The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
HELP FOR VETERANS
Esty is new member of House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
TORRINGTON >> U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-5) met with veterans from across the Northwest Corner Monday afternoon to discuss their thoughts and concerns with the Department of Veterans Affairs, as she adjusts to a new role on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Esty was elected to the committee in February, and is the ranking member on the subcommittee on disability benefits and memorial affairs, she said Monday.
Issues coming before the committee, Esty said, included the appeals process for disabilities claims, the Blue Water Veterans — veterans who served on ships during the Vietnam War and must prove they were exposed to Agent Orange — the re-evaluation of the Choice program, which allows veterans to visit private medical practices if a V.A. clinic is not available within 40 miles.
“I’m excited and honored to have a chance to serve, and to serve on this committee — get more good things to for veterans here in Connecticut and across the country. But that position gives me more ability to get legislation actually drafted and through — it’s a very bipartisan committee,” said Esty. “So I want to hear from you ... What are you hearing from people? What can we do better? Where are resources needed? What needs to be changed in terms of regs or laws to deal with it?”
The recent federal hiring freeze instituted by the administration of President Donald Trump does not affect some positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Esty said, but does prevent the hiring of people to process claims.
Local veterans, including Bud Atwood of the Torrington Veterans Service Office, Richard Pescatore of the Disabled American Veterans of Connecticut, and John Lilley of American Legion Post 44, shared their experiences with the V.A. healthcare system, and advocated for specific proposals or actions to improve the lives of veterans.
Both positive and negative experiences with the V.A. healthcare system were discussed during the gathering Monday. A veteran had been mistakenly listed as deceased after being required to travel to Manhattan for heart surgery, while another was making a claim for disability after, among other things, waiting two-and-a-half years for care, he said.
A delay on the e-benefits site available to monitor appeals was also noted during the meeting Monday by veterans, as were unexpected bills for care and delays in getting phone calls returned.
“First of all, I’d like to say one thing about the V.A. system in Connecticut — it’s outstanding,” said Pescatore.
Atwood shared a draft bill regarding exposure to pollutants at Fort McClellan.
Pescatore said there was a shortage of volunteers to drive local veterans to medical appointments in Newington or West Haven — at the moment, there are no such drivers available in Torrington, he said.
“We need something to get volunteers to drive,” said Pescatore.
Esty said that she would reach out in a variety of ways, including a letter to the editor in a local newspaper, asking Mayor Elinor Carbone to place a posting in City Hall, and contacting the State Police Commissioner, in hopes of spurring retired state police to take part in the program.
Lilley said that, while he did not use the V.A. system often, he had run into trouble with staff at the Winsted V.A. clinic answering the phone — calls are often forwarded to a call center instead, he said.
Esty was scheduled to spend a good portion of Monday in the area. She attended a fraud prevention clinic at Torrington’s Sullivan Senior Center, then paid a visit to the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Winsted.