When Medical Delay Means Death

When your diagnosis is terminal, you can’t wait an extra week or few days to receive the treatment you require. Veterans all over America, and their families, have learned this devastating lesson as the Veterans Administration has continually pushed back necessary treatments for even the terminally ill.

On May 16th, 2014, the VA Undersecretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel abruptly resigned. Though he denied any wrongdoing, more and more pressure had come from Congress to answer the question as to precisely why the VA is not providing the necessary care. Unfortunately, that question remains unanswered.

In gratitude for their years of service, veterans are provided with healthcare through the Veterans Administration. Many of these veterans only suffer their illnesses because of the service they provided, such as members of the Navy who served in boiler rooms in the 1950s. Those boilers were often covered with asbestos, resulting in Mesothelioma for those exposed. Others suffer from cancers from radiation exposure, suicidal ideation from PTSD, and hundreds of other difficult conditions.

If you or a loved one have received the runaround from the VA, resulting in pain or even death, it is important that you do everything you can to get the services to which you are entitled. You should:

• Keep careful documentation of all diagnoses and treatments.
• Document all appointments, including how much time passes between the initial diagnosis and follow-up with specialists.
• Research the type of treatment other hospitals and doctors provide.
• Submit your requests for treatment in writing and keep copies of any refusals or postponements.

Oftentimes a family will do all they can to get their loved one the necessary treatments, only to be stonewalled, and it is difficult to know what to say or do to get things moving. If this happens to you, or if this has happened to you or a loved one in the past, don’t hesitate to contact a New York law firm to help you ask the right questions to get your loved one the care they deserve.