.asp. Caregivers can also call VA’s caregiver support line at [login to see] .

Home adaptation for special needs: “How can I get VA to pay for a walk-in shower conversion?” a Veteran asked. In response, a member posted a video at https://youtu.be/gGXFIDsTzfI on accessing free medical supplies and equipment such as wheelchairs and ramps from VA. A VA official also directed the Veteran to VA’s disability housing grant programs, which are explained at https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants.

Privacy and identity theft: A Veteran noted that much of the VA correspondence he receives contains his full Social Security number. “Correct me if I am wrong,” the Marine Corps Veteran asked, “but isn’t identity theft a huge problem?”

VA responded that “unique legal requirements and business needs” mean that Social Security numbers “cannot be completely eliminated or truncated” on correspondence. However, VA’s Social Security Number Reduction Program Management Office is reducing use of personally identifiable information “where feasible,” officials said.

According to the VA Privacy Service, Social Security numbers are no longer on prescription labels, bottles or mailing labels; on certain health care cards; and on some letters sent to Veterans and service members. Visit https://www.oprm.va.gov/privacy/SSNReduction.aspx and VA’s Identity Theft Prevention at https://www.va.gov/identitytheft.

Treatment for substance use issues: One Veteran asked VA about assistance for substance use related to mental health issues. VA offers Veterans many substance use disorder treatment options, including medications that reduce cravings for opioids and nicotine replacement therapies.

A VA official said the Veteran can access services by dialing 988 and pressing 1 to talk to a trained counselor; contacting a Vet Center at https://www.vetcenter.va.gov; and exploring VA pages on substance use treatment (https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/substance-use-problems) and mental health care (https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/mental-health).

Veterans and service members who are having difficulties or are in distress can also connect to care and to peer support through the Veterans Wellness Alliance’s “Check In” program at https://www.veterancheckin.org/s/.

Learn more

Access many more answers to questions at the “2022 VetXL Veterans Together Town Hall” page: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/vetxl-veterans-together-townhall-ask-questions-now

RallyPoint

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Nov 23 at 2022 12:04 PM

SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 12:04:20 -0500

This might be very informative!

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 24 at 2022 10:13 AM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 10:13:07 -0500

I should have asked why the hell won't they give me the time of day to tell them how I help heal veterans with PTSD. The VA acts like it knows everything.

Why am just I seeing the back end of this? I had no idea this forum would take place with the VA.

Response by SP5 Dennis Loberger made Nov 24 at 2022 11:34 AM

SP5 Dennis Loberger — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 11:34:03 -0500

One of us doesn't know how to spell

Response by LTC Patrick Sauer, MHA, FACHE, CMPE made Dec 1 at 2022 5:26 PM

LTC Patrick Sauer, MHA, FACHE, CMPE — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 17:26:47 -0500

As the former Obama Chief of Staff, I am curious about what Denis was doing on Sep 11 when our brothers-in-arms were abandoned and killed in Benghazi. In addition, what role did he play that allowed Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to have an unsecured server in her home? How many operatives were compromised and killed?

Response by PO3 Justin Bowen made Dec 28 at 2022 5:51 PM

PO3 Justin Bowen — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 17:51:28 -0500

I wonder what the point of electronic records is and why we spent billions on the system.

I've moved five times over the past fifteen years (with one time resulting in me being back in the same VA system that I was previously enrolled at). I've had to re-establish my care every time I move. The physicians at some facilities claimed that they didn't have access to records created at other facilities and everyone refused to even accept the existing diagnosis and treatment plans and required that I get a completely new evaluation so that a treatment plan can be developed.

Every time.

Most recently, I had been going to physical therapy for four months for a worsening problem that stemmed from my time in. When it came time to get another referral for additional sessions, the PCP at the clinic that I was at refused to approve the additional sessions because there was a physical therapy office at the main hospital for that system. In most ways, I had improved since my first session. Only in one respect did I get worse (and it was a significant - and new - condition that will likely have a significant impact on my daily life if it continued to get worse). The PCP put in for an MRI and X-ray. Because the local clinic (which is a nine minute drive on a good day and maybe fifteen on a bad day) offered limited services, I would have had to drive an hour and a half - if I did not schedule the appointment at a time that would result in me catching rush hour traffic - to the main hospital. When I asked if they could put in for a referral at the MUCH closer hospital (only a 45-minute drive) that just happened to be a different system for the SAME metro area (we have three), they said that they couldn't.

So, I switched VAs systems to the one that had the closer hospital. I asked the physician to review my record and put in for the MRI and X-ray referrals while I waited however many months for the evaluation appointment with him since I knew that it would take a couple months to get in for the scans. He refused to do it and refused to even review the records that go back fifteen years and show a progressively worsening problem.

Basically, physicians at one system could determine that I have a potentially debilitating condition and prescribe care for it (as is the case for me) that could significantly worsen if I don't get care and physicians at ANY other system WILL refuse to even acknowledge that physicians at another facility are real physicians who might know what they're talking about.

The only reason I go to the VA is for continuity of care and, more importantly, because it is the right price: free. I could give a rat's *** about the VA's internal bureaucracy. As a customer, the VA's dysfunctional bureaucracy shouldn't be made a problem for me.

As others have said, I may simply have to get private health insurance so that I can abandon the VA altogether, which, despite having good health insurance, is going to result in me having to fork over thousands of dollars in premiums and copays every year.

Response by SPC Matt Ovaska made May 18 at 2023 11:54 AM

SPC Matt Ovaska — Thu, 18 May 2023 11:54:47 -0400

Every time I get my hopes up for help, I get no help, So it's better that I never expect anything from the VA and I'll never be disappointed...

Response by Col John Randle made Nov 11 at 2024 2:36 PM

Col John Randle — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:36:54 -0500

On 9 January 2024, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs authorized the publication of a change to the CFR, Title 38 Chapter 1 Part 3.307(a)(6) that added a new subparagraph (xi) that expanded the Agent Orange Presumptive Exposure locations to include selected CONUS installations as designated by the Department of Defense. As of 11 November this change has not been published. When can we expect the CFR Title 38 to be updated to include this change?