JIM STRICKLAND HI:
I AM UPSET TODAY BECAUSE I FOUND OUT THE VA WOULD NOT GIVE ME CASH FOR MY TRAVEL. SO IM STUCK HERE WITH NO GAS IN MY CAR AFTER MY MEDICAL APPOINTMENT.
VA SAYS THEY WILL DP MY ACCOUNT .
MR STRICKLAND WHY DID THIS HAPPEN WITHOUT ASKING ME IF IT WAS OKAY. AND WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED BY MAIL SO I WOULD NOT BE STUCK HERE WITH NO GAS MONEY TO GET HOME. WHY DID THE VA TAKE AWAY CASH TRAVEL BENEFITS. WHY ISNT ANYTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS. I HAVE NO MONEY TO PUT GAS IN MY CAR FOR RETURN TRIP HOME. WHY DID THE VA TAKE AWAY THE CASH TRAVEL BENEFITS?? NO ONE TOLD ME. WHY DID THEY DO IT ANY REASON WHY?? YES IM STUCK IN TOWN WITH NO GAS IN MY CAR BECUASE THE VA DID NOT NOTIFY ME THEY WILL NO LONGER GIVE CASH TRAVEL PAY. HOW DO I GET HOME. CURRENTLY SLEEPING IN MY CAR IN PARKING LOT AT THE VA HOSPITAL. HAVE NO MONEY TO PUT GAS IN MY CAR. IM SLEEPING IN MY CAR AT THE VA HOSPITAL BECAUSE THE VA DID NOT TELL ME THEY NO LONGER GIVE CASH TRAVEL . I HAVE NO MONEY TO PUT GAS IN MY CAR TO GET HOME AFTER MY MEDICAL APPOINTMENT TODAY.
Reply:
I'm very sorry to hear that this happened to you. Unfortunately, VA is not obligated to ask you for input or to notify you by mail when they make changes to policies and procedures like this.
As veterans, we are obligated to take the time to do all we can to keep up with changes at VA that may affect our life.
The change to travel payments began about 3 years ago. VA and most other government institutions have cut back on sending checks or making cash payments when it's much more efficient to use electronic deposits to our existing bank accounts.
About 2 years ago the VA began to make changes to a select group of VA health care facilities and then started to expand the program to all facilities. I believe that it's been a year or more that VA stopped giving out cash for any beneficiary travel pay.
Not everyone was happy about the changes and in 2011 and into 2012 there was a fair amount of debate and discussion on my www.VAWatchdog.org blog.
Ultimately it made sense for VA to make the change so it was done.
The bottom line is that it's not possible for VA to notify every individual veteran of administrative changes like this one. The cost of mailing such letters would be prohibitive...that money is better used to improve programs to care for veterans.
We must use available resources like the VA web site, VAWatchdog and other places to keep ourselves informed. In this instance, there was plenty of available notice that VA would no longer make cash payments.
That you were caught short is very unfortunate. Although VA isn't obligated to offer you any assistance in this event, I'd suggest that you should have contacted a patient advocate for immediate assistance. The patient advocates usually have access to resources that can provide immediate cash assistance to someone in a bind for travel. Such discretionary funds are often found in the VA voluntary services office.
When we are surprised by such things at VA, we should always try to maintain an even temper and remain calm and courteous. VA staff and volunteers aren't directly responsible for changes at VA and all too often, we get upset with them. If we are always courteous, the staff and volunteers are much more likely to offer help.
Best,
Jim