No Congress, CDC, VA, DoD, FDA you can’t explain away your decisions to keep veterans in the dark about how they might have acquired HCV during their military service. No VBA judges, you can’t hide behind your rule books either as you issue denial after denial for Hep C service connection. Because when a major American company, with over 32 billion in revenues, selects advertising copy, the words chosen are based on facts and evidence their researchers are privy to. Why? Because companies who lie or mislead consumers in advertisements eventually end up in court.
Gilead tells it like it is (American Legion Magazine, 11/16):
Vietnam Veterans, especially those born between 1945-1965, are at high risk for having Hep C.
Many could have been exposed due to unsterile vaccination procedures, or by coming into contact with contaminated blood during combat.
Sorry for the poor images but I can’t scan to my laptop today. The ad would reproduce better in black & white if you can pick up a copy at a local Legion post.
Bravo Gilead. In two sentences, you have wiped away decades of stigma, created by a secretive government, in simple, truthful advertising copy. Hopefully it will encourage vets to get tested before it’s too late to benefit from your antivirals. Keep up the good life-saving work you.
asknod
brewerkelli
cspencer02
jamesaurora
kcraveiro
Laura
Veterans Claims Help 
Everybody keeps bringing up the air guns for the cause of us getting hcv and they are all wrong, I want everyone who has hcv to think when they got their orders for deployment out boot camp we all stood in line for shots
The shot they gave us to boost our immune system to fight off disease was a Gammagloblin well it just so happened to e a blood bye product and if you heck this out you will see that it not only fought off disease it infected everyone of us with HCV they kept on using this shit until 1989. Everyone given that shot to that date is infected
Thank you, I will be making my hubby’s next appointment and will schedule this. Is something they can do in just in his MD office? He is a 47 birth and a Vietnam Navy Corpsman. I am assuming in all the previous blood tests they wouldn’t have just checked do you? Silly question, I should no by now; there is no way in hell they would just check without saying so.
Hi Sherry, If he’s enrolled in VA, he may already have been screened. The lab can be ordered easily. Some VA clinics might use a rapid screening test. If he sees a private doctor, you might have to remind them that you want to have Medicare’s free one time Hep C test. If you’re on Medicare too, you can get it too with no co-pays. Because the boomer generation was exposed to a multitude of unsterile medical procedures (ex. dental offices too), lack of hand hygiene, our birth cohort is at risk.
Thank you, I will call and ask if his labs have been checked and if not try setting things up for it. We may have to make our 500 mile round trip to the MN Hospital in March to obtain an MRI so maybe we can make it a double duty day. Also hoping to have my hubby fitted for a scooter so it may be a very long day but have to cover as much when making a trip like that. Thanks again
500 miles! You should ask your VA provider about a referral for Veterans’ Choice appointment. If your husband can’t walk (uses a wheelchair), you can ask about van transportation to his appointments. Might be available. If approved, they would pick you both up, and take you home. Help getting on and off the van.
Minneapolis VA has a Fisher House if you ever need to overnight (free). There is one in Wisconsin.
https://www.fisherhouse.org/programs/houses/house-locations/
Hello Kiedove, I have tried everything you mentioned. If his medical appointment is made within 30 days of the doctor requesting it than the “Choice” program use will not be allowed. I checked on van service help but we live in rural northern Wisconsin and the only van service available won’t allow him to bring oxygen, which is life or death for him. I called the “Fisher” house several times last winter because weather wouldn’t allow us to go and come back during daylight hours and they didn’t have room. I called them again (several times) when my hubby was scheduled for surgery and they would never answer or call me back. I poured a lot of funds in my jeep this past summer just so I know it will make that long trip when needed. Sheesh, it’s been a real challenge just seeing this in writing, lol! Thanks for sharing as I always greatly appreciate any advice. The VA challenge seems never ending.
Wow, I don’t understand the ban on oxygen. And the Fischer House has failed you too. I wonder if a VA patient advocate could help.
We used to live near Red Wing (MN). We stayed at the Treasure Island Casino hotel while we were cleaning/packing/moving out for about $100 a night, off season. (Free slot play too!) They also email specials etc.. I wanted to stay at place where we could eat on the premises so it worked out. About 40 miles from Minneapolis VA.
Now that sounds like fun. Maybe if Rick gets a scooter we can consider something like that in the spring. Rick’s hearing appointment in MN was at a private medical doctor through the VA and because they didn’t have oxygen tanks available, we would need to take several to be sure it lasted the whole day there and getting back. That was the turn down from the van service because they said they would have to drop us off and not pick us up until all the other med patience had their appts. at the hospital. Ugh, that could have been after 5 and then the traffic. That was a no go for sure, we could never take enough oxygen to feel safe in that kind of endeavor. Just thankful I have the jeep going well because Wisconsin’s winters can be bitterly cold. Today our high, with sunshine mind you, was -25 with a good wind. Thanks for listening and we shall keep forging ahead.