Is the VA and VA doctors discriminating my husband because he is young?

Question

My husband is a disabled Marine Corps Iraq war vet that is 80% disabled occording to the VA. His knees are shot his back has been torn open and sewn back together and he is partially deaf in his left ear. He cant walk long distances and has been asking his doctors for a disabled placard for his car. When he 1st got out of the military the VA issued him temp one even thought he is permanently disabled. His doctors refused to sign the paperwork this time claiming that he is too young to get anything like this.
I couldnt belevie the doctor telling him this and went off on him. Telling him that my husband is not too young to join the military, not too young to fight in war, not too young to get injured in war , BUT HE IS TOO YOUNG TO RECEIVE A DISABLED PLACARD FOR HIS CAR???
We contacted the DAV, VA , our congress woman, and everybody says that without the doctors signature we are just plain S.O.L.
Does anybody have any other suggestions? We have no other health coverage.

my husband wants the handicap placard that hangs in your review mirror. He doesnt want the plates since he has the Marine Corps Veteran Plates already on his car.

Answer 1

Is this doctor at a VA hospital? If so, go and see the Chief of Medical Administrative Services. Tell that official about the doctor's conduct. Then ask to see the Chief of the Medical Staff.
I'm a retired Navy Health Care Administrator. If a doctor on the staff of any hospital I served at behaved like this one, I would have had his credentials pulled and he would have been kicked to the curb. E-mail me via my profile. I want some more info from you.

Answer 2

Those placards can be issued by the state; have him go to the state DMV and check, he will nee hid Dd214 and any letter from the VA giving his disability rating if it is not noted on the discharge. If he is enlisted have him write the Sergeant Major or the Marine Corps-his email is on the Marine Corps site or if an officer the Commandant; then the Congressman from his state or area, the state VA administrator (most states have a state admin which works with the federal) and the Head of the Veterans Administration. He does not have to be permanently disabled to get a placard in Tennessee but different states have different requirements. The choice of license or placard is also individual here but again other states might be different. Go see the same doctor again and request the reason for refusal in writing. Maybe the axxhxxx will be dumb enough to do it and enclose copies to everyone then we can get him out of the Va system. Good luck and Semper Fi.

Answer 3

The Handicapped placard isnt issued directly by the VA its issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. All he needs is to take a copy of the VA's decision to them and they will issue it, but you have to be deemed 100% disabled to get a permanent one! And if the VA discriminated against your husband because they said he is too young, then file a complaint with your state senator and congressmen/women. They WILL investigate the matter!
Also tell you husband, if he is unable to work to file a claim forservice connection for PTSD and at the same time for a Veterans Pension. It is a common practice of the VA to refuse first time claimants, thats why there is a backlog of 700,000 claims +.

Answer 4

You need another Congress person, possibly a Senator to Contact the VA. Go to the Congressmans Office and talk to them, Phone calls don't get it. Contact the press I'm sure the VA and Doctor will enjoy that. Let these people know that you are serious. Don't whine this is something you earned. Above all let them know that you are not going away.

I am amazed that the DAV hasn't gotten it done. They must be falling off.

Answer 5

This type of things makes me sick. I am not a big fan of the VA hospital. My father is 82 and when he returned home from WWII with 2 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, and a brother he left dead in Belgium, he was sent to a VA in MD before returning home to MS> I have seen his original admission and discharge summary: 6 Ft, 20 yo, male 130 pounds, hookworms, left arm with battle field/later hospital repairs etc. He told me he went to the cafeteria and filled up his tray (as a machine gunner he had been in combat for 344 straight days after returning from the hospital)when he reached the cashier he was asked for a voucher (my father was from rural MS and had never been no more than 10 miles from his home) he did not know what a voucher was and stated he did not have one. After serving his country, living in foxholes, being wounded twice, refusing a medical discharge, and suffering from malnutrition, his tray was taken away from him and he was told he couldn't eat without a "VOUCHER". I am not going to say what my father said and did at that time, but it pretty much consist of HE WOULD NEVER SET FOOT IN A VA HOSPITAL AGAIN, and he never has. GET A NEW DOCTOR IF YOU CAN. OUR VETERANS DESERVE BETTER.

Answer 6

hi guys,

sorry to hear this is happening to you fine people. i am a little confused about what you want. there are disabled plates and handicap placards and plates.

i do not believe that a disabled vet plate will let you park in a handicap spot. i understand that you get free plates and/or registration for a certain % of disability. that is a pretty good deal. what you need for this is your award letter and dd 214.

for a handicap plate or placard, you need to get the paperwork from your dmv or secretary of state(whatever they call them in california). you take this to your doctor with the award letter. he should sign it. if he refuses, call 1-800-827-1000 in the san diego area for the benefit office. you should get the help that you need there.

this advice is from my wife, who is a va administrator. if there is anything else that she can help you with, she is on duty now until midnight, and pulls noon to midnight sat and sun.

you know how to contact me.

Answer 7

Your husband has the right to change doctors at the VA. I personally understand the horror stories of the Va system first hand. It is better now than it used to be 20 years ago but it is a CRYIN' SHAME that a wounded Warrior gets worse treatment than some RAG HEAD at Gitmo !!!
Your Congress woman is pathetic.....Call your Senator, call the press, Hell......call the Marines !!! Under no circumstances should you or your Marine roll over , he paid his dues in full !!!!!
Semper Fidelis OOOORAH

Answer 8

I am sorry to hear about your situation, I too was wounded in Iraq, losing the use of my left arm, although, through therapy, i have regained some use of it. The VA put me on a waiting list for therapy, and told me i needed to find employment, i still had one good arm....
I paid for the therapy myself, and have found really good employment..
The VA wont help you at all. Try getting an attorney for SS/Disability, they might be able to help.
Thank your husband for his service for me.

Answer 9

Why can't he get a job in KY? Because he has pot in his system? I think that is just an excuse. If he really wanted a job, he'd find one. Or stop smoking pot!! Not all jobs require a drug test; tell him to go get one. You are not being unreasonable to want your husband in the same state as you are; but if he does go, at least you have your mom. But he should stop smoking in Kentucky, drink lots of water and go around and try to get some minimum wage job until he gets clean. And tell his butt to grow up! Good Luck & God Bless!

Answer 10

Send a letter to the Commandant of the Marine Corps asking him to intervene on your husbands behalf.