conceded by the va. i know va is waiting for me to die. without immediate attention my claim is destined to sit, idle for several more years as a way, hope and pray for resolution. my late husband, ronnie, was born in memphis, tennessee. on december 31, 1947. as a 19-year-old college student, he was drafted into the u.s. army. ronnie was deployed to the vietnam war in 1968 and 69. on september the 22nd, 1987, at the early age of 39, he died from an aggressive form of cancer, we could be a widow with a young son. his death came quickly from a cancer that dated any parts of his body very rapidly. ronnie died within five months. i brought a picture today of my ronnie because this hearing today is honestly about my ronnie. he died because of the vietnam war and his service to his country. on his deathbed, he told me about how he swam in the rivers, highly contaminated with agent orange. ronnie told me stories about using discarded agent orange arrows for barbecue pit. first, va has not contested that my husba

the va then denies the claim. to resolve that claim could take five it -- five to eight years, and the va needs to take the time at the start -- this is just a simple error. i could get into complicated ones, and we'd be here much too late, but that's a simple error that can be fixed if the va takes the time at the start to tell the doctor what evidence to accept as true. that is not for the doctor to determine. it's for the adjudicator, the va adjudicator to make that, you know, finding. your second question was if they got more involved -- i'm not sure what you mean by "more involved." with remands? >> if they paid closer attention to the process. >> well, they should. they need to analyze the type of remands that come back from the boards and take action to train on that. we certainly look at thousands of cases a year, and we keep a list of the common errors that the va makes that we can win at the court for, and in my testimony, we listed some of those that you can see, but i'm hoping that the va does that. i'

conceded by the va. i know va is waiting for me to die. without immediate attention my claim is destined to sit, idle for several more years as a way, hope and pray for resolution. my late husband, ronnie, was born in memphis, tennessee. on december 31, 1947. as a 19-year-old college student, he was drafted into the u.s. army. ronnie was deployed to the vietnam war in 1968 and 69. on september the 22nd, 1987, at the early age of 39, he died from an aggressive form of cancer, we could be a widow with a young son. his death came quickly from a cancer that dated any parts of his body very rapidly. ronnie died within five months. i brought a picture today of my ronnie because this hearing today is honestly about my ronnie. he died because of the vietnam war and his service to his country. on his deathbed, he told me about how he swam in the rivers, highly contaminated with agent orange. ronnie told me stories about using discarded agent orange arrows for barbecue pit. first, va has not contested that my husba

he encouraged him to get help at the va hospital. the doctors loaded him up on painkillers. >> that was the beginning and the end for him. >> reporter: tim was hooked and overdosed again and again. his parents kicked him out. he moved in with eric. they fed each other's addictions. when they ran out of pills they bought heroin. eventually tim realized he needed to move out. three months later his former roommate died of an overdose. today, he is living with his girlfriend. he's been clean for six months now but staying off opiates hasn't been easy. in july after a confrontation landed him in a va emergency room he was shocked with an agency doctor again proibed ox you co done. he filled the prescription and then stared at the bottle. >> i opened it up a couple times a day just to try to take one out. if i take this, you know, i'm not going to be living where i am right now. i'm going to be off and running again. it's going to send me on my way. so i flushed them. >> with his mind no longer deadened by opiates, flashbacks and anxiety m

the va has been complexity of claims in recent years here to address the trend, va implemented in mono special operations focusing on complex disability claims. this concludes my statement mr. chairman. i'd be happy to entertain any questions you are the subcommittee may have. >> thank you mr. murphy. without i recognize ms. ms. mccauley. >> mr. chairman is set to become a thank you for the opportunity to express work in the claims processing issues. with me today is mr. brent arronte, director of the san diego inspection division. in addition to a nationwide potted some of the oig reports on individual effect msm providing timely and accurate benefits and services to veterans. a major concern is continued noncompliance with vba policy despite recommendations for addressing issues we identify. specifically in response to may 2011 report bba required second signature reviews of tbi claims until they rate 90% accuracy and claims processing. however, in fy 2013 can we saw slight improvements. they remind for two consecutive inspections. half of the hours were due to staff using inadequate

the va has essentially broken down the coding system with nearly a t the va has essentially broken down the coding system with nearly a thousand different medical conditions and atmosphere ripples into just three lanes. easy, medium and hard. that seems a pretty simplified way of working at all these different variables. when you define complexity is a number of medical conditions and claims, i am not sure that is inadequate way of looking at it. it is important to note the number of conditions doesn't necessarily dictate the complexity of the entire claim. this method of evaluating complexity make sense in a paper processing world, but as we look forward now to best practices, i believe complexity should be measured not just by the number of conditions, but rather by the complexity of evaluating and paying for the medical conditions that are under consideration. it's important to va look across all 56 regional offices to determine what our best practices for assigning the complicated work. we believe the vba can work with vbms to ensure the best employees are working on the most challe

>> this is a big country, and the va has a huge, huge job. there is no way one organization can handle everything. there are so many aspects to the challenges our veterans have. and as an american, as a mother, it's hard for me to let it all go. i couldn't, i couldn't just let these young men and women who raise their hands to volunteer so my sons could go on with their lives, i couldn't let it go. >> is that how you got started? >> that's how i -- >> is that the motivation. >> that was the motivation, and as parent, as american parents, my family is in tact. my children are able to go to college and continue with their lives because many young men and women raised their hammeds. they volunteered. they offered to go. their families are broken. and i met some of those mothers. and as a mother, i couldn't say it's okay that, you know, hey, it's okay. thanks, and walk away. >> it's a very interesting concept. you take american heroes and take them to israel and introduce them to their israeli counterparts. your husband came back from iraq, had r

i have seen a lot of fraud and abuse in the pa system 0 -- in the va system. they say it is the best health care system we have. that is a lie. most of the stuff that comes out of washington is a big lie. we have been fed a lie. we need to get money out of politics. until we do that, our government is broken. everybody is on the take. i do notr a very few, know. i just wanted -- guest: a couple of points, they are not on the take. what they are on is how do i make sure i get to stay here. and my career is more important than the country. that causes more poor decision- making. the second point is why should a veteran, disabled or not, be forced to go to aca system -- to a va system rather than wherever they want? in some places-- it is great, in some places it stinks. i would give veterans the right to go wherever they want. you served our country, you are service connected, you go where you want and we pick up the tab. if you want to go to the va, great. if you want to get care somewhere else, you should. we create competition and make the va better than what

. >> reporter: the va also man tajs a hot line specifically for gay and lesbian veterans. >> this is first generation where we have had large numbers of openly lgbt people, so the va may be responding to that differently than they did in the past when people were closeted as i was at that time. >> reporter: taylor's services would go far. there is a feeling that many current veteran to peer counseling programs only address heterosexuals. >> there's a lot of that flag waving, hypermasculine. not much has changed. >> reporter: some vets feels it could be years before social and cultural at ought tos in the mi military catch up. ♪ >>> i'm meteorologist dave warren big problem with the temperature con -- changes. ice is accumulating and it will be a continued problem not only today but overnight tonight. another night of freezing rain. that will accumulate about a half inch of ice. >> all right. dave thank you. and thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm steph. "the stream" is next. ♪ you're in the treatment. fran pope francis is getting wave reviewed but is he a game changer? we b

. >> i nevered talked to anyone until i checked into the va. the day i checked in i broke down and cried. >> many of o'brien's patients deal with old wounds. he received weeks of therapy after waiting 50 years before assault. >> i was recluesive. i had been car nid -- married three times and was becoming a her mitt because i couldn't get my mind away from the event and the person. >> how difficult is it to treat someone coming forward so much later in life when someone tries to get through their life with a burden that they carry with ptsd and a history of sexual assault. that there's a colateral damage, things like failed marriages and relationships, substance abuse. many service members blamed the macho culture of the military for preventing them from coming forward. mike scott says the culture exists today. >> there are a lot of people in the military who think it is good to have rapists in the ranks. to the have people without empathy, because they think that means it makes tough. >> mike says the military needs to under go dramatic changes

is put in a ptsd program run by the va. happens to him in that program and what happens to others who try to get in that i describe in the book, it -- it gets at one of the results of these wars is we now have a system in help to at least try to psychologically wounded folks ut their experiences show what an overwhelmed and in many ways to ed system these guys get heal in. >> is there another book in this? you think?what do >> i don't know. guys go to war. home. ome >> what is your sense when you finish this? there's a third book that years from now? >> i wanted there to be. i didn't want to give up this story. know, i'm not seeing it. i'm not seeing what the third book is. will be there. but i don't know how -- i mean, a business, right? and i may want to tell a story, it doesn't mean i'll publish when i want to publish it. couple of seconds, though. why have you done a very strenuous book tour? tour?k because i'm trying -- as hard as i can to get people interested in this story. of course, i want to sell books. something u

they planned to handy live to bed rid ten veterans at the va hospital in dallas when grace see and luke'som found out they wouldn't be able to she was outraged. >> it wasn't the country i grew up in that you couldn't say merry christmas. so we found out not only could you not say merry christmas you couldn't say god bless you in a card and you couldn't reference any scripture. >> get better, see you well soon. >> the cards were the idea of susan chapman a matt teah teach. she is married to a veteran and volunteers at the american league gone. >> it didn't occur to me. i didn't think there would be a problem with it being christmas cards. >> she p didn't find out until she called to arrange details for the card's delivery. >> i told them my students have cards we would like to bring them down for the veterans, he said that's great, we are thrilled to have them, except the only thing is we can't accept any cards that say merry christmas or god bless you or any scriptural references just because of all of the red tape. >> parents say as dispinting as this experience was for their children, t

the va system is broken. ur troops, and that's what we're going to give him it seems like, nothing. these kids deserve a good job. it is the brightest military the wod has ever seen. lou: you talk about posttraumatic stress disorder in the book. we've got so many guys out there that are suffering from not an i think about this. when you were in vietnam versus so many of them over so many years in afghanian and iraq and i just -- contrast, if you will, contrast the pressure on the battlefield, knowing you're going out on one mission, the guys we have been sending over to afghanistan and iraq day after day after day of intense combat. >> world war ii. my dad was already overseas and my mom and dad met in 1940. he left in early 1943 and dn't come home until 1945. the total time in combat was less than six months, even though they were gone for two years. vietnam, average time, 15 men's. today, and i'm a marine talking about this, the united states army, one of the best that it's been, 315 month tours for your ave

. >> the va now handles a hot line for gay and lesbian veterans. >> we've had large numbers of openlygbt people and so the va may be responding to that differently than they were in the past for people who were closeted as i was at that time. >> there is a feeling in lgbt circles that many veteran programs only handle heterosexuals. >> not much has changed. >> so while the political climate has been altered some vets feel it could be years before social and cultural attitudes in the military catch up. >> well one additional thing that we didn't really have a chance to go into in our report, but was very interesting, is the t in lgbt, transgender still cannot enlist in the military and that's something that the gay and lesbian veterans we spoke to said they would like changed. john. >> melissa chan in san franciscan, melissa, thank you. let's head to washington, d.c, joie chen standing by to tell us what's happening on america tonight. hi joie. >> hi john. we'll continue with an in depth look at the struggles of american cities, do more to protect the financial security of people who l

he did encourage me to go to the va and get help. he did change my life and my families life. i hope we can do what we can to keep the marsh running. thank you very much for your time and consideration. >> hello, i'm marty gomez and a neighbor of the marsh. i have lived there since 1982. i love this part of the city. this street. i love the history of it and the aesthetic of it and i feel this building will be -- it won't fit in. i have been a performer at the marsh since the 90s and i know very well a what the gentleman spoke about before. we need silence, we need to be able to perform and we need silence in between the line. the noise from the streets is not anything we have not been able to deal with with the soundproof we have from the marsh, but the noise will be making it impossible -- also i don't feel it's a transit rich neighborhood anymore. once 26 valencia was taken away. the bus issen frequent and unreliable. it's not transit rich. it's transit adequate. thank you very much. >> commissioners. having been up there a few years ago, i believe in commissioners. it fun t

the va didn't follow the rules that are in existence. if they did, this rattlesnake would never have been allowed under the tent ander in would have killed our beloved mary. >> suit also says navy yard security was lax. alexis killed 12 people before he died in a shootout with police back in september. >>> a life-long career in the white house cut short. the victim spent more than three decades working under several presidential administrations. but a car accident left him paralyzed and out of work. eri erika gonzalezs has more on his long road to recovery. >> reporter: retirement is the pin knackle of careers. but this isn't how james envisioned his. >> this isn't what you call the golden years. >> reporter: he said he spent more than 30 years working in the white house plumbing shop. >> i was making good money. i had a good crew. >> reporter: and worked under every president from carter to the present but nearly a year ago -- >> i don't remember much many until people showed me pictures. >> reporter: an eight-car pile-up on rockville p

that the blogosphere soldiers are performing an important task to my blog but sliced and as you know the va. the training will help them molly and army secure regions in the north the sight of white people causes quite a sensation in the village. everyone is curious and wants to talk to the soldiers. i am. as the clintons don't bother him and he hears a bang he knows it's a training exercise for molly soldiers and that makes me happy. the woman says she's glad that humans are here because they're helping the training camp the germans are engaged in an exercise. i feel we're getting it. it seems like the soldiers take forever to come to be that they're injured comrades. that's also part of the training personal safety comes first. exercise is finished. the soldiers had the weeks in the camp the crackling with energy and self confidence author john to the capital bomber crew. it's my fourth trip here. but this time everything is different the international military presence has changed things crude prices are up. milk is a lecture in africa the continued tells me it's even more expensive now.

is put in a ptsd program run by the va. what happens to him in that program and what happens to others that get into that program, it gets at one of the results of these wars. we have a system in place to help psychologically deal with folks, that their experiences show what an overwhelmed and in many ways flawed the system these guys get to heal him. >> is there another book in this? >> i don't know. guys go to war, guys come home. >> what is your sense when you finish this? there'll be a third book that follows up five years from now? >> i don't want to give up the story. you know, i am not seeing it. i don't see what the third book is. my interest will be there. i don't know how -- i mean, this is a business, right? i may want to tell a story, but it does not mean a publisher will want to publish it. >> we only have a couple seconds left. why have you done a very strenuous book tour? >> the book tour? i am trying as hard as i can to get people interested in this story. of course, i want to sell books, but there is somethi

i do want to say, the va has been excellent to work with. i know the va's had some challenges.ssue of ending veteran homelessness, not only in phoenix, but in salt lake, a leading city on this issue and some of the other cities you mentioned, the president challenged all of us to take on this issue and cities have responded across the country. we know it's going to be tougher to get federal resources, but because we have a system that works and we can prove it works, now we can tap the business community, now we can tap the foundations and say we've got a model that works. let's do right by all of our citizens. let's end chronic homelessness in the united states of america. let's start with veterans and then move on to the broader population. >> phoenix mayor greg stanton, thank you for your time tonight. >> thank you. >> i wasn't out in the world looking for a good news story to tell, but given what you have done in phoenix today, i feel like it's my christmas miracle. thanks for being here. >> thank you, rachel. >>> in the words of one 5-year-old child of one "rachel maddow s

i have seen a lot of fraud and abuse in the va system. they say it is the best health care system we have. that is a lie. most of the stuff that comes out of washington is a big lie. we have been fed a lie. we need to get money out of politics. until we do that, our government is broken. everybody is on the take. except for a very few, i do not know. i just wanted -- guest: a couple of points, they are not on the take. what they are on is how do i make sure i get to stay here. and my career is more important than the country. that causes more poor decision- making. the second point is why should a veteran, disabled or not, be forced to go to a va system rather than wherever they want? va health care -- in some places it is great, in some places it stinks. i would give veterans the right to go wherever they want. you served our country, you are service connected, you go where you want and we pick up the tab. if you want to go to the va, great. if you want to get care somewhere else, you should. we create competition and make the va better t

the va has rejected your letters. now. >>> this is christina rose from "fox & friends." enjoy the holidays and thanks for watching. ♪ >> this is mary j. blige. >> enjoy that soulful sound. we have been asking you all morning about your christmas traditions. we shared a few of ours as well. >> point out, too, the reindeer behind us in the magical window we saw, that is now a tourist attraction. have you noticed? people are taking pictures with them. they were in santa's shop a year ago. that's a new tradition. the tree is diagonal from our place. >> rockefeller center. >> and now people are coming here to take pictures of the giant reindeer. >> i thought they were coming to take a picture in front of your picture, the billboard. >> we are getting lots of e-mails and facebook and tweets from so many viewers. we thank you for sending things in. this is from sunny. writes while shopping for our annual christmas tree, my parents would ask us to listen closely. if we were quiet enough, we could hear the tree on the lot that

i have seen a lot of fraud and abuse in the pa system 0 -- in the va system. they say it is the best health care system we have. that is a lie. most of the stuff that comes out of washington is a big lie. we have been fed a lie. we need to get money out of politics. until we do that, our government is broken. everybody is on the take. i do notr a very few, know. i just wanted -- guest: a couple of points, they are not on the take. what they are on is how do i make sure i get to stay here. and my career is more important than the country. that causes more poor decision- making. the second point is why should a veteran, disabled or not, be forced to go to aca system -- to a va system rather than wherever they want? in some places-- it is great, in some places it stinks. i would give veterans the right to go wherever they want. you served our country, you are service connected, you go where you want and we pick up the tab. if you want to go to the va, great. if you want to get care somewhere else, you should. we create competition and make the va better than what

team of conference you can hum it's not the invite says that ramadan a time until dates that much at the va to take part in women's conference the impact of the weather nice to me in the premier down the slide up. this is just a get together with them we get to wear jeans to twenty to twenty minus twenty women and men then off to get it during a wedding and of course remains to be with us then just to check the slide with prep work which in the history in which he yet to watching it you can. many goals as they cover the bases not to seize its eye and says professes announce them she did not rush it was fun the heat. kazakhstan is more than seventy four emissions in the whole load into the modification steps. i stopped they stood almost one hundred and forty countries every year the number of kazakhstan simpsons increase the number of women who represent them and on to quote gratitude. you are doing . i'm signing of a hike in with another edition of destination was the be all the time ago that in our refrigerators in japan that's what they invented something called cc. most people don't know

i have seen a lot of fraud and abuse in the va system. they say it is the best health care system we have. that is a lie. most of the stuff that comes out of washington is a big lie. we have been fed a lie. we need to get money out of politics. until we do that, our government is broken. everybody is on the take. except for a very few, i do not know. i just wanted -- guest: a couple of points, they are not on the take. what they are on is how do i make sure i get to stay here. and my career is more important than the country. that causes more poor decision- making. the second point is why should a veteran, disabled or not, be forced to go to a va system rather than wherever they want? va health care -- in some places it is great, in some places it stinks. i would give veterans the right to go wherever they want. you served our country, you are service connected, you go where you want and we pick up the tab. if you want to go to the va, great. if you want to get care somewhere else, you should. we create competition and make the va better t

a lot of people say i thought this is what the va was supposed to do take care of the military folks when they did the service? >> that didn't happen. we are fingerprint we get to do this and i am excited that i am involved and i am amazed every day i get to do. it i pinch myself to make sure we get to. >> it is incredible what we do. >> before we talk about the founding a and hopes we provide. it was a gut punch to the people in the military. a lot of retired found out the budget deal and everybody acknowledges it was a mistake. but right now, retirees get less in the pensions. why is that and how will it affect them. >> it will affect them. most of them are living off of the pension and for the government not to understand what they have done it is amazing. if it is an accident feces it. >> they should have fecesed it before they go home to christmas. >> they should have read it. >> that would be unprecedented to read it. if they don't fix it, how will it affect the lives of our heroes? >> i have one that works with our foundation, he has an electro place. it stops the pain. obama

we learned the vice president of student life resign ed and was involved in the va sar college drag showy do every year. megyn? >> thank you. he was on team obama during the birth of the so-called affordable care act. what he's saying now about the president's latest obama care push. bill burton on kwoesz kelly but not the first time with yours truly. this will be interesting after the break. >>> plus, one of the most controversial names in politics jumping in on martin bashir's resignation after his comments about sarah palin. he's out. our panel weighs in. ♪ at any minute... ...you could be a victim of fraud. most people don't even know it. fraud could mean lower credit scores... ...and higher interest rates when you apply for a credit card. it's a problem waiting to happen. check your credit score, check your credit report, at experian.com. america's number one provider of online credit reports and scores. don't take chances. go to experian.com. >>> for the second day in a row president obama took on the role of insurance salesman in chief promoting obama care. he spoke at the white h

the va cut the amount. -- cut them out. what kind of side effect or long-term effect is this? host: can you adjust that? thet: dr. fauci would be expert on that. this is an infectious disease. i would refer you to the institute that he runs to get the sort of insight. what i will tell you to make the point about a disease like malaria, it is a complicated infectious disease. it involves not only the arial parasite, it involves mosquitoes and vectors that carry the parasite. -- of course,s there are humans. there are three genomes interacting. the human genome, the mosquito genome, and antimalarial malarial-- and the parasite genome. the pools developed for human genome -- the pools developed to read the human genome can be dna. to read mosquito we are learning about the interactions of different genomes. that is advancing our knowledge about infectious diseases. int: what about advancement prescriptions you might get? could it be tailored to individuals based on dna? guest: this is an incredibly exciting area to look for in the coming years. is already here and now, it is call

you just need to be in the same va sinty. you can press the icon to display the tweet. >>> our employment is coming back and innovation continues and it is tremendous things that's being invented and still occurring. >> the governor says despite critics there is still a lot of activities and excitement in the valley. people all over the world are looking here for innovation. >>> federal says anti-bacterial soaps may do more harm than good. in fact, some scientists warned that chemicals interfere with hormone levels. >>> some government workers helping people signing up for health insurance are breaking the law. they released a video of apparently encouraging someone to fudge their financial information. >> don't get yourself in trouble by declaring it now. >> exactly. by not reporting income the individual could get tax subsidies. this insurance navigator caught on camera were fired. >>> tomorrow's megamillion jackpot will reach $586 million. while that's awfully a lot of money, it is still less than the record of $636 million

we learned the vice president of student life resign ed and was involved in the va sar college drag show they do every year. megyn? >> thank you. he was on team obama during the birth of the so-called affordable care act. what he's saying now about the president's latest obama care push. bill burton on kwoesz kelly but not the first time with yours truly. this will be interesting after the break. >>> plus, one of the most controversial names in politics jumping in on martin bashir's resignation after his comments about sarah palin. he's out. our panel weighs in. [ coughs, sneezes ] i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is. [ inhales deeply ] every day we're working to and to keep our commitments. and we've made a big commitment to america. bp supports nearly 250,000 jobs here. through all of our energy operations, we invest more in the u.s. than a

sflool according to the va 22 -- now there's a group called heroes to heroes. eir mission is to help veterans heal by taking them on a spirit wham journey to israel. judy shafer, the founder of heroes to heroes. retired sergeant charles hernandez spent two years in iraq with the army national guard and says his trip to israel saved his marriage to his wife leonette and allowed him to reunite with his family. let's talk to him right now. >> so many organizations reach out to veterans, and i'm wondering, you know, because we these organizations, is that an indication that maybe the v.a. and the official government entities just aren't doing all they ought to be doing? >> this is a big country, and the v.a. has a huge, huge job. there is no way one organization can handle everything. there are so many aspects to the challenges our veterans have, and as an american, as a mother, it's hard for me to let it all go. i couldn't -- i couldn't just let these young men and women who raise their hands to volunteer so my son could go on with their lives. i couldn't let it go