Latest O'Toole Comments

Same shyte, different day, different flavour is all.

"Mr. O’Toole said he wants the staff in his department to examine cases in which benefits were wrongly denied and to determine what they could have done better."

Like big rex mentioned who will look into denials? VAC got a johnny on the spot for it...? Or is that gonna be the next committee?

Your right teen, pretty vague on what said denied benefits he is talking about. And it can lead so many veterans to speculate with false hope every available benefit previously denied to them.

Raise some hopes, have a couple of shiny pr photo op approvals before an election, deny the rest and your good to go again. Ever so so smiley.

Binrat, you gotta outsmart the bastards to your benefit.  

Fairest winds to all. pinger.

In a vague way, very very vague way, I think he is responding to the OVO reports on VRAB decisions.

Or he is responding to decades of complaints about adjudicators decisions and the lack of consistency.

Or he is talking about TAC's that deny drugs, daily living aids, in-home nurses, extra VIP complaints of denials for a veteran to live comfortably. And veterans who are terminal and are in the end stage of their lives.

Or he is just blowing smoke to make it sound like he is doing something because he did not identify what denials he wanted examined!!!!!

when he says he "wants the staff in his department to examine cases in which benefits were wrongly denied" im thinking he is just talking about the cases that VRAB was sued over and VRAB had their decisions overturned by the supreme court .

and when he says" to determine what they could have done better" doesn't mean correcting past decisions it just means creating a new policy for VRAB to follow .

they have done this before telling VRAB not to ignore the medical evidence and to give benefit of the doubt .

that went all but ignored with one exception.

they will now state right on their denial letter that they are taking the medical evidence into account . then of course go on to ignore it .

meet the new boss same as the old boss.

propat

The kicker of his statement, is the part that says they would review files where benefits were wrongly denied. Who exactly makes that determination? Every Veteran who gets a negative decision things it was wrong, while VAC staff will feel that every denial is justified. So how are they going to determine which ones were wrongfully denied? I'm sure they're not going to look at every application that is turned down.

Hey All, I hope to find you all Doing Well....

So, from the VVi news page.. http://www.veteranvoice.info/vvi/bulletinboard.htm

"Veterans minister says staff will look at cases of benefits being denied"

"When asked what he is doing to rectify that problem, Mr. O’Toole said he wants the staff in his department to examine cases in which benefits were wrongly denied and to determine what they could have done better."

So I read that and went Hmmm, if they review/examine these cases that were denied, are they then actually gonna change the decision and give that person an award??
Hmm wouldn't that then be stepping on VRAB toes, cause I thought I read somewhere that once a decision goes to VRAB, the minister then no longer has a say in the decision, cause VRAB ruling is final and binding
Unless VRAB, actually sends it back to the minister...

Also are they gonna make a hotline for people to call to get one of there Application that's been denied to get on the list to be re-examined, or are they just gonna grab 20 files and just use them..?

Cause my biggest Beef is how is it, that VRAB can keep changing the reason your claim is denied when you don't have unlimited appeals.. For example..

I put a claim in for my shoulder, as a over use, DOT (damage over time injury) repetitive work stuff, heavy lifting you know stuff supply techs do..
My Application is denied for I can't remember exact reason, but lets say not enough medical documentation on it..

So ya get hold of BPA and say, Thats BS, I want to appeal, so based on the finding you gather more information and documentation to show the Over use and what not from t he 1st decision..
You wait months to get the decision from your 1st appeal, and now the reason your application or appeal is denied is something completely different from the original denial in fact they don't
even mention it, and now the reason they denied your claim is they say, it was due to post release driving...

Like really, what the hell, so then or now your 2nd appeal and last, your arguments have to be about what the 2nd denial decision was, it can't be the 1st part or original, cause they will give same reason
cause you didn't argue the point of being post release truck driving that caused it..

So it's like okay that's not the reason, but lets say we agree with your VRAB people and it from Driving truck.. so no argument there, the part which would be contested would be, Pre or post right..
But since they said it was like post-release I'd be like, Hold I have my DND 404 Military drivers license Driving truck in the Military for 10 year's prior to being released, and what not..
And your family Doctor was sent a question with job description and working conditions and send his response in..

After another x months your get your decision and now your claim again is denied.. But there is nothing, about original reason, they say absolutely nothing in there about driving... Now the reason
they have denied your claim is because your Doctors reply to the questionnaire he was sent by the BPA, they reads it as, since your Doctor said it could of caused the said claimed condition
and not that it did cause it, he is actually speculating, and therefore we have no evidence to support your claimed condition and your appeal is denied.. (Or something to that effect)

So how is it, VRAB can get away with this type of crap were they keep changing the reason to deny your application.. Cause now that was 2nd appeal in PEI, so only way they'll ask for a review
is if there was error in fact or of law.. whichever..

Like come on, why is it when we prove the point of the previous decision they can simply change the reasoning to deny your claim..
Heck if they want to look into claims like that I have like 3 or 4 of them...
And the reason due to post release truck driving, was used on 2 different Claim, guess they couldn't think of anything original, so they used a reason on a previous decision to make that
decision look good..

Thats something they should look into.. how many of us, have had that happen, where the reason to deny your claim gets switched each time..

So if ya see the hotline number to call so I can have my denied applications re looked at, because of that BS, let me know I'll be on the phone in a minute...

So what do you think, ya think this is gonna actually happen or is this all words no action.....