Veterans Verification of Lost Limbs Changes

Finally, things are getting better over at Veteran’s Affairs. For as long as anyone can remember, soldiers and veterans have had to prove to the Veterans Affairs office that limbs lost in action are still missing–annually. This can prove quite a hassle for the veteran who speaks to the same receptionist every year, and can make someone want to scream, “How could I have regrown an arm in one year?”

Dealing with Veteran’s Affairs is usually a nightmare for any veteran, but one veteran who stepped forward to fight the system had his wheelchair taken from him twice. This retired marine corporal has no legs, lost due to a road side bomb overseas during the war. The system providing his income and medical benefits had been fighting with providers over who was to cover what portion of payments. This man, going by the name of “Paul Franklin,” has been fighting the system for over five years, and got national attention when a famous comedian, Rick Mercer, actually dedicated an entire rant to his plight. This news was quietly announced in the House of Commons, but there was not very much media coverage of this news.

Previously, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) required veterans and soldiers to report income and disabilities every year. Although this new change only affects the reporting of missing limbs, this does not affect any other disability or anything to do with annual reporting of income every year. Therefore, “Paul Franklin” and thousands of other disabled veterans and soldiers no longer have to prove annually that they are still missing the limb they were missing the previous year, but they still have to fight the VA for reimbursement and ensuring their insurance and bills are paid.

Many will speculate that this new policy is in retaliation of the numerous scandals that have come to light about the VA and the poor treatment veterans have received throughout their time in dealing with this system. President Obama has stated he is not happy about the scandals, top officials has resigned amidst the middle of scandals being investigated, and many veterans who fought for this country have not gotten the treatment they deserve. There are many hundreds of thousands of veterans who have come forward with horror stories about the horrible treatment that have received from the Veterans Affairs office. There are many good people who are currently working for the VA now that are attempting to make it right and reverse the bad name their department has. At least some of the policies on ridiculous things are being changed. While it may not be a good or logical step, at least it is a step in the right direction.

The only thing “Paul Franklin” and other veterans who feel mistreated can do at this point is to keep stepping forward, keep contacting their state representatives, and continue bringing things to light. These men fought for their country, so why is their country not fighting for them?

By Hannah Barton

Sources:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affair–Veterans Benefits
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs–Compensation
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