Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs

 Meeting of the Kansas Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Initiative Advisory Board

April 24, 2001 Minutes  

The fourteenth meeting of the Kansas Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Initiative Advisory Board was held on the 24^th of April, 2001, at 12:00 p.m., in the State Capitol building, Room 526-South.  The following were present:   

Advisory Board

Jim Bunker, DAV representative

Senator Larry Salmans

Representative Dan Thimesch

Sharon Raby, American Legion Representative 

Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs (KCVA)

Tonya Ricklefs

Dr. Lea Steele

Stoney Wages

 

Guests

Harold Pederson

Deborah Rose, Kansas State Nurses Association

Dave Lightbody, Veterans Affairs Regional Office, Wichita

Dave Warnken, American Legion 

The meeting was called to order at 12:09 p.m. by Jim Bunker, chairman of the Advisory Board.  The meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Approval of the Minutes of the September 19, 2000, Meeting, Minutes of the February 20, 2001, Meeting and Minutes of December 20, 2000 

Minutes of the September 19, 2000 and February 20, 2001 meeting were both approved with no changes. The minutes of the December 20, 2000 meeting are still unapproved. 

Project Honor Proclamation presentation 

Jim Bunker presented to Stoney Wages a framed copy of the Governors Proclamation for Gulf War Veterans Day, February 28, 2001.  This proclamation is on loan to the KCVA to hang in the office of the Gulf War Health Initiative program.

Presentation from Dave Lightbody, Wichita VA Regional Center 

Mr. Lightbody informed the board and guests that he was there representing Mr. Charlie Woolford of the Wichita Regional VA Office.  Mr. Lightbody gave a presentation that touched on the topics of the Persian Gulf War Veterans Benefits Act (an act allowing for undiagnosed illness claims), how state VSR’s can receive free training, problems with disability claims, and finally, some changes in the Wichita VA Regional Office.  

Mr. Lightbody explained some basic requirements for veterans of the Gulf War to be compensated under the Persian Gulf War Veterans Benefits Act.  These requirements are symptoms that are considered chronic and have not been attributed to some other type of condition or illness by a VA physician.  Mr. Lightbody emphasized that it is crucial to have a physician say that the “veteran is sick” and “we cannot find a reason for this”.  These statements are the key to filing a successful claim.

The training that the state VSR’s can receive is called TRIP training.  This is a service that is free and can help VSR’s better understand how to file more efficient disability claims and how to better understand all the changes that the VA is implementing within the claims process.  The contact person for this TRIP training is Pat Sikorski and she can be reached at 316-688-6712.

The changes that Mr. Lightbody mentioned are new procedures in the appeals process once your claim has been denied. Another change in the process is the addition of a Decision Review Officer.  This is a person that the veteran can speak to personally instead of going to their hearing.  This may give the veteran the feeling of talking to a “real person”.   Also, there is a new computer system that helps the VA rating board determine a veterans rate of disability for his or her claim.  Another claims process slow down has occurred since Congress has passed the “Duty to Assist” initiative.  This initiative has enforced the right the veteran has to the VA assisting in “any means necessary” to file a claim.  This has added an extra workload to VA employees. 

During his presentation, Mr. Lightbody also answered various questions from the advisory board, KCVA staff and the audience.

Sharon Raby expressed a concern that in many cases veterans are not seen by MD’s during an examination, but they are not aware of this. Mr. Lightbody did acknowledge that it is possible for a veteran to go through the entire process of a disability claim and never see an MD. Sometimes the people performing the examination are Physicians Assistants or other medical staff.

 Senator Salmans asked Mr. Lightbody if there was a system of keeping track of incorrect diagnosis by MD’s within the VA system.  Mr. Lightbody said replied that as far as he was aware, there is not a current system right now that helps keep track of diagnosis of veterans and how accurate those diagnosis end up being.

 Representative Thimesch asked Mr. Lightbody why it was necessary to continue to refer veterans to specialists once they already qualify to file for disability claims with symptoms that fit under the description of diagnosed illnesses. Mr. Lightbody responded that the VA wants to make sure that the veteran has received every possible opportunity to be seen by a doctor that may be able to explain their illness.

Jim Bunker asked Mr. Lightbody for the statistics on how many Gulf War veteran claims have been approved, denied, and are still pending from the state of Kansas.  Mr. Lightbody did not have those numbers for Mr. Bunker, but told him he would get back to him with those as soon as possible.  

Dr. Steele asked Mr. Lightbody if Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia were considered by disability claim reviewers to be a diagnosed illness or undiagnosed illness.  Mr. Lightbody responded that at the Wichita VA Regional Office those were considered to be diagnosed illnesses. 

In conclusion, Mr. Lightbody felt that the best information he would want to pass on to veterans to assist in any disability claims is that they should get copies of every single medical treatment  record (civilian, military, or VA) that would verify the disability that they are putting a claim in for.  Also, get statements from family members, doctors, employers, and the veteran themself about how this disability is effecting the veterans life.  These statements should include things like changes in lifestyle, time missed from work, and the financial impact that this disability has had on the veteran and/or their family.  The medical information and statements are crucial in having a successful process in the VA claims system 

Future direction of the Kansas Gulf War veterans’ program and Advisory Board

The board only shortly touched on the subject of funding for the Advisory Board and the project.

Jim Bunker noted that a good time for a discussion about the future of the Advisory Board would be after the conclusion of the town hall information meetings that the project is holding across the state in May.  The board hoped that the information gathered from the veterans who attend the meeting will assist in helping the board define a direction to follow in the future. The suggested time period for the next board meeting was either the first or second week of June.

National Gulf War Illness News

Jim Bunker brought to everyone’s attention that there is a National House Resolution 612 and Senate Resolution 409 currently in Congress to extend the deadline to December 11, 2011 for Gulf War veterans to document that they have undiagnosed illnesses.  Representative Dan Thimesch said that the only Kansas Represenative that had not signed onto the bill was Representative Moran.  But, Representative Moran’s office had indicated to Dan that Moran was interested in trying to arrange for hearings specifically about this House Resolution.

The board also discussed the importance of inviting every Kansas Senator and Representative to the Gulf War project’s information meetings.  This way the Congressmen could see the impact that these resolutions could have on Kansas veterans.  Tonya Ricklefs confirmed that every  office of a federal representative and senator had received a personal invitation from Dr. Steele to attend the information meetings.