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The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about Veterans Affairs

Welcome to our customer reviews and complaints page for Veterans Affairs. We understand that making informed decisions about where to invest your time and money can be challenging, which is why we've created this platform for our community to share their honest feedback about their experiences with Veterans Affairs.

On this page, you'll find a comprehensive collection of reviews and complaints from real customers who have used Veterans Affairs's products or services. Our reviews are authentic and unbiased, providing you with a complete picture of the company, its products or services, and their customer service.

Whether you're considering doing business with Veterans Affairs, or you've already had an experience with them, our community's reviews and complaints will give you a valuable perspective on what to expect. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and money, and we hope that our platform will be a valuable resource for you.

Please feel free to browse our reviews and complaints and share your own experience with Veterans Affairs. Your feedback is an important part of our community and will help others make informed decisions.

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6:53 am EDT

Veterans Affairs id theft on a home loan

In June of 2015 and February of 2018 someone used my information illegally to purchase 277 Carolyn drive chickamauga GA 30707. I have never owned a house. I need the purchase and the loan cancelled. This house is actually carol mcnutts house. I appreciate any and all help on this matter. The purchase of February of 2018 was authorized illegally. I have never applied for a veterans affairs home loan.

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Update by Shackledlion
Mar 21, 2018 7:09 am EDT

Someone has used my information illegally to purchase 277 Carolyn drive chickamauga GA 30707 in June of 2015 and February of 2018. The purchase in February of 2018 was authorized illegally. This house is owned by carol mcnutt. I have never owned a house. I have never applied for a veterans affairs home loan. I need the purchase and loan cancelled.

Update by Shackledlion
Mar 21, 2018 7:20 am EDT

Someone has used my in formation illegally to purchase 277 Carolyn drive chickamauga GA 30707 in June of 2015 and February of 2018 with a veterans affair home loan. I have never owned a house. I have never applied for a va home loan. This house belongs to carol mcnutt. The purchase of February of 2018 was authorized illegally. I need the purchase and loan cancelled.

Update by Shackledlion
Mar 21, 2018 7:31 am EDT

Someone gas used my information illegally to purchase 277 Carolyn drive chickamauga GA 30707 in June of 2015 and February of 2018. The loan and purchase of February 2018 was authorized illegally. I have never owned a house. I have never applied for a veterans affair home loan. I need the purchase and loan cancelled. The house is owned by carol mcnutt. The va regional loan center is in Decatur ga. The number is [protected].

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3:28 am EST
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Veterans Affairs hiring practices

We are very upset at how VA hires unlicensed workers when other workers with license are available and interviewed. Case and point is the hiring of an ASW (social worker with no license and may get license soon) into Northern California HUD VASH program in Martinez, CA. The supervisor who despite complaints will not budge on his decision. Is this part of VA culture to hire the least qualified? Even when everyone knows that the interview was a sham and the interview had the ASW worker's friend on the interview panel, Why does this not matter? The supervisor gave the ASW all the answers to the performance based questions. Favoritism is alive and well in the VA. Nobody is held accountable for this practice.
Anonymous

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9:10 pm EST
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Veterans Affairs health care / disability

Hello. My name is Paul. I am 55 and I served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the '70's. In 1977, while on active duty, I was injured and broke my right femur. I was stationed at Parris Island and was brought to the Beaufort Naval Hospital. At that time, they did a surgery to insert a 42 cm rod inside the femur. To do this, they did a surgery on my right hip in order to drill a hole in the top of the bone and they also did a surgery on the side of my right leg in order to make sure that the bone was set properly. I was released from active duty on schedule and honorably discharged, not for medical reasons. In late August, 1978, the V.A. Hospital in Providence, RI, did a surgery to remove the rod from my femur. This required them to make an incision on my hip in order to put a hook into a hole in the top of the rod so that they could tap it out. After the surgery, the incision became infected and I was in the hospital for several days.

After that, I lived a fairly normal life. I went to college and graduated with two degrees, one in computer science and the other in accounting. From high school I was always very athletic and I continued to participate in athletics during and after the Marines. There were no issues. I worked in computer programming until 1997 and then went into the mortgage business for roughly 10 years. I moved to northern Kentucky, right across the river from downtown Cincinnati, OH, just over 10 years ago, mid-February, 2002.

But, about 10 years ago, I started having some pain in my right hip and a friend of mine noticed that I was limping even though I hadn't noticed it. So, I went to the V.A. Hospital in 2003 and the doctors told me about something called "tissue ossification". They did an X-Ray and told me that on the top of the femur bone, where the hole had been drilled, there was some extra bone growing, almost like a knuckle sticking up. And, free-floating in the flesh near the bone was additional bone growing. They told me at that time that there was no surgery that could be done to improve it and said, in fact, that if they did a surgery, it would only make things worse. That was back in 2003.

I was still somewhat athletic and active. I wasn't running, but I was still working out at a gym and keeping myself in decent shape. I had bowled during the '80's and into the '90's and from my 4th year, where I averaged 207, I maintained an average over 200 the rest of the time. After I moved here, I started shooting pool and began shooting in tournaments within a year after I started.

But, severe problems began about a year and a half ago. Whereas the pain was manageable and I could sleep, now the pain increased whenever I sat or when I laid down to sleep at night. Over the course of this period of time, I may have averaged 3 hours sleep per night. Also, my ability to walk has been reduced to almost zero. I do walk, but with a cane, and if I try to walk, even a block or two, my hip swells and the pain increases dramatically. Because of not sleeping and not being able to be mobile, my health has suffered dramatically. Whereas I was a "young" 50, now I'm a crippled 55. I began having chest pains in the first week of this new year and I went to the V.A. Hospital here in Cincinnati. After 4 days, they determined that I had no trouble with my heart and they discharged me. The chest pains have not diminished since and the hospital has done nothing about it and now it's two months.

This is background info to all that is actually happening with me now.

I was receiving a 20% disability check, $243 per month. On November 1st, my check was $57.01. They took out $185.99 for medications. I called immediately and they explained why it was taken out. I let them know at that time that this was causing a severe financial hardship for me. They assured me, going forward, they would take out no more than $25 per month for medications. On the day after Thanksgiving, I went to the V.A. Hospital and spoke with a woman named Mary in the Billing Department on the first floor. She told me that I needed to get her financial information going back two years and they would not take any more money out of my disability checks. She also told me that money that had been taken out would be refunded back to me. I spent 7 hours on the phone with the IRS and finally spoke with someone who could send me a letter that I could bring to the V.A. and this took over 3 weeks before it arrived.

In the meantime, my December 1st disability check was, again, $57.01. Now I was put into a situation where I could become homeless. I made several phone calls that day and on the following day, I was called by a man whose name I did not get, but he stated to me that there were "apparently two mistakes that were made". First, he told me that the V.A. took out more than I actually owed and now the V.A. owed me $53.86. Secondly, he told me that apparently I wasn't told that when they're going to only take out $25 from my disability checks, it takes a least 30 days to process. That's correct, I wasn't told this. So, now the V.A. owed me some money, but even getting back $53.86 added to the $57.01 wasn't going to help me avoid becoming homeless.

On Wednesday, December 7th, I spoke with Linda D. Smith, the Director of the V.A. Hospital in Cincinnati, at roughly 4:00pm. After I explained to her how this could potentially make me homeless, she stated, verbatim, "We won't let this happen." To date, she not only has not lived up to that statement, but the V.A. has done nothing to help me with this. This is a fact, they've done nothing.

In the meantime, in late December, the letters arrived from the IRS and I brought them to Mary in the Billing Department. When I asked her about the refund of money that had been deducted from my disability payment, she stated, verbatim, "We don't do that anymore". I reminded her of what she told me on the day after Thanksgiving, when I was there at the V.A. Hospital and asked when this had changed and she couldn't answer. I gave her my documents and asked that a Billing Manager call me. Marti Shiles called the following day. I explained everything to her, she said that she would make some phone calls and would call me the next day. She didn't. I had to make follow-up calls to the Billing Department and asked them to have her call me. She still didn't.

On Monday, January 2nd, I began having some chest pains, but it didn't seem overly bad. However, the following morning, the pain had increased dramatically and I went to the V.A. Hospital. After about 8 hours in the emergency area, they admitted me and I was transferred to the 6th floor. They did the blood tests and a nuclear stress test. On Friday, mid-afternoon, Mardi Shiles came to my room with the Patient Advocate. At that time, she explained that they "can't" refund the money back to me. I explained that I don't appreciate being lied to and that when the V.A. tells me that they "will" refund money to me, I expect that money to be refunded to me. Mary is a V.A. employee and she made the statement. Because of her statement, I spent time, 7 hours, on the phone trying to reach someone at the IRS who could send the information that was required. I did my part, I expect the V.A. to do theirs.

Last year, in March, I started a petition to have my disability increased. I could barely walk. I've lost sleep because the pain increases when I sit or lay down and my health is going into the toilet. They sent a letter for me to come to the V.A. Hospital on the 24th of March for an examination. The lady "doctor", and I don't believe that she was really a doctor at all, examined me and during the examination she literally pulled a string from her lab-coat pocket to measure my right leg versus my left leg. Then she held the string in front of me to show me and said, "See, they're both the same length". I asked her what that has to do with my right hip and she patted me on my shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'm on your side". On June 30th, I received a denial. On the letter explaining why it was denied, they wrote, "You can walk at least a mile and you can stand for hours". I can do neither. In fact, there are many employees at the V.A. Hospital who know that I'm not able to do either of those things, from first-hand knowledge. So, on the day after Thanksgiving, I also met with Roger Mente who is the Senior Benefits Officer at the V.A. Hospital in Cincinnati, and started an appeal of their decision.

How can I not be more disabled than I was 9 years ago, when I could walk very well then, I was in great shape then, I was working out at a gym then, and I could sleep at night? And, how can they state that "you can walk at least a mile and you can stand for hours"? Where did they get this? So, I was told that my appeal could take anywhere from 9 or 10 months to a year. Who knows, maybe longer.

I haven't worked in over two months, since I was hospitalized with chest pains. I can't sleep still and every step is terrible pain. People at the grocery store have come up to me to see if I needed an ambulance because I was still having the chest pains. I had to let them know that the V.A. Hospital said that it's not a heart attack.

And now to the clincher. I made it through February, including that leap day, the 29th, and still could eat. But, this past Thusday, March 1st, I waited for my mailman so I could get my disability check, cash it, and get some food. I had 5 slices of bread and 4 eggs and not one thing more for food. It didn't arrive. I called the local postal processing center on Dixie Highway in Erlanger. They did not have my check there and I was told that "anything that comes in, it gets put onto the trucks for delivery". I called the V.A. Benefits toll-free number. They said, "Your disabilty check for $251 was processed and mailed". I called the V.A. Hospital. One person I spoke with in the Benefits department there said that "a number of other people had called regarding the same thing".

It wasn't in the mail. I had two egg sandwiches, 4 eggs on toast, on Thursday. My check didn't arrived on Friday. The mailman did not have it and it wasn't at the post office. It didn't arrive on Saturday. And, it didn't arrive today, March 5th. The last time I ate food was Thursday. Since then, I've drank coffee and ice water and taken my vitamins and medications. I was told today that the "only" thing they can do is put a tracer on the check and it will take "anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks" before they can send me my money. I have exactly 28 cents, less than an 8th of a tank of gas in my car, and no food. They suggested that I contact some agencies, Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Paul, and others. I already had the list and had contacted these groups in December, when I didn't receive my disabilty check minus $25, but instead received $57.01. I now owe rent money since mid-November, $75/week, and I'm about to become homeless.

I've called Washington, DC, to their headquarters to see if there's anyone who can do something about this. There isn't.

So, to recap.

I can't even walk a single step without pain. I can't hardly sleep at night because of the pain in my hip. The V.A. denied a disability increase and lied on the letter listing their reasons. Linda D. Smith, Director of the V.A. Hospital in Cincinnati assured me that "we won't let this happen" when I told her that the V.A.'s actions would make me homeless and to date, she has done nothing to live up to her word. The V.A. has not refunded money that the V.A. told me they would when I did what they required. The V.A. has done ZERO regarding my chest pains except to rule out a heart attack. And, the V.A. did not send my disability payment on the 1st of March and now I haven't eaten since then and they intend to do nothing about this.

After a year and a half with very little sleep and having nothing but pain every minute of every day, I've made my peace with God. I expect to be dead soon and the V.A. can take full credit for everything that's happened to me in the last several months. I created a new Yahoo email address for the purpose of writing this, [protected]@yahoo.com. I may or may not be able to respond to any emails after today. But, if you do, I can provide evidence that proves everything I've stated is true, 100% true. There is no exxageration in anything I've posted.

I also have sent emails from my "regular" Yahoo email address to Linda D. Smith and Mr. Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and I've also included members of the media in those emails.

My hope is that this generates enough attention that someone with authority with the Federal Government, and specifically the Veterans Administration, will actually do something to make a very bad wrong a right, for a change. Or, they can continue "as is" and just let me die.

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Update by PaulR070856
May 21, 2012 2:40 pm EDT

This may be my final comment on this process, barring a miracle.

From the beginning of this year, when I was hospitalized with chest pains, I haven't been able to return to work. The hospital determined that it wasn't a heart attack, but the chest pains have continued unceasingly since, and in the most recent three weeks, spread to my right upper chest as well. No cause has been determined, but doctors speculate that it's interior ribcage muscles that are strained. It feels like a sharp knife stabbing me.

I've been notified by my landlord that I will be evicted. He knows all of the details of what's been happening with me, including my fight against the Veterans Administration regarding my disability, but it's since the beginning of the year and I'm well behind on rent and he needs the income. I don't blame him, I was only hoping that the V.A. might do something before this happened.

Before January, I was only taking two medications, Lisinipril for blood pressure and simvastatin for cholesterol. Now I'm taking about 9 medications, including three different medications just for my stomach and two for pain. The hip pain is as bad as ever and I haven't slept in a couple days. Now the problem is, I don't have a place to go and there's no place that will take me in. I've already been told, because of certain medications that I can't bring. So, either I give up the medications or I can't stay in these places.

I can't stand for more than 10 minutes without my legs shaking and I can't walk 50 yards now without my hip swelling. A counselor at the V.A. Hospital suggested that I come to the hospital and tell them that I intend to commit suicide so that they would have to take me in. I questioned him about the attachment of "suicidal" in my medical records. How low must I go?

I had told them in the past that when I was government property as a U.S. Marine, the U.S. Naval Hospital did not ask me if I wanted a surgery or give me a choice. They shot me with demerol and did the surgery and I found out about it after the fact. Now that the damage is done, am I required to give up my freedom because the U.S. Federal Government, which is responsible for this, hasn't done anything to resolve this? Am I required to become government property again?

I am extremely tired, from the pain, from not sleeping. I'm not 25 anymore, I'm 55 and I am just very tired of all of it. What should I do? Give in? Or just give up?

Maybe the V.A. accountants will be pleased that the government found a way to save some money by letting me die. I don't think I even care anymore.

Update by PaulR070856
Apr 16, 2012 3:11 pm EDT

This past Thursday I had my hearing on my appeal of their denial of an increase in my disability. So, here's what happened.

First, I was given the option to have it as either a formal or informal hearing. After it was explained to me what the differences are, I chose an informal hearing.

I was given the opportunity to "tell my side of the story". I explained that the pain in my hip started 9 years ago, the V.A. doctors told me about the extra bone growing in the flesh near my hip joint (called tissue ossification), and they explained at that time that there was no surgery that could correct the problem. In fact, they told me that it would only make life worse for me if they did a surgery.

I explained that the pain has always been in the same place, but that it changed about 20 months ago when it would worsen whenever I would sit down or lay down at night to go to sleep.

I also explained that the orthopedic doctors at the hospital wanted me to see a back doctor because they felt that the pain was being caused by my back and not this extra bone growth. And, I explained that I did see the back doctor, who did a full examination of my spine, top-to-bottom, and told me that there is nothing wrong with my back at all and it is definitely NOT causing the pain. He also surmised that this extra bone growth could be interfering with a bursa in my hip area and that this could be causing the pain.

I was also told that the previous examination, last year in March, was done completely wrong. First, the lady was NOT a doctor at all and second, she didn't have my records to review prior to the exam. In other words, THAT FIGURES!

Now I'm scheduled for another exam in early May and this time it will be done by a doctor. I'm also being scheduled for an MRI for my hip so that they can see what's causing the pain (like they couldn't think of that previously).

This has been just one big mess from beginning to end and it's no wonder that I'm as frustrated with them as I am. But, I will continue to publish and broadcast this entire affair everywhere on the internet that I can. I have no need to feel in any way embarrassed by this and I don't care if the world knows. The V.A. just has not done what they should have done from the beginning and I'm astounded that I actually have to wage a war against them. But, if it's war they want, it's war I will bring to them. That's one thing I got out of being a Marine.

WHATEVER IT TAKES TO WIN THIS WAR, I AM PREPARED TO DO IT.

They should have thought about that long before it got to this point.

Update by PaulR070856
Apr 10, 2012 9:14 pm EDT

The latest update:

Three weeks ago, the orthopedic doctors told me that they want me to see a back specialist. I asked them why and they said that they thought that my pain might be caused by my back.

I told them, "If the pain started 9 years in my right hip and it's always been in my right hip, why would it now be my back?" They said they think it's possible.

So, this past Friday, April 6, I met with the back specialist. He did a full examination of my back, including Xrays. He called me on Saturday, the 7th, and told me that there was nothing at all wrong or out of place with my back and, in fact, everything looked great. Good curvature of the spine, no discs out of alignment, everything good. (I was very surprised that he called me on Saturday)

I have a hearing regarding my appeal coming up on Thursday morning. I'll have the doctor's information with me when we discuss the pain, lack of sleep, and all of that related to my service-connected hip.

They need to make good on this, but I won't be surprised if they still try to deny my claim. Afterwards, I'll post what happens during this hearing.

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