William Booker Welcomed Into the VA System - A Success Story

William Booker Arrives
At Seattle VA Hospital

Today the staff at the Seattle VA Hospital welcomed Mr. William Booker, one of the last of our Tuskegee Airmen, as he went with his family through the process of getting the VA Photo ID needed to access its resources.
Until earlier this month, Mr. Booker was having difficulty gaining access to the VA system. As blogged earlier, when making inquiries as to his eligibility, his wife Dolores had been told that their income exceeded the statutory cut-off. This didn't seem right but what could they do? Rules are rules.
As it turned out, when the Booker family tried again with the help of volunteers from Veterans and Friends of Puget Sound (yes, we are boasting ;-)   we discovered that Mr. Booker's medical expenses should have been subtracted from his pension income in determining whether he met the qualifications. With this small correction, he easily qualified. A couple of weeks ago, the Booker family, our volunteers and the VA Hospital eligibility staff worked together to get the appropriate forms filled out correctly and into the system, all right and tight.
Today (February 27, 2013) Mr. Booker arrived at the Seattle VA Hospital to get his photo ID. The parking lot was very busy, but the valet service made it possible for him to disembark in his wheelchair and enter the facility, while the valets took care of the family van. He, his family and a couple of volunteers went to the eligibility determination station on the first floor, where it didn't take long to get his picture taken.
Next, our little party took the elevator by the entrance to go to the 2nd floor to make an appointment for his initial medical checkup. As you exit the elevator, you pick a number from the machine to establish your place in line; there are four categories of visit so make sure you pick the correct category and push the correct button, so you get the right number.

I 'm not mentioning any staff members' names in this blog post, because I didn't ask them. Yes, the 1st amendment and all that means that I could list what I saw on their nametags, but isn't it best to ask first? especially since they were all being so darn helpful. They know who they are and their efforts were greatly appreciated!

We waited about 10 minutes in the 2nd floor lobby, which didn't seem bad considering that we were category "B" - unscheduled visit. The interview was in an office with a door that closed for patient privacy, and the staff member gave us all the time we needed to answer questions - and you can believe that we had multiple questions! Due to the high volume of demand, there was about a five week delay for the initial checkup, but the staffer explained that if something came up in the meantime, he could go directly to the VA Hospital's ER for help.
Afterwards, our party went to the 1st floor to meet a Patient Advocate, because it can be helpful for family members who may be advocating for the veteran to know who they're talking to, and vice versa. While the family was discussing Mr. Booker's situation with one of the advocates, an Assistant Director stopped on the way by and welcomed them.
On the way out, the guards at the front desk suggested Mr. Booker wait inside the building, where it was warmer, while the valet went to get the van. They, along with everyone else we met today, were quite welcoming and seemed pleased to have met Mr. Booker.
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One lesson to take from this story: when in doubt, apply for benefits. If you or your family member might qualify, get the form and fill it out.  It's o.k. to use a screening checklist to give you ideas as to what to apply for, but do not try to figure out yourself if you qualify; do not let someone else try to figure out if you qualify; let the system figure whether you qualify. Remember that the Bookers could have gotten successfully enrolled into the system, and gotten the help that they had earned, much earlier if only they had known. It looks like they will be taken care of from this point, but there must be other veterans in similar situation who don't know they qualify for VA help that they earned through their service.

Quick Screening Guide

It has been estimated that half of all American veterans are not collecting the benefits that they earned, simply because they have not applied or their application is not completed. Here's a quick "screen" that can help you pick out some benefits for which you or a family member might qualify; remember that the only way to know for sure is to apply; this page is for general guidance only.

I. General Screen for Veteran Eligibility

• Are you a veteran or the dependent spouse, child, adult dependent child, or dependent parent of a veteran?
• If yes, does the veteran receive any cash benefits or health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)?
• If yes, advise the veteran to contact VA to inquire if additional benefits may be available.
• If no, does the veteran believe that the veteran has a disability that was incurred or aggravated by active military service?
• If yes, refer the veteran to apply for service-connected compensation and VA health care.

II. Screen for Pension Eligibility

• Do you have a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable?
• Did you serve during a period of war, such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or after August 2, 1990?
• Not counting your home, normal personal effects such as furnishings, and motor vehicles used for normal transportation, do you have resources less than $80,000 ?
• Is your income less than (a certain amount, which changes; check with the VA) after subtracting out-of-pocket medical expenses (be sure to count up these expenses since they make a big difference)?
• Are you (either one or both):
• 65 or older
• AND/OR permanently and totally disabled?
• If yes to all of these questions, contact the VA for possible pension eligibility.

III. Screen for Surviving Spouse Eligibility

• Are you the surviving spouse of a veteran?
• If yes, were you married at the time of veteran’s death?
• If no, stop. No VA benefits are payable.
• If yes, have you remarried since the veteran’s death?
• If no, screen for the veteran’s wartime service, character of discharge, and resources as outlined above and substitute current death pension income amounts for the family’s size. Note that the surviving spouse may be eligible for a death pension even if not aged or disabled.
• Refer a survivor who appears to meet the criteria to VA to apply for a death pension.

IV. Screen for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Eligibility

• Did the veteran die of a service-connected disability or a disability that VA recognizes as presumptively serviceconnected due to service during the Vietnam or Gulf war or due to prisoner-of-war status?
• Is the survivor currently remarried?
• If no, refer the survivor to VA to apply for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
• If yes, were you remarried after December 31, 2003, and after you were at least 57?
• If yes, refer the survivor to VA to apply for DIC benefits.
• If no, DIC benefits are not available while the survivor is married.

The above is from "What Difference Does It Make if  the Client Is a Veteran? None if You  Don’t Ask About Veteran Status".
When screening, don't stop with the above; always check for eligibility with state and local programs as well. A little bit of time can have a huge impact.

Bus Stop At VA Hospital Lacks Rain Shelter

Bus Stop At Seattle VA Hospital
Lacks Any Rain Shelter

The bus stop at Seattle's VA Hospital has no shelter. Let's hope it doesn't rain much up on that hill. Some of those patients are not in the best of health; it is, after all, a hospital!

Who's in charge of bus shelters anyway?

You'll notice that there is a shelter nearby; it's for the valet service, which is an important feature of the place. Disabled veterans who can drive to the place can drop off their cars at the front door and the valet will park for them. This is IMPORTANT because the parking lot is very big and often full; it would be crazy to require veterans with limited mobility to get from the outer edges to the building on their own ... possibly missing ... feet.

If you're going to have a valet service, you need a shelter for the valets. That's just logic; it's rainy here in Seattle, and workers need to be treated well. 

But a shelter for veterans waiting for the bus is important too. Who do we see about that?

How Long Should You Sit In Your Van With A Broken Leg?

Not Really Where
An Elderly Man With A Broken Leg
Should Sit For 45 Minutes

Last Thursday, a veteran with a broken leg drove himself the Seattle VA Hospital. Since he's wheelchair-mobile, driving with a broken leg was not necessarily as difficult as for other people, but still, getting out of your vehicle with a broken leg is not something you want to do on your own.
When he pulled up to the unloading zone of the hospital, most medical facilities would have instructed him to remain where he was, and sent out a some medical professionals to assess his condition before helping him into a wheelchair or onto a gurney, or to have transported him in some other way.
This didn't happen, according to the veteran. The good news is that that valet service was alert and helpful, and promptly sent one of their number to seek help. The bad news is that help was not forthcoming. The veteran waited forty-five minutes until some non-medical personnel decided to assist him into a wheelchair and then into the facility. Presumably the valets were then able to park his vehicle properly.
There are other problems reported with this incident, but let's stop the story right here. The question must be raised: why was no medical personnel sent to assess the patient? If a patient is at the door and unable to enter under this own power, shouldn't this be a sign that a medical professional's attentions are required? What sort of institution leaves an elderly guy with a broken leg at the door?
Is the problem understaffing? If so, what sort of staffing level is required to see that this sort of thing does not happen again.

I have not given the veteran's name because he's still under the VA's care and I have not cleared this story with him. I have spoken with his wife, who confirmed all the facts above and she gave me many more details.

These questions are not directed in hostility against the facility; these are questions that citizens, taxpayers and veterans themselves might ask so that we can figure out what should be done. If the facility cannot advocate for itself for the ways and means to help an elderly man with a broken leg on its doorstep, then it's up to the rest of us to do the advocating - but first, we need answers as to how this happened.

Should Tuskegee Airmen Spend Twilight In Poverty?

William Booker

UPDATE:
Since this post was originally published, Mr. Booker has been enrolled in the VA system with the help of volunteers from Veterans And Friends of Puget Sound. The staff at the hospital were very welcoming and it looks like he and his family will be getting the help he earned. There will be a fuller post on this soon. But for the record, here's the original post:
------------------------------------------------
William Booker served in combat as one of the Tuskegee Airmen. You might have seen the movie, and you probably enjoyed seeing other Airmen at the 2012 Inauguration but won't thing you won't see is the VA helping him stay alive. The rules don't allow it.
In his late 80s and suffering from multiple illnesses, Booker's problem is that his pension, combined with his wife's, exceeds the $40,000 maximum allowed for those seeking VA assistance.
Mr. Booker's medically necessary direct care costs are around $4,000 a month, due to his illnesses. On topic of that are several hundred dollars  in medication, every month. His caretakers have decided, after careful consideration, that he will require a better bed and a reclining wheelchair due to his condition; this will be many thousands of dollars more.
Over Christmas, he was sent to the hospital; his wife hasn't gotten the bill for that yet, but three days and two nights there are not going to come cheap.
You don't need an advanced degree in math to figure out that this adds up to a lot more than $40,000 a year. In other words, if his wife Dolores spent all of their pensions and social security, that would not cover their medical expenses, and it would leave nothing for her to live on.
Some of these expenses are covered by Medicare, but even when they pay 80% for medicines, that still leave a lot for her to come up with.
Dolores says she went to the VA four times to apply for help. "They say he can't get any VA benefits at all" because of the income limit. "I just want some help paying for medication".
There's not necessarily any bad guys in this story; rules are rules and if the rules say that VA can't help you, it won't.
But are we really supposed to pat ourselves on the back for celebrating The Greatest Generation, and then demand that they impoverish themselves at the end of their lives?

Parking Problems At Seattle VA Hospital

It can be quite a hike from your parking spot to the hospital,
assuming that the lot isn't full

Valet parking is an important service at the Seattle VA Hospital for two reasons.
First, many of the veterans seeking care at the hospital have problems walking, but the parking lot is necessarily large. Usually when I go over there, I drive around the lot about ten minutes, finding no open spaces, and end up parking in the neighborhood. That's ok for me because my legs are just fine and I'm never there for treatment, but for others, that's a problem.
Second, there's money in the budget for this. It was put in there in response to community pressure, and there's no financial reason not to do it. There's supposed to be enough money to cover valet parking until the new parking garage is completed, which will take some years but when it's done, should solve the issue for the long run.
However, a problem has arisen. The first day of 2013, the valet parking disappeared, and there was nothing to tell people when, if ever, it was returning. Veterans called the hospital and, receiving no real answer, our congressmen and senators. Soon the valet returned and it seemed like things were on track. However today (January 11) I stopped by there for another reason, and the valets were gone.
To the Hospital's credit, the signage was a little better; it told us the day on which the valet service ended. But it didn't say why it was gone or when it was coming back.

This is a helpful sign,
But knowing when the service would return
Would be more helpful

I emailed the veteran's affair person on the staff our congressman, Jim McDermott, and he quickly replied that the hospital had contacted him and said they were having problems with the contractor. They sent out a second message late this afternoon saying "Services will begin on Wednesday, January 16, first thing in the morning." and they'd let the community know by updating their message on the facebook page. and its twitter feed. This suggests a number of things:

Seen Jan 11,2013

• Contractor problems do happen; that's not strange. But it would be good to figure out exactly what happened so that it doesn't happen again. Where did the contractor selection process go bad?
• The community didn't have a good way of monitoring what was going on; maybe the community need to occasionally check up on the place's status so problems can be addessed more quickly and, failing that, information can be disseminated more rapidly. 

Welcome to Veterans and Friends of Puget Sound

Cyril Miller, US Army Veteran
Founder of
Veterans And Friends of Puget Sound

Veterans and Friends of Puget Sound helps veterans navigate the often confusing network of Veterans Administration and other agencies, to get the best possible service that they have earned.
We are currently focused on the Puget Sound area but have contacts throughout the nation. Our main website is http://vafpugetsound.org/; we've started this blog to keep you up-to-date with current news, of which there is a lot!

• Are you a volunteer interested in common-sense service to those who served? Whether you're a professional, such as a doctor or a lawyer, or an American proud to provide service to a fellow citizen, your assistance is needed! 
• Are you a veteran in need of help figuring out whether you have a service-connected problem, how to prove it, or what to do with the help offered if you get it? 

America is a nation proud to provide those who offered their bodies and minds in dangerous service. Do your part; join us by contacting Veterans and Friends of Puget Sound today at VAFPugetSound@gmail.com.