Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Pay forty here if you have Kercity talk station A
little melancholy today. Over the years, I had Todd Sledge
and the Cincinnta VA coming in talking about all the
topics going on, all the improvements that have been made,
all these efforts, the folks of the VA's efforts to
improve things over the years, demonstrably improved situation at the
Cincinnati VA. I don't know that all the VA hospitals
can say that, but we have collectively Todd Sledge to
(00:24):
thank for a lot of the great work that's been
done there. And after thirty four years and two months,
you're finally calling it a day.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Todd. Yes, good to have you back. Man.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I'm sorry you're not going to be coming in for
these segments. I know you've got a great replacement here
in studio in the former Chris Kluge. But we've had
a good relationship half years and I can't thank you
enough for helping out my veteran friends like you have.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Well, I can't thank you enough, Brian. I mean the
relationship we've had. I think we've made a lot of
long strides and you know, I've really had a big,
big impact on the veterans here in Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeah, well I can go back. Today's a Bob McDonald. Yes,
you know who I am exactly. Things are not looking
pretty back then though they weren't.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
No, you know things, you know, things have really changed
a lot, you know, I know when I walked into
the VA in nineteen ninety one and see where I
think things are now are amazing with the healthcare transformation
and then you know, just over the years it keeps
continuing to get better and better with the way that
we're doing things, more efficiencies, and I always tell people,
if you really want to see how healthcare works between
(01:23):
us and the private sector, just go look at the data.
Go look at all the different stuff that gets pointed
to about how the VA is first and different things,
and we can hang our hat on that well.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
And a notable improvement and patient satisfaction over the years. Yeah,
I mean, just getting people their appointments on time and
people can rely on the employment. You've made getting appointments
easier and the other thing you've done and you've encouraged.
And I always like bringing this up to my veteran friends.
You go to the VA if you have a bad
experience or you see an area where you think there
might be room for improvement, let them.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Know you got to take you know, you have to
tell us. I mean, you know, we're no different than
anybody else. Big process, big you know, things that go
on and things happen, and sometimes it's it can be
just a breakdown in communication or breakdown and process. And
if we don't know how to fix that because it
is impacting other people, it'll stay there, you know, like
the rock and the shoe that you never can get out.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And I appreciate your relationship with all the Veterans service
organizations that.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
They're fantastic, fantastic relationships with those guys Hamilton, Claremont and
Butler right here in town. We couldn't do what we
do without him and vice versa.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I know, I always love you sharing the love with
them because I mean, they iron out all the tough
spots in the rough spots, just make things a lot
more efficient and enjoy it well. Chris Klug, It's great
to have you in the studio and good to see
you and I have met before, but my listeners don't
know you. What's your background and how do you end
up taking over this man's position. Big shoes to Phil brother,
I gotta let.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You know right now.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
I know you know that they are big shoes to fill,
but I'm excited to take on the task and keep
moving forward with all the good things we're doing at
the VA.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah. So my name is Chris Klug. A little bit
about my background.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
I did four years in the army as an infantry
in one tour in Iraq, and about four years ago
I got the opportunity to come work for mister Sledgehare.
He's been training me well for the last four years.
And yeah, times are times are changing and I'm stepping
up and he's moving on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Well for me.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Thank you for your service to our country and now
you're ongoing service to our country over the Cincinni VA. Now,
over the past uh jeez, look past six eight months,
we've gone over a lot of territory, a lot of material.
Let's kind of highlight some of the big things that
have gone on over there. Remind my listeners and of
course my veterans out there. Sign up for your VA benefits.
(03:37):
DD two to fourteen is all you need to really
successfully do that. You can work with one of the
one of the veteran services or get in touch with
the since anti VA directly to do that. But let's
talk about the Compact Act. We haven't brought that up
in a while.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, the Compact Act was another big legislative change. So,
you know, the fortunate thing in the last two and
a half years, VA has done two significant, big legislative changes,
and one of those is the Common Packed Act, where
you know, mental health services are available at any time
to edit any veteran. It doesn't just have to be
at the VA. That's a big game changer because in
(04:09):
the past, if a veteran was in crisis, you know,
maybe feels a little suicidal ideation that things aren't going well, depression,
they had to get to the VA to get to
get care. Usually that was through our emergency room and
in that triage. Now they can go anywhere in the
community that's closest to them, get stabilized, you know, get
get things calm down, and then that facility will work
(04:31):
with the VA in a transition.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Huge big difference.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
It's a huge, big difference, and I mean, I think
really there's a lot of folks that don't quite comprehend
how important being able to go someplace close by quickly.
Is when you are in that level of despair and
that level of depression, it's I mean, I've had it
been described to me. It's it's overwhelming. This isn't like,
you know, just I'll get over it. I mean, there's
(04:55):
your way past that kind.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Of No, that's true, you know, And I've heard it
described as you know, you know, having a you know,
that elephant or groll on your back. You know, you
just you're demoralized physically, mentally, is emotionally, and so you know,
to try to get to the VA sometimes, which is
not always easy in Clifton, you know, makes it a
little bit easier for someone to say, hey, look I
can't get you there, but I can get you at
least here. And I know the last record that I look,
(05:19):
since this has been involved, we have served close to
about a thousand veterans who've used the Compact Act and
then gotten transition over to the VA.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Wow. Yeah, that's big, that's big. That's a lot, that's
a lot. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
And so again, I know a lot of people focus
on the twenty two lives a day, twenty one lives
a day. I like to focus on how many hundreds
and hundreds of people were saving every day by having
the things that we have.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
You know, I had the Claremont Kenny Veteran Services over
there the day talking about just that they have tremendous
success helping veterans get over these problems. Ye success story
after success story. So if you're struggling with these issues,
please get in touch with the VA or your local
Veteran Service Commission. We will continue with they're retiring. Todd
(06:01):
Sledge and Chris Klue talk a little bit about the
PACKDAC and why it's importance for you veterans under the
age of fifty to be enrolled in VA healthcare. It's
eight forty six right now if you have KC the talk.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Station fifty five KRC.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
One more time with the Channel nine weather forecasts. Everybody
in the room approves sunny day to day, highest seventy
four overnight, little forty nine clear sky sunny Tomorrow the
highest seventy eight overnight will drop to fifty five, skies
will remain clear, and then a clear sunny Wednesday high
of eighty three finish it up at a forty nine.
It's time for final traffic chuck from the.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
UCL Traffic Center.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Addiction is a treatable medical disorder that affects both brain
and behavior.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Do you see health addiction.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Services can help? Call five one, three, five, eight, five
nine seven two two southbound seventy five. Crews continue to
work with an accident. That's Cincinnati Dayton Road. The left
lanes are blocked off, the right lane is open southbound
seventy one. There's an accident in tam where the right
lanes are blocked off. Chuck Ingram on fifty five K
(07:02):
the talk station.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Fifty fifty five KRCU detalk station from the Cincinnati VA.
After years and years of faithful service thirty four years, specifically,
Todd Sledge moving on into retirement, although I understand it's
not actually retirement. He's got a gig lined up, but
he will continue to be out there and his replacement,
Chris klugan studio handling Todd Sledge's information, coming on the
morning show and helping out the American veterans over the VA.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Real quick.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I heard Chuck mentioned addiction, and you do have addiction services.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
At the VA. Absolutely we have.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
We have all we have many many levels of it
as well, including a lot of medication treatments that help,
you know, veterans gets over right and stop stop some
of the addiction cycle. We were actually the first ones
ahead a methadone clinic here in Cincinnati, very first one,
no kidding, back in the late nineties. And that's just
continue to progress. There's really nothing the VA does not
(07:56):
offer veterans.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
If it's healthcare, you've got it exactly the that's that's
great because we all know addiction hand in hand with
mental health. People self medicate all the time.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Absolutely absolutely, well especially you know a lot of people
don't realize is about how addictive opiates are.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Oh lord, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And so there's controlled substances all that kind of we
have a whole we have a controlled substance program, we
have a pain management program. So it helps you monitor them.
You know that you're not getting in that direction. So
those medications are monitored as well as the therapy.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
But they've really cracked out on the medication. Bake time, Yeah,
big time. My wife had oral surgery, I don't know
if several weeks ago whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
The oxy code I mean it's real load dose eight. Yeah,
that's it, that's it eight. She's been in constant pain
there for like six weeks eight. So yeah, they've really
cracked down on direct Okay, we talked about the Compact Act.
Let's bring the Packed Act back up to the talk
because because this is widely available and a lot of folks,
maybe you have had toxic exposures when they're during the
(08:57):
military service, it's designed to compensate them for that.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, absolute, and that's that's one of the things why
I wanted to emphasize with my last opportunity with you, Brian,
is if anything, over my tenure, the biggest difference I've
seen in VA is this Packed Act, No kidding, And
you know with that because like you said, almost every
veteran has been exposed to some level of toxic exposure.
But the filing of the claims for this is the
game changer, and it's in its life changing. You know,
(09:20):
Chris went through that process himself, and you know the
benefits to it, as you know that can change what
you're eligible for later on in life, long term healthcare,
college expenses, all kinds of different things.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Is an absolute game changer, and you know.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Chris, Chris actually went through the process himself to see
how it was going to work and turned out really
well for him.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
So you were exposed during your service.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Yeah, and I didn't even realize that, like I, Like
Todd had mentioned, I went through the process just to
learn more about it and you know, so you can
help veterans exactly. And so I went through the process
and it took my disability rating up to a level
that such that now my kids get eighty percent of
their end state college tuition covered. Nice long term healthcare
when I get older is now covered by them, so
(10:03):
the kids don't have to.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Worry about that.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
So it's more than just about the disability, it's about
all the extra stuff you get along with that disability.
The higher your rating goes, gotcha, And like I said,
a lot of people don't even know what they were
exposed to. I did four years in the military. Didn't
think I was really exposed to anything. Well, apparently I
was after my screening, So so they found it during
the screening they did. Yeah, So every veteran will go
in get screened by their primary care provider. It takes
(10:28):
about fifteen minutes and then you just file the necessary
paperwork and that's about it.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
It's a toxic exposure screen.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Anybody that stood around burn pits was exposed to chemicals.
I mean, I can see that if you were in
the navy. Just think about the asbestos and the things
around in that environment. Yeah, the engineering is burning off
all the fumes. Yeah, yeah, there's a lot of there's
a lot to us. So you know, they definitely want
to check those out. You mentioned about the county services.
You know, we lean on them.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
They have veterans where we trust, where they can need
claims file, let them handle all that. And you know
it's really it doesn't cost you anything to file.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
It doesn't hurt ass.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
No, it doesn't hurt that ad get in line. That's
what I.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Always act Act take advantage of it while you can.
This is not you taking advantage of something you're not
justifiably getting. This is to figure out whether you really
do need the benefits which the Packed Act will provide.
So all right, and the importance of veterans under the
age of fifty to get enrolled. Now that seems me
to be obvious after all the years you and I
have been talking, Todd, But have one more slash, one
(11:27):
more crack at it for we part company.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah, you know a couple of years ago, Chris and
I were actually at a work at a work function
with a bunch of other communicators that do the same thing,
and you know, I totally you know, I'm always thinking
about ways of how to connect with veterans, how we
how do we get that hook, And you know, it
just dawned on me that, you know, most of the time,
what I see is veterans who are not enrolled.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Before the age of fifty.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
After fifty, you know, we change, a lot of things
change with us, and you know, they start to have
some ailments and different things, and then maybe their health
insurance situation changes because of a spouse retirement or.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Coverage or whatever. Good point saw a lot of that
during COVID.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Oh yeah, and then all of a sudden, you know,
all of a sudden, the VA becomes that option and
they weren't enrolled, and then they've realized, you know, the
seven thousand dollars I spent on hearing aids and the
eyeglasses and the knee replacements. You know, I have a
personal friend's father who's had a double knee replacement, and
I think he told me paid twelve dollars for both knees.
You know, so things like that, you get on later on.
(12:23):
But the big stories are where say dad or mom
is at another facility and they go, you know, mom
and dad was in the military, Why why are they
not at the VA, never enrolled, never got connected with
their care. And you and I have been talking about
for years the importance of using private sectory and VA
together as a benefit.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Don't let your own private insurance stand in the way
of signing up for the VA benefits.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Website and phone.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Number, yep, Cincinnati dot VA dot gov is the place
to go. We have a robust Facebook page that actually
my man here, Chris takes care of. It's very high
traffic on there as well. But that eligibility number is
five one three four seven, five nine. That's five one
three four seven, five six nine nine to get is
signed up today?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Getting rolled? It's You'll be very happy you did, Chris.
Great to meet you. Chris klue be taking over on
on on on segments going forward. I really will miss you, Todd.
I needed our times together. I'd love being in a
position to pass along this information to the veteran community.
And it's been a real pleasure to work with you,
and I certainly appreciate your service.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
All these years.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Well, thank you, Brian, I couldn't have done this without you.
Good luck with retirement man, appreciate it. Eight fifty six
fold feeding get a chance, Christopher Smithvan every Monday Smith event.
You'll find it at fifty five cares he dot com.
Of course, My conversation with Money Monday, Brian James, Kurt Hartman,
He's in court in the next couple of minutes, gonna
be at the hearing about the emotion to seal the
Brawl records.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Stupid that is.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Kurt's gonna win on that one plus this conversation fifty
five cares he dot Com. Tune in tomorrow, Bright Bart
Inside Scoop and the Daniel Davis Deep Dive. Have a
great day, folks. Thanks Joe Strecker for producing the show.
God bless you man. Everybody stick around. Glen Beeck's coming
right up.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Top stories at the top of the hour. It's information
that matters to me. Fifty five krs the talk station.
This report is sponsored
Pay forty here if you have Kercity talk station A
little melancholy today. Over the years, I had Todd Sledge
and the Cincinnta VA coming in talking about all the
topics going on, all the improvements that have been made,
all these efforts, the folks of the VA's efforts to
improve things over the years, demonstrably improved situation at the
Cincinnati VA. I don't know that all the VA hospitals
can say that, but we have collectively Todd Sledge to
(00:24):
thank for a lot of the great work that's been
done there. And after thirty four years and two months,
you're finally calling it a day.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Todd. Yes, good to have you back. Man.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I'm sorry you're not going to be coming in for
these segments. I know you've got a great replacement here
in studio in the former Chris Kluge. But we've had
a good relationship half years and I can't thank you
enough for helping out my veteran friends like you have.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Well, I can't thank you enough, Brian. I mean the
relationship we've had. I think we've made a lot of
long strides and you know, I've really had a big,
big impact on the veterans here in Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeah, well I can go back. Today's a Bob McDonald. Yes,
you know who I am exactly. Things are not looking
pretty back then though they weren't.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
No, you know things, you know, things have really changed
a lot, you know, I know when I walked into
the VA in nineteen ninety one and see where I
think things are now are amazing with the healthcare transformation
and then you know, just over the years it keeps
continuing to get better and better with the way that
we're doing things, more efficiencies, and I always tell people,
if you really want to see how healthcare works between
(01:23):
us and the private sector, just go look at the data.
Go look at all the different stuff that gets pointed
to about how the VA is first and different things,
and we can hang our hat on that well.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
And a notable improvement and patient satisfaction over the years. Yeah,
I mean, just getting people their appointments on time and
people can rely on the employment. You've made getting appointments
easier and the other thing you've done and you've encouraged.
And I always like bringing this up to my veteran friends.
You go to the VA if you have a bad
experience or you see an area where you think there
might be room for improvement, let them.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Know you got to take you know, you have to
tell us. I mean, you know, we're no different than
anybody else. Big process, big you know, things that go
on and things happen, and sometimes it's it can be
just a breakdown in communication or breakdown and process. And
if we don't know how to fix that because it
is impacting other people, it'll stay there, you know, like
the rock and the shoe that you never can get out.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And I appreciate your relationship with all the Veterans service
organizations that.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
They're fantastic, fantastic relationships with those guys Hamilton, Claremont and
Butler right here in town. We couldn't do what we
do without him and vice versa.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
I know, I always love you sharing the love with
them because I mean, they iron out all the tough
spots in the rough spots, just make things a lot
more efficient and enjoy it well. Chris Klug, It's great
to have you in the studio and good to see
you and I have met before, but my listeners don't
know you. What's your background and how do you end
up taking over this man's position. Big shoes to Phil brother,
I gotta let.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You know right now.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
I know you know that they are big shoes to fill,
but I'm excited to take on the task and keep
moving forward with all the good things we're doing at
the VA.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah. So my name is Chris Klug. A little bit
about my background.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
I did four years in the army as an infantry
in one tour in Iraq, and about four years ago
I got the opportunity to come work for mister Sledgehare.
He's been training me well for the last four years.
And yeah, times are times are changing and I'm stepping
up and he's moving on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Well for me.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Thank you for your service to our country and now
you're ongoing service to our country over the Cincinni VA. Now,
over the past uh jeez, look past six eight months,
we've gone over a lot of territory, a lot of material.
Let's kind of highlight some of the big things that
have gone on over there. Remind my listeners and of
course my veterans out there. Sign up for your VA benefits.
(03:37):
DD two to fourteen is all you need to really
successfully do that. You can work with one of the
one of the veteran services or get in touch with
the since anti VA directly to do that. But let's
talk about the Compact Act. We haven't brought that up
in a while.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, the Compact Act was another big legislative change. So,
you know, the fortunate thing in the last two and
a half years, VA has done two significant, big legislative changes,
and one of those is the Common Packed Act, where
you know, mental health services are available at any time
to edit any veteran. It doesn't just have to be
at the VA. That's a big game changer because in
(04:09):
the past, if a veteran was in crisis, you know,
maybe feels a little suicidal ideation that things aren't going well, depression,
they had to get to the VA to get to
get care. Usually that was through our emergency room and
in that triage. Now they can go anywhere in the
community that's closest to them, get stabilized, you know, get
get things calm down, and then that facility will work
(04:31):
with the VA in a transition.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Huge big difference.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
It's a huge, big difference, and I mean, I think
really there's a lot of folks that don't quite comprehend
how important being able to go someplace close by quickly.
Is when you are in that level of despair and
that level of depression, it's I mean, I've had it
been described to me. It's it's overwhelming. This isn't like,
you know, just I'll get over it. I mean, there's
(04:55):
your way past that kind.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Of No, that's true, you know, And I've heard it
described as you know, you know, having a you know,
that elephant or groll on your back. You know, you
just you're demoralized physically, mentally, is emotionally, and so you know,
to try to get to the VA sometimes, which is
not always easy in Clifton, you know, makes it a
little bit easier for someone to say, hey, look I
can't get you there, but I can get you at
least here. And I know the last record that I look,
(05:19):
since this has been involved, we have served close to
about a thousand veterans who've used the Compact Act and
then gotten transition over to the VA.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Wow. Yeah, that's big, that's big. That's a lot, that's
a lot. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
And so again, I know a lot of people focus
on the twenty two lives a day, twenty one lives
a day. I like to focus on how many hundreds
and hundreds of people were saving every day by having
the things that we have.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
You know, I had the Claremont Kenny Veteran Services over
there the day talking about just that they have tremendous
success helping veterans get over these problems. Ye success story
after success story. So if you're struggling with these issues,
please get in touch with the VA or your local
Veteran Service Commission. We will continue with they're retiring. Todd
(06:01):
Sledge and Chris Klue talk a little bit about the
PACKDAC and why it's importance for you veterans under the
age of fifty to be enrolled in VA healthcare. It's
eight forty six right now if you have KC the talk.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Station fifty five KRC.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
One more time with the Channel nine weather forecasts. Everybody
in the room approves sunny day to day, highest seventy
four overnight, little forty nine clear sky sunny Tomorrow the
highest seventy eight overnight will drop to fifty five, skies
will remain clear, and then a clear sunny Wednesday high
of eighty three finish it up at a forty nine.
It's time for final traffic chuck from the.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
UCL Traffic Center.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Addiction is a treatable medical disorder that affects both brain
and behavior.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Do you see health addiction.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Services can help? Call five one, three, five, eight, five
nine seven two two southbound seventy five. Crews continue to
work with an accident. That's Cincinnati Dayton Road. The left
lanes are blocked off, the right lane is open southbound
seventy one. There's an accident in tam where the right
lanes are blocked off. Chuck Ingram on fifty five K
(07:02):
the talk station.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Fifty fifty five KRCU detalk station from the Cincinnati VA.
After years and years of faithful service thirty four years, specifically,
Todd Sledge moving on into retirement, although I understand it's
not actually retirement. He's got a gig lined up, but
he will continue to be out there and his replacement,
Chris klugan studio handling Todd Sledge's information, coming on the
morning show and helping out the American veterans over the VA.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Real quick.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I heard Chuck mentioned addiction, and you do have addiction services.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
At the VA. Absolutely we have.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
We have all we have many many levels of it
as well, including a lot of medication treatments that help,
you know, veterans gets over right and stop stop some
of the addiction cycle. We were actually the first ones
ahead a methadone clinic here in Cincinnati, very first one,
no kidding, back in the late nineties. And that's just
continue to progress. There's really nothing the VA does not
(07:56):
offer veterans.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
If it's healthcare, you've got it exactly the that's that's
great because we all know addiction hand in hand with
mental health. People self medicate all the time.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Absolutely absolutely, well especially you know a lot of people
don't realize is about how addictive opiates are.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Oh lord, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And so there's controlled substances all that kind of we
have a whole we have a controlled substance program, we
have a pain management program. So it helps you monitor them.
You know that you're not getting in that direction. So
those medications are monitored as well as the therapy.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
But they've really cracked out on the medication. Bake time, Yeah,
big time. My wife had oral surgery, I don't know
if several weeks ago whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
The oxy code I mean it's real load dose eight. Yeah,
that's it, that's it eight. She's been in constant pain
there for like six weeks eight. So yeah, they've really
cracked down on direct Okay, we talked about the Compact Act.
Let's bring the Packed Act back up to the talk
because because this is widely available and a lot of folks,
maybe you have had toxic exposures when they're during the
(08:57):
military service, it's designed to compensate them for that.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, absolute, and that's that's one of the things why
I wanted to emphasize with my last opportunity with you, Brian,
is if anything, over my tenure, the biggest difference I've
seen in VA is this Packed Act, No kidding, And
you know with that because like you said, almost every
veteran has been exposed to some level of toxic exposure.
But the filing of the claims for this is the
game changer, and it's in its life changing. You know,
(09:20):
Chris went through that process himself, and you know the
benefits to it, as you know that can change what
you're eligible for later on in life, long term healthcare,
college expenses, all kinds of different things.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Is an absolute game changer, and you know.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Chris, Chris actually went through the process himself to see
how it was going to work and turned out really
well for him.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
So you were exposed during your service.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Yeah, and I didn't even realize that, like I, Like
Todd had mentioned, I went through the process just to
learn more about it and you know, so you can
help veterans exactly. And so I went through the process
and it took my disability rating up to a level
that such that now my kids get eighty percent of
their end state college tuition covered. Nice long term healthcare
when I get older is now covered by them, so
(10:03):
the kids don't have to.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Worry about that.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
So it's more than just about the disability, it's about
all the extra stuff you get along with that disability.
The higher your rating goes, gotcha, And like I said,
a lot of people don't even know what they were
exposed to. I did four years in the military. Didn't
think I was really exposed to anything. Well, apparently I
was after my screening, So so they found it during
the screening they did. Yeah, So every veteran will go
in get screened by their primary care provider. It takes
(10:28):
about fifteen minutes and then you just file the necessary
paperwork and that's about it.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
It's a toxic exposure screen.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Anybody that stood around burn pits was exposed to chemicals.
I mean, I can see that if you were in
the navy. Just think about the asbestos and the things
around in that environment. Yeah, the engineering is burning off
all the fumes. Yeah, yeah, there's a lot of there's
a lot to us. So you know, they definitely want
to check those out. You mentioned about the county services.
You know, we lean on them.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
They have veterans where we trust, where they can need
claims file, let them handle all that. And you know
it's really it doesn't cost you anything to file.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
It doesn't hurt ass.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
No, it doesn't hurt that ad get in line. That's
what I.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Always act Act take advantage of it while you can.
This is not you taking advantage of something you're not
justifiably getting. This is to figure out whether you really
do need the benefits which the Packed Act will provide.
So all right, and the importance of veterans under the
age of fifty to get enrolled. Now that seems me
to be obvious after all the years you and I
have been talking, Todd, But have one more slash, one
(11:27):
more crack at it for we part company.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah, you know a couple of years ago, Chris and
I were actually at a work at a work function
with a bunch of other communicators that do the same thing,
and you know, I totally you know, I'm always thinking
about ways of how to connect with veterans, how we
how do we get that hook, And you know, it
just dawned on me that, you know, most of the time,
what I see is veterans who are not enrolled.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Before the age of fifty.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
After fifty, you know, we change, a lot of things
change with us, and you know, they start to have
some ailments and different things, and then maybe their health
insurance situation changes because of a spouse retirement or.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Coverage or whatever. Good point saw a lot of that
during COVID.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Oh yeah, and then all of a sudden, you know,
all of a sudden, the VA becomes that option and
they weren't enrolled, and then they've realized, you know, the
seven thousand dollars I spent on hearing aids and the
eyeglasses and the knee replacements. You know, I have a
personal friend's father who's had a double knee replacement, and
I think he told me paid twelve dollars for both knees.
You know, so things like that, you get on later on.
(12:23):
But the big stories are where say dad or mom
is at another facility and they go, you know, mom
and dad was in the military, Why why are they
not at the VA, never enrolled, never got connected with
their care. And you and I have been talking about
for years the importance of using private sectory and VA
together as a benefit.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Don't let your own private insurance stand in the way
of signing up for the VA benefits.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Website and phone.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Number, yep, Cincinnati dot VA dot gov is the place
to go. We have a robust Facebook page that actually
my man here, Chris takes care of. It's very high
traffic on there as well. But that eligibility number is
five one three four seven, five nine. That's five one
three four seven, five six nine nine to get is
signed up today?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Getting rolled? It's You'll be very happy you did, Chris.
Great to meet you. Chris klue be taking over on
on on on segments going forward. I really will miss you, Todd.
I needed our times together. I'd love being in a
position to pass along this information to the veteran community.
And it's been a real pleasure to work with you,
and I certainly appreciate your service.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
All these years.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Well, thank you, Brian, I couldn't have done this without you.
Good luck with retirement man, appreciate it. Eight fifty six
fold feeding get a chance, Christopher Smithvan every Monday Smith event.
You'll find it at fifty five cares he dot com.
Of course, My conversation with Money Monday, Brian James, Kurt Hartman,
He's in court in the next couple of minutes, gonna
be at the hearing about the emotion to seal the
Brawl records.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Stupid that is.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Kurt's gonna win on that one plus this conversation fifty
five cares he dot Com. Tune in tomorrow, Bright Bart
Inside Scoop and the Daniel Davis Deep Dive. Have a
great day, folks. Thanks Joe Strecker for producing the show.
God bless you man. Everybody stick around. Glen Beeck's coming
right up.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Top stories at the top of the hour. It's information
that matters to me. Fifty five krs the talk station.
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