Billing problems still at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

Michigan has a legal obligation from the US Constitution to take care of its wounded veterans. I think It is doing a dismal job of it. It was bad enough over the last 2 decades, at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and thanks to the efforts of many people who put in hundreds of hours of their time, and several Veteran organizations such as the VFW, Am Legion, AmVets, DAV and others who showed that they cared about our veterans we finally got the legislature involved and some much needed changes took place. Not all of them worked out, but many did, and it put us on what many hope is the right path for the future care of our Veterans.

But now once again another skeleton has popped up out of the dark closet where it was hidden for many years. This is one of many problems that have to be properly dealt with, if we are to improve the States dismal performance of caring for our veterans. I am told that Michigan once again is ranked 53 out of 53 veteran zones. The US Territories Guam and Puerto Rico apparently take better care of their veterans than Michigan does. And we have over 600 thousand in Michigan.

In past articles on our blogspot.com page, I have talked about the cost of care for veterans and how much it cost each veteran depending on what unit they were in. I also talked about the hidden costs that many of us were not informed of, and which many residents and past residents are STILL NOT aware of.

As the Home moves towards Medicare/Medicaid compliancy, we have to look at this subject again as billing is going to change. Medicare does not pay on a 30 day basis like residents are currently being charged. Medicare pays on a daily basis.

So how is a veteran going to be charged for cost of care? Will the home charge the VA, then try to get Medicare/Medicaid to pay the remaining balance? How exactly is this going to work?

Currently veterans are charged a set fee for their cost of care. This cost of care does not necessarily reflect the actual cost that the veteran claims it costs to have a veteran living there. A veteran is responsible for all of that amount minus $100 per month. A veteran with no income is allowed to stay at the home and receives five dollars a week for personal use. What is not told to the veterans is that the amount of their cost of care is being kept on financial statements and a lean on all their future earnings and or property has been placed on it by the state of Michigan, so I have been told in the past.

For example when I lived in the domiciliary unit, we were told that the cost of care was $2100 a month, yet the home claimed (at a board of mangers meeting that I attended) that it cost nearly $5000 a month for us to be there. So if we could only pay $300 a month toward their cost of care, the amount of $4700 was added to an account state that we would be liable for if we ever had any assets that the state could take.

Now for some veterans their source of revenue was either VA disability or social security disability or in some cases private business insurance, like a pension or something like that. I know for a fact that at that time, Social Security only paid about 1100 a month and the VA pensions were about 875 a month. Well below poverty line. Currently SS pays about 1300 a month, still well below the 2000 a month poverty line for Kent County for a single person with no dependents. 

As the home switches over to Medicare compliance, how are they going to handle this billing? I know that when I am sent to the local hospital and the local hospital bills Medicare, I end up with a co-pay that I have to pay out of my pocket. Will the veterans at the veterans home, have to pay co-pays if Medicare is billed for their cost of care and where will the money come from? Will it come out of the veterans pockets? And will they still have to pay until they only have $100 of their revenue per month? Or will they be allowed to keep their revenue? And what if the VA is billed, how will that work?

Will the veterans under the new billing system, be left with unpaid bills for amounts that they have not been made aware of, as they have in the past?

In past years I witnessed how the Grand Rapids Veterans home stripped a veteran of every asset that the veteran had. Even at the cost of taking the family home and throwing the wife of the veteran to the street. In past generations where the man ran the home and provided everything for the family, and where the wife was a housewife and raised the children and never worked outside of the home, the wife had no paper work with her name on it such as on the family home mortgage. This generation typically left the home to the surviving spouse. But what a veteran was involved in the state imposed a guardian or a conservator on the veteran, for whatever reason, in many cases the conservator would end up liquidating all the assets of the veteran to pay for the veterans cost of care at GRH4V. The spouse the veteran having never worked, did not qualify for Social Security benefits until after her spouse passed away. This means if a conservator liquidated the family assets, the spouse could end up homeless and penniless with nowhere to go and nowhere to live. I saw this happen several times to veterans who were placed at GRH4V. 

I cannot help but wonder as the home transitions to the Medicare Medicaid compliancy will that practice continue?

As I stated before Michigan has an obligation to take care of its wounded warriors per the US Constitution. I believe this means they should do so without cost to the veteran. What is clear to me that over the last few years the home use the veterans as a source of revenue for the State of Michigan.

I am offended by the fact that the home claimed that it cost over $5000 a month in Domiciliary unit to house one veteran in a four man rooms where he had an 8’ x 10' living area for a bed and chest of drawers, and a small table, then had to share all the other areas with other veterans. For $5000 a month I could've lived like a King in the outside. And I was told that the other units at the veterans facility costs anywhere between $5,000 and $20,000 a month, depending on how much nursing care the veteran needed. This makes me wonder how much they're going to charge a veterans to live at the new home once it gets built.

The new home is supposed to be a nursing home with a few beds reserved for the domiciliary unit. Now I am told this too has changed, and there will be no Domiciliary beds in the new unit, but instead the Domiciliary unit will be kept going in the McKlesh building (main building) at the home. I have no idea if it will still be available for homeless and penniless (no income) veterans, as it once was.

Recently just before Thanksgiving, a series of 3 “town hall meetings” took place, and residents were informed of the new billing procedures. 

I am concerned about the fact that people who have an income, but not enough to pay off their cost of care, are expected to use part of their 100 a month stipend to repay the past amount due, or face eviction from the home. 100 a month is nothing, if one is paying for a cell phone, or car insurance and upkeep or have other expenses. 

And keep in mind 100 bucks hardly pays for a good pair of shoes, or a pair of jeans if you are a larger sized guy. Clothing is expensive, if you want to buy your own, so the home depends on hand me downs, donations to a clothing room were residents can get clothing. They should not have to do that. I think it is shameful that our veterans have to beg for such donations.

100 a month is about 3 dollars a day. If you have no other expenses, and you want to use that money for a snack or munchies out of the vending machines at the home, at 2 dollars a 20 ounce soda pop, you won’t even be able to get a pop and a bag of chips which cost 1.25 in the machine, that you can get for 50 cents at Walmart or Meijers 

And keep in mind that the State is required to care for our veterans, so why is it costing them anything if they are combat wounded? AKA service connected? A lot is not being said about this new billing system. 

New system will allow the home to take money from the VA, from Medicare, from Social security, and from private pensions leaving the people left with 100 a month to live on.

Seems to me that the new home is being set up as a for profit institution, just like the current one is, instead of our state meeting its Constitutional obligation to care for our veterans. 

They say they want to model the new homes after the ones in Tennessee, well, if you do, then make them NON PROFIT!!

Also, one of those handouts at the town hall meeting says that if a repayment agreement is not kept, they can discharge the resident, yet another one clearly shows the debt is NON ENFORCEABLE.. So how can they kick the veteran out? They say one thing then say the exact opposite.  No wonder people are confused.

This is sounding like the same ole crap from years ago, just different people running it. Nothing has changed but the names.

Changes are about to happen, so hold on folks.

Wow. There has been a flurry of activity this week. Over 14 calls and 40 something emails about several subjects, all concerning our veterans.

First, It is looking like there is going to be a major upheaval at the MVAA after Governor Elect Gretchen takes over. We may see the end of the good ole boy network that Snyder was running, and the end of Jim Redford.

Second, she may put a STOP to the New GR vets home. Lets face it. It was shoved thru at any cost, and was not done right. The new veterans home should be put where the existing buildings are. The current plan calls for wiping out the old growth (and maintained) forest at the picnic and bandstand area. That is not good.

And the new home looks like its going to be run as a for profit business, which it really cannot be. If we are truly going to change our model to that of the one like Tennessee has, our homes have to be NON PROFIT. 

Then there is the fact that the federal VA is so messed up, its not even doing its job. And a new program has been implemented allowing family members or others to be paid for by the VA to take care of a veteran in the veterans own home, thus eliminating the need of over costly retirement homes such as the Michigan veterans homes or the VA homes like the one in Detroit metro. IF they even manage to pay those people when they can't even pay their bills to local ER's, or GI BILL benefits right now.


Then there is the cost of the MVAA's structure. How much is it costing taxpayers, is it overloaded with unnecessary middle management costing taxpayers millions and how effective is it, seeing how Michigan still ranks 53 out of 53 zones for Veteran care.. yep, Federal territories Guam and Puerto Rico beat us yet again in the care of their veterans..

Also the cost of care for residents at the vets home, and TRUTH in cost of care.. That is now being discussed due to the change in billing practices, as part of the Medicare compliance requirements.

There is also rumors floating around about expanding the role of the Vets Home Ombudsman Kelly Cody. It is my understanding that his job is to represent vets at the 2 vets home. However I do know that he has visited other non state veteran resident places, like the Silver Star Apartments down in Battle Creek, located right next door to the VA hospital complex.

Rumors are that someone wants to expand his responsibility to any veteran in the state. That is NOT what his job was created for. If they want to do that, the need to add 2 or 3 more ombudsmen, and give them all a much bigger staff and budget.

No matter how it goes, I think we are going to have to wait until the government change over in January 2019 before we find out what is and what is not going to change.. but there is a LOT of talk about what needs to be changed, and let us hope it will be for the better for our vets.

There are a lot of people watching and working on these issues, keeping vigilant. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

The more things change, the more they stay the same at GRH4V.

First, we have access to our Face book page again.

Second, we have a big article coming here about Billing the veterans cost of care.

and now, this.

How many times have we posted about the problems with the Snack and Pop machines at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans? Countless.

Once again, things are back to what is now the normal state of them - broken and overpriced.

The pop machines in Kozy Corners are constantly breaking down.

And once again they are charging 2 dollars per 20 ounce bottle.  This is outrageous and just WRONG.

This when you can get a 2 liter (67.18 ounces) for less than 1.75.  The same amount would cost our vets over 6 bucks from that broken down machine.

Good news is several people are working with our legislatures to get an exemption for ALL of the Michigan Veterans homes, for that law that is currently covering all public buildings and vending machines.

Facebook page may be closing

Facebook locking out accounts

After logging into facebook several times today to play games, and do other things, I logged in to find them doing a security check.

They asked for a mobile phone number. I have never given them one, nor will I ever give those bunch of crooks a phone number. Not after their spyware scandal earlier this year.

When I selected "report a problem" It would tell me to log in.. but it won't let me log in to report the problem.

This is going to cause them to lose a LOT of people. Many of us who use face book do not want face book to have access to all our data, and they have proven they cannot be trusted with it.


The result is the facebook page about the GR vets home may be shut down.

5 star VA audit

News came out the GR Vets home got the highest rating they could on a VA audit. Some say its closing a dark chapter in the homes history.

I say BULLSH*T.

We still have criminal acts by the former administration that go unpunished and prosecuted by the states AG who claims he prosecutes all crimes and so far has a poor record. 1 care giver and 3 disabled veterans. But not one top administrator.

Residents Constitutionally secured rights were violated and Bill Shuette did NOTHING.
Residents died unnecessarily, and their deaths were covered up.
Residents were prescribed psycho drugs by an unlicensed doctor and nothing was done.
Guardians were forcing residents to take drugs they did not need, and nothing was done.
The home was forcing guardians on veterans so the home could force the vets to take drugs they did not need, and nothing was done.
And the missing money, millions are still unaccounted for.

These are just a few things..

Also, Michigan has well over 660,000 Veterans. And currently can't even properly take care of the 500 or so living in the 2 State owned veterans homes.

As for the 5 star VA audit.. I remind you that the Battle Creek VA director signed off on years of bad audits that should have been 1 star, instead of 3 or 4..  So I for one do not trust the VA rating system.

3rd time a charm or just wasting more money?

I didn't go to the second meeting about the new vets homes new location, but thanks to those who gave us reports about it.

Apparently the idea of moving the civil war train station was to much, and would be too costly. (No kidding?!!)  So they have come up with yet another plan for the new vets home.

How many more will there be?

Maybe they should just forget the GR home for now and build the Detroit home first. I hear they bought property for it, but no one seems to know where that property is or how the new MVAA Authority board got the property.

Anyone besides me wonder who is running things?

MVAA doesn't even have OK for new vets home, costing taxpayers millions.

Shaking my head over this one. I just got back from the meeting about the new vets home NEW possible location.

Apparently no one knew the area containing the nature trail was a wetland. And no government had documented it. Or so we were told.

Well now they know and now they cannot build the new home there. So they need a different location.

The next site, will require a 150+ year old building to be moved - the Civil war train station where the current NCO club (that is not used by residents), the clothing room and fishing/bait shop is.

And they are not even sure they can do that yet.

So here we are. Federal money in hand and they don't even know if they can build the new home.
DUH.. How much tax money is being wasted by incompetent MVAA people on this?

In order to build the new home, the picnic area, band stand, Ranking building, Chapel, Pavilion where the winter smoking tent is put up, The picnic rest rooms, the building where the train club/bike shop is located will all have to be removed, and of course, the train station historical building moved.

The new home will stretch from the old clinic parking lot all the way down to Monroe Avenue on the north end of the complex.  And that is IF they can do it there. They don't even know if they can.

Some of the same ole questions that are asked at every meeting were asked again, some by residents some by visitors.

Cathrine Kooyers (spelling?) was there. She didn't even say hello to me.  I didn't expect her to after she burned her bridge with me, but she did ask a question that we all now know the answer to.
She asked about the mini kitchens in each of the housing units, if members were going to be allowed to use them. Using Kozy Corners as example, the answer was, "only under supervision" but who would be qualified to be "supervisor" was not made clear. In Kozy, it has to be a paid staff member, not qualified volunteers.

Someone else asked about residents traveling from the new home to the current one. On the map there is an open area, and in winter it means crossing a parking lot. Not good.

So I left with the feeling that the MVAA yet again does not have approval for this latest attempt, and will soon be forced to give the federal money back due to their failure to have a shovel ready plan in place that is approved but just waiting for funding.

Time for them to look to put the home elsewhere. I don't think the new proposed location is a good idea either.

Another bridge burned?

It is pretty bad when a so called advocate for veterans, burns not one but 2 bridges with veterans within 2 months.  First, she burned me for a post one of my posts, that I then removed, (still don't know why I did it or what I did that angered her). Instead of contacting me asking me to correct it, she burned her bridge with me, telling me she would never call me again, removed my contact info, etc.. you know what I mean. She threw a fit. Fine, whatever.

But what she did next is unacceptable. Burning your bridge with a vulnerable veteran who is currently running scared because of his very serious health problems, is just unforgivable. 

Apparently this veteran and his care giver were having problems, so she stepped in to try to find him a better place to live. The caregiver and the veteran worked things out.. She got angry because the veteran did not follow her instructions, and again she burned that bridge.

So that's 2 veterans.
I am also told she is wearing out her welcome at the Grand Rapids Home for veterans.  And some vets there do not want her help, or to be around her any longer.

Doesn't pay to be a control freak, or to burn your bridges behind you  Oh, I see Wyoming has a new Chief of police/fire.. and a female one at that..  Will that bridge get burned in the future?

Gifts for new vets home "authority "people?

Something here isn't right. And more and more it looks like Snyders MVAA puppet show is getting worse.  We know that Snyder wants the federal money for the states new veterans home before he leaves office.

But to tell ya the truth, I think the Feds should hold off until next year after Snyder is gone.  His entire administration is marked by cronyism, and huge pay offs for his friends and puppets.  And that new home is just plain WRONG. 1 Floor for the whole thing. PERIOD.

The most recent has been at the Authority meeting held at the GR vets home where a vote was taken, on the subject of the new authority being able to accept gifts.. What is this? Why are they accepting gifts? That 350k per year salary they get isn't enough?  Volunteers and staff at the current vets home get fired/kicked out if they accept a gift.. so why is the new MVAA Authority voting to accept gifts? Sounds like more corruption to me. 

New vets home zoning approved, with 1 condition.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/03/new_grand_rapids_veterans_home_1.html

Read the story on Mlive.com

Apparently someone got a hair up her tail recently when we wrote an op claiming that Jim Redford head of MVAA seems to be out of touch, in over his head, and the wrong man for the job.

This person also went off on another posting here and on our facebook page.

Well I think this story proves what we were saying. Many people feel the MVAA just shoved this project forward, without engaging the public or the local residents, and that is NOT good leadership, no matter how you like it.

And while the MVAA recently visited the Vets home and showed them why the new home needed to be put where they want to put it, many people outside the home wonder if it really needs to go there, and are there other options besides destroying one of the last remaining old growth patch of forest.

Dignity restored

I want every one who reads this to understand something.

I have been writing, blogging, Face Booking about the GR vets home since 2010. I helped expose many of the wrong doings going on at that place. Because of this I have been tracked down and contacted by numerous people and organizations. Some private ones, some State of Michigan ones, and some Federal ones. And yet I am just one person among many who helped bring about the positive changes that have happened at the home.

Yet someone whom I trusted has called me nothing more than a ranting troll.  Really? This is why Jerry L wants NOTHING to do with this stuff anymore. All that work he put into it was never appreciated either. And he also was constantly attacked for what he did.

At least I am trying to give people credit for what they have done and the changes they have helped to make happen.It took a team effort, and many people involved, both residents, former residents, out side advocates some who are veterans, some who are not. Do I need to name them? Can I name them without violating their right to privacy?  Is it safe now for me to mention names without fear of reprisal for those who knew us, helped us, kept us informed? Or are they still in danger if we do? This is why the admins here and on face book remain anonymous, I thought people understood this as we have said it numerous times on this blog.

As a resident of the Vets home, I saw many people become victims of the Sara Dunne Administration and could not stand there and do nothing about it. I was compelled to act. So were many others. 

Those of us here on this blog are compelled no longer.

We (the advocates) fought tooth and nail to restore dignity and a voice to those who live at the home and were afraid to speak out.

We did get major changes to occur at the home including the removal of Sara Dunne.

We also got a voice for the veterans at both Homes, the Ombudsman Mr. Kelly Cody.

The Member Council meeting of 1 March 2018, showed us advocates that at last, we had reached another of our major goals.

Four years ago, that meeting would not have happened. Sara and Jim Dunn would not have allowed it.

The fact that it happened means we have restored the residents' rights to assemble, speak and be represented.

Thank you to all the advocates and residents both current and past who made this happen.


Updated 4 March 2018.

Despite MVAA communication problem, Veterans get a voice.

The MVAA has had a big communications problem when it comes to the new vets home project. Today, they corrected that problem and addressed the concerns of the resident veterans at the GR home.

The vets home held its monthly nursing unit members council meeting today, and unlike most meetings, guests were invited. Among those attending were myself, Catherine Kooyers, a known advocate, Catherine Buckley of the American Legion and former commander of the Neil Fonger post in Walker, two city of Grand Rapids city commissioners Joe Jones and Ruth Kelly, a representative from the governors office was there, (can't remember her name either and I know what it is) and 2 representatives from State Congresswoman Winnie Brinks office, from MVAA we had Phil Yeiter Contract and his assistant.

Not in any particular order.. This was my first time seeing Tracy the new administrator who took over Scott's job, in action and I tell ya I was impressed. Also the new CEO who took over Leslie's job, was there and was introduced. Not sure about her as it was only her 4th day on the job. So I will give her time to settle in before I form any opinions.

The meeting was set up by Cathrine Kooyers to give residents a voice to the City Council members, and the MVAA showed up with pictures of the new home and to help settle some issues the residents were concerned about.

Phil Yeiter and his Assistant from MVAA did a GREAT job explaining where the New Veterans Home Project stood. This is the information that has been lacking and causing distrust and uncertainty among veterans and others.

They explained how the grant money from the VA would not only affect the new GR home, but the other homes the MVAA wants to create to replace the one big home model that we currently use. Answering one of the residents questions they told us how the MVAA wants to build homes in the 5 areas around the state, and how they are now looking for property to place these other homes on as near term and long term goals. However first up and foremost is to get the new GR home project going as that is what will bring in the federal money.

They also did a good job of explaining how the home would be built as a bi-level facility, meaning 2 levels due to the 30 foot slope between Coit and Monroe Ave. Specific questions about the construction of the new home, the water problem, etc were asked, and it was decided to try to get the architect firm to come to the home to answer questions by residents and others having concerns about the new homes location. Everyone agreed to that and thought it would be a good idea.

Many questions asked, many answered, but some residents like Kevin, are confused about the new home. If it has only 120 beds, what will happen to the other veterans? also asked was what would happen to the Domiciliary unit. Answer to both is that the current facility would remain open to house those people who did not move to the new GR home, or who wanted to go to the Detroit home after its built, and Dom would stay in the current facility, All current residents would have a place to stay either in one of the new homes, or in their current location.

They explained why the home needed to be put where its going to go. Apparently the state does not own the land the old clinic sits on, but does own the building. and the owner is not cooperating with the state. Also, because of the layout of the new home, if it were to be put there, there would be a problem because of the train station which is a historical building (where the clothing room is) it cannot be touched.

Questions were asked for nearly an hour and Rob wanted to get the normal member meeting done, so Tracy politely explained the situation and put an end to the questions so Rob could hold his normal member meeting. MVAA people went out to the hall to answer questions there while Rob finished up the member meeting. MVAA stayed until everyone left, to ensure every ones questions were answered.

During the normal member meeting, Tracy mentioned that the recent member survey showed the food situation was as usual the biggest issue. And Renee talked about a new program involving residents to improve the meals. Since I am no longer a resident I had to keep quiet.. Man I tell you she was speaking within 3 feet of me and I had to bite my tongue to avoid yelling at her "bullshit!" and "ya had 7 years to do this, what took you so long?!!", but I kept quiet.

Over all I think this was a VERY productive meeting and one that needed to happen. The MVAA is on the brink of finding out if we got the VA money to go ahead with the project and then they have a short time period to get things rolling. They expect the announcement any day now. So this meeting was very important.

Now I think everyone knows what is going on, and why, and is behind the MVAA and supporting the moving forward with this project. People left the meeting no longer feeling confused but feeling good about the new home.

Plans for New Vets home made public, People getting sticker shock at the price.

 Drawings of a new Grand Rapids Home for Veterans campus have been revealed. 
State Rep. Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, shared the renderings on her Facebook page Dec. 28.
"Thank you to the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and Creston Neighborhood Association for sharing these drawings with my office and constituents," Brinks wrote.
The drawings show a seven-building complex at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Three Mile Road, just south of the existing veterans home facility.
Four of the buildings are residential, and surround a central community center.
As opposed to the existing facility, which has a more institutional layout, drawings of the new campus show sprawling, single-story residential buildings more like long term nursing care facilities.
The new facility will cost approximately $49.9 million. It will have 120 to 150 beds -- 205 to 235 fewer than the current veterans home provides.

The cost for this new facility is extremely high, given how much it costs per foot of space, compared to other commercial construction

Follow the money!  These numbers aren't making sense - spend $50,000,000.00 to go from 355 beds to 128 at $1960 ser sq.ft . Why not just buy Bridgewater and give it to the vets.

The thing that is really making me sick about the City of Grand Rapids complete lack of Transparency - you would have to some third world country to find a government that is so determined to keep facts from the public in the age of the internet and social media - lets start out with who is making the loot off the existing buildings and why is the cost of construction more than ten times more than the private sector ?

Government shrink the available beds and jack up the price 13%? perfect..

So $49 million to build 25,000 sq, ft equals $1960 per sq.ft.
Michigan homebuilders average cost per square foot is $150
So 13 times more expensive to build then average?
Must be the extra landscaping and hand greasing costs right?

 A 1500 square foot house in the suburbs costs much less than the $383,000 cost per 400 square foot apartment.