Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland answers questions from VA Watchdog dot Org readers.

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Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland provides regular columns for VA Watchdog dot Org.  If you would like to contact Jim about his columns, you can email him here...  The archive of Jim's articles is here...  To find an answer to a specific VA benefits question, use the VA Watchdog search engine... click here...  And, be sure to use Jim's:  A Military Veterans Guide To Disability Compensation and Pension Benefits -- A Compendium of Resources and Knowledge For The Disabled Veteran -- click here...   JIm's series for new vets, "Welcome Home," is also featured on Military.com. And, you can follow Jim on TWITTER here ...

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by Jim Strickland

NOTE:  Letters in my Q&A columns are reprinted just as they come to me. Spelling and grammar are left as is and only small corrections are made to improve readability, ensure anonymity or delete expletives that may offend some readers. This is not legal advice. You should always seek the advice of an attorney who is qualified in Veterans' law before you make any decisions about your own benefits.

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Jim;

In Sep 2006 I filed a claim for an increase in disability. After denials, NOD'S etc I requested your advice. You suggested I may want to contact a lawyer and you referred me to one.

Today I received a phone call from a lady in that office whom I maintained contact with. She informed me that my Rating had been increased from 50 to 70% with a TDIU of 100%. I haven't received anything from the VA as yet but she said I should be getting that in the mail soon. I sincerely want to thank you for Referring me. You have always answered any of my emails within 24 hours which as busy as you are I don't know how you do it. I also would like to thank you for the assistance you give to our fellow veterans. We need more people like you. Thank you once again.

Reply;

You made my day sharing that. Larry and I and the lawyers who we look to for help and advice are very proud to be associated with our veteran Brothers and Sisters. You now have the benefits you deserve and if our knowledge helped, that's great.

I'll mention that I do try to return emails within hours when I can. I am blessed with a lot of technology and an understanding wife. I want to return your notes quickly for two reasons. I know that after dealing with the VA and your VSO that when you write me, you don't really expect me to reply. That is one of the most frustrating details of all the benefits process...if once someone would tell us what was going on, we would try to understand. But VA can't be called and most VSOs are arrogant to a point they don't think they have to return our calls. Then...when I turn around and reply to you that quickly, I have fun knowing how surprised you are. I can imagine the looks on faces when that computer screen has my note on it an hour after you've written to me.

I can't always do that. Some emails fall through the cracks...they must. I know I've forgotten some and I'm sure my spam filter has eaten even more. But when I get a note like that above...all this effort seems puny in exchange for what you have today. You have what you paid for. That's good enough for me.

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Jim;

I have a question for you. I am a Navy vet who served honorably. Actively from 56-60. I am now 71 and residing in Springfield, Ma.

I used to get just about all my prescriptions filled at the VA pharmacy until Wal-Mart and Stop and Shop started selling the same drugs for less than my co-pays at the VA pharmacy. I found it quite odd that the VA couldn't sell me some of the same drugs at or below the cost of these 2 stores. Surely the VA has more buying power than these places. In any event , I had cataract surgery earlier this year and since then I've developed "dry eye syndrome". (I forget the medical term) Typical for an old timer like myself.

I has a prescription faxed to my VA doctor here in Springfield, Ma. and I was called and told that the VA could not get te medicine Restasis and to find an alternative or buy it outside. I was taken aback as I thought that if and when I really needed the VA they would be there for me.

If you can help I'd appreciate it Jim. thanks for taking the time to read this,

Reply;

I'm sorry to hear that. I can explain but it won't help I'm afraid.

The VA isn't any different than other health insurance when it comes to medicines. I spent 35 years working in hospitals so I know a thing or two about all this.

Each "provider" whether that be a health insurer, a hospital or the VA has a "formulary". The formulary is a listing of medications that they will pay for. Each organization deals with drug vendors in a different way. Most organizations join large buying groups and bargain like mad to get costs down.

They do this because drug expenses are the number one cost for many of these places.

On the formulary they have to make some decisions. I fought with one of my favorite docs years ago because he wanted to prescribe Bayer aspirin to all his patients in my hospital. I couldn't afford the price of Bayer and I had a generic in the pharmacy. There is no difference except packaging. The effect of the generic is exactly he same as the expensive brand name.

He and I were good friends and almost came to blows over this. I won...I found out that the company that was distributing Bayer aspirin had him on their "Associate Professor" list as a speaker and educator. He was being loyal to those who were padding his wallet.

VA is no different than what I was doing back then. If there is an equivalent drug available, VA will prescribe it and only it no matter what anyone says.

In the case of Restasis, there remains a lot of debate over whether or not it works any better than Visine. I've had my cataracts done and I've had dry eyes long before then. I've talked with a handful of eye docs and each told me to try the over the counter stuff until I found one I liked. I've settled on "Refresh Liquigel" that I get from Wal-Mart. If I recall it's 5 or 6 dollars. The beauty of this stuff is that it's a sort of gel that hangs in and lubricates like axle grease. In fact...if you use it first thing in the morning your vision will be blurry for 1/2 hour or so because it smears like a coating of Vaseline.

It's probably just me but that seems a more natural and safer way to lubricate than trying to force tear production. I use a heavy drop or two before going to bed at night and the improvement has been amazing...I even got some for my 85 year old dad and he likes it.

Jeez, I sound like I have stock in the company. I don't.

I wouldn't hold this one against VA were I you. When you really need something they usually come across. I recently had issues with my prostate and went through the formulary meds with poor results. They approved FloMax for me...very expensive stuff...and it worked like a champ. I was amazed how well it worked.

Finally...please check out my new Benefits site, The A to Z Guide of Benefits http://jimstrickland912.com Within the next week or so I'll be posting some very detailed info about VA pharmacy that may help you down the road.

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Jim;

I served 11 years active Army 82ns ABN, 86-98. While in service at Bragg I did a commercial for the military. This Commercial was a big success and I walked the line as to not disgrace my unit or the service branch. I was a proud soldier and served in combat during 90-91, had my first son born while deployed in Saudi. I was left behind as others flew home after war in March 91. I arrived with them but didn't leave with them. What confused me was I had left a 8 month pregnant wife behind, who had complications before and during birth. I'm sorry the story is to deep so To the point though, I requested out of service with disability for back, never appealed VA rating, didn't know I was suppose to. Filed for Social Security and was denied, didn't appeal because didn't know I was suppose too. 10 years later I have been suffering from panic attacks daily, depression, SI, sleep trouble and original back issues. I had not been to a VA hospital in 8 years and when I did go they asked why not?

I did not want to bother VA with my stuff but relized my wifes insurance was way over burdened by me. I went to VA and also re-applied to Social Security for help. Social Sec said I had not worked in 10 years so my insured date had passed and fact that I did not appeal in 1999 it was to late. VA said we can treat you but you had 1 year to list all your problems so they are not sure if this is service connected. I was naive and thought my service cared about me but 11 months of waiting for a claim in development is not acceptable. No one can tell me who is developing the claim, when will it be done, any question is meet with it takes a long time, that is just rude. I want help fighting the VA and the system that is over worked under trained and not there to help me. I am going to copy paste this and send to Gov, Congressman, all state officials today and bet I get zero responses. All I wanted was to get on with my life but my life was filled with panic attacks and back pain. Any help getting VA or SS on the job would help ps, SS said 2 years for appeal?

Reply;

Your story is little different than the hundreds of others that come to VA Watchdog dot Org. You did a great job as a soldier and you thought your government would help you if you needed help in exchange for your service.

Now you know that isn't true. Like so many of us, you discovered that the government doesn't feel it owes you anything.

The system is adversarial no matter what anyone says. From the beginning you have to fight to take what you can so that you may get what you earned.

It isn't supposed to be this way but it is. Please do yourself a favor and spend some time visiting and reading my guides (http://jimstrickland912.com). I can only tell you that to get your benefits will require that you learn how to do it yourself.

Good luck.

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TOPICS: veterans, veterans' benefits, VA, Department of Veterans' Affairs, Jim Strickland, Veterans' Advocate,