Senator Bernie Sanders is now the Chairman of the Senate VA Committee, and he can change the way veterans are treated. As many of you know I am a totally disabled veteran of military service, I served from the Vietnam Era, Oct 30, 1973- Sep 2, 1982 andthe Georgia National Guard from 1988 thru November 1990 when I was activated by federal orders for the first Gul War known as Desert Storm and was discharged in May 1991.
I became service connected in Dec 2003 for PTSD at 100% P&T and cardiac conditions at 100% level in June 2009 back dated to Dec 2003 for the effective date of disability. Like most other disabled veterans I lost my family to divore after I lost my house and autos to repossession due to not being able to pay the bills while I dealt with the VA Regional office attempting to get compensation for my medical issues.
I am well cared for now, that I have my claims settled and have moved on with my life. However as soon as I pass away, I am going to leave my spouse, Dori in a position where she will lose our home, due to the fact I can not purchase mortgage insurance due to my PTSD and cardiac issues which are both service connected.
I might possibly qualify for a SAH grant to remodel my home to accomodate my wheel chair and to make my bathroom and bedroom and kitchen handicap accessible, the problem with that is, it involves filing a claim for it, which means about a 2 year wait or longer, if approved then I can purchase mortgage insurance at fair market value thru the VA.
The insurance for veterans has not been changed since WW2, it is time that it is brought into the 21st century.
Here is a copy of the letter I wrote tonight to Chairman Sanders,
Chairman Sanders and staff, I do not know if you are aware of the fact that most totally disabled veterans and their families have usually lost everything by the time the VA grants their compensation claims, homes, repossessed, autos repossessed, in many cases the spouse and children have also left the veteran, and the veterans are left to completely rebuild their lives.
Now that we are financially secure with VA compensation and SSD benefits, we can not afford cars and homes again, but due to our service connected medical issues, no insurance company will sell us mortgage insurance, we are able to get loan insurance on car loans though. From the other veterans I have discussed this with we do not object to paying for the full price of the mortgage insurance that other disabled veterans pay that are entitled to the insurance thru the SAH program, the main problem is that most of us do not qualify for the SAH grants.
We are being discriminated against due to injuries or medical conditions caused by our military service and our current spouses and children who live in our homes will lose these homes when we pass away due to the fact their income will be cut by more than 50% when the veteran passes.
Veterans insurance levels have not been changed since WW2, but obviously the 10,000 life insurance will not go very far. Yes, I bought the additional 20,000 that is available, but the 30,000 will not come close to lowering the mortgage to a point the home can be kept.
Is there any way the Veterans Administration can change the rules and allow us to buy mortgage insurance if it is not available to disabled veterans thru the civilian market place, we are willing to pay the fair market rate, just as the veterans pay for mortgage insurance thru the SAH program.
Our families deserve the security of keeping their home when we pass away. I doubt this can be done before I pass away, I am in end stage congestive heart failure that is service connected and also am rated at 100% P&T for PTSD. Both conditions prevent me from buying life insurance and mortgage insurance. My ejection fraction is 10% and am in a wheel chair or in bed 24/7.
I know the government does not work fast so my family will more than likely not be helped but can you change the rules to help all of the other service connected veterans and their families, keep their homes.
It was terrible losing the cars and homes of our previous lives before becoming disabled, it should not have to be done again to our love ones left behind.
Can you please write Chairman Sanders and YOUR elected officials asking them to fix this injustice, disabled veterans and their families deserve this, we are not asking to be given it free of charge, we are willing to pay full value for the insurance, so it will be a major headache and loss our families will not have to go thru.
Please contact veterans organizations you can think of and ask them to help. like IAVA, Vote Vets, VFW, DAV, PVA etc.
Thank you
PS on a side not the last time I wrote a diary I weighed 230 pounds, tonight I weigh 155 pounds and my ejection fraction is 10% an am in a wheelchair of bedridden, I spent most of Dec, Feb and March in ICU in Congestive heart failure, that is not a weight loss diet I recommend to anyone. On the bright side I feel better now than I have in over a year. Medicare also sends a nurse to the house once a week to check my meds, vitals, she measures my legs for water retention etc, things have been going great since I was last disacharged from ICU on April8.
Please write some e mails and see if we can help other disabled veterans and their families inj the future. thank you Mike a simple veteran
Senator Sanders VA Address