Category Archives: Food for thought

More troubles at Tomah VAMC (WI)

This time the fear concerns bloodborne pathogens which may have been spread by a dentist with very dirty work habits. The headline from USA Today:  VA dentist resigns after hundreds possibly infected (LINK). On Tuesday, Victoria Brahm, acting medical director at … Continue reading

Posted in All about Veterans, Food for thought, General Messages, Guest authors, hepatitis, Uncategorized, VA Health Care, vA news | Tagged , | 4 Comments

ACA allows the sale of health insurance across state lines–so what’s the problem?

Many people without group health insurance, VHA, Tricare/Champa, Medicare or Medicaid are dreading the Obamacare marketplace enrollment deadline in December. Why? Because interstate competition did not take off and premiums are rising. Health insurance premiums should have dropped because private … Continue reading

Posted in All about Veterans, Food for thought, General Messages, Guest authors, Medical News, non-va care, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

VA rats fighting emergency care CAVC ruling: Richard W. Staab v. Robert A. McDonald

The financial shocks that VHA-enrolled veterans face when they find out that none of their emergency care claims will be covered, if they have Medicare or private insurance, is of no ethical concern to the VA.  The National Veterans Legal Services … Continue reading

Posted in All about Veterans, CAvC HCV Ruling, CAVC Knowledge, CAVC ruling, CAVC/COVA Decision, Complaints Department, Food for thought, Important CAVC/COVA Ruling, Lawyering Up, Military Madness, research, Uncategorized, VA Attorneys, VA BACKLOG, vA news | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Wikileaks and other groups help citizens read public domain Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports

Topic: Important nonpartisan accurate resources  In 2014, I posted about CRS, a section of the Library of Congress (LINK). Some of its reports were posted online haphazardly. (The report I referenced has been updated.) During the pre-election craziness, I searched Wikileak’s … Continue reading

Posted in Complaints Department, Congressional Influence, Food for thought, General Messages, Guest authors, research, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 3 Comments

History of hepatitis? Long-term sustained virologic response (SVR) but…

still not eligible to donate blood…because why?  Research suggests that relapse is very rare so why does the American Red Cross  (link) reject potential blood donors who have ever had HCV?   They write (updated: 08/03/2016): Hepatitis caused by Hepatitis … Continue reading

Posted in Blood info, Food for thought, Guest authors, HCV Epidemiology, HCV Health, HCV Risks (documented), hepatitis, Medical News, research, transfusions and hepatitis, Uncategorized, Vietnam Disease Issues | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Vet forced to go off DMII meds to prove he has it

Nurses have told us that DMII is a chronic condition; that once you have it, you always have it.  And to never go off the restricted diet or risk suffering terrible side effects.   When we lived in a senior … Continue reading

Posted in Agent Orange, AO, Blood info, BvA Decisions, DM II, Food for thought, Guest authors, non-va care, Uncategorized, vARO Decisions, Vietnam Disease Issues, VSOs | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

PROFILES IN MEAT COURAGE #8

Having short bowel syndrome can be a blessing and a curse. The upside is you have to eat to stay alive on a meal-by meal-basis. The downside is Cupcake crying and saying it just isn’t fair that she can gain … Continue reading

Posted in Food for thought, Humor, KP Veterans | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

VA Spousal Resource Protection Amount

There have been some reforms in this area.  Please note that there may be more current information available on this topic from a VA social worker.  Spousal impoverishment for VA extended care is covered under 38 CFR 17.111 (pdf) 1601a_06_hk_2015_11_10 VHA … Continue reading

Posted in All about Veterans, BvA Decisions, Food for thought, Guest authors, Uncategorized, VA Health Care | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

MITRE and RAND corporations on veterans’ health care

This gallery contains 1 photo.

The VA sponsors outside research conducted at the MITRE Corporation (LINK and overview, LINK). They, in turn, subcontract with other researchers like the RAND corporation.  RAND has a webpage (LINK) dedicated to opinion pieces, report downloads, and other information.  They were subcontracted … Continue reading

More Galleries | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

The VA and long term care

Bye bye estates? Bye bye kids’ inheritances?  Long term care is another complicated VA benefit topic worth looking into because many of us were not able to purchase long term care insurance policies during the years we were raising children and … Continue reading

Posted in All about Veterans, Food for thought, General Messages, Guest authors, Uncategorized, VA Health Care | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment