U.S. Marine vet says he got stonewalled in application for VA benefits until CBS Chicago stepped in
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A U.S. Marine veteran reached out to CBS News Chicago after running into a brick wall with his family military medical benefits.
Adam Goldin tried for months to get the matter resolved, to no avail. Fortunately, things changed quickly once a TV station got involved.
Goldin gets choked up when he talks about the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the addition of the War in Iraq to the memorial. Goldin served in Iraq 21 years ago.
"I did one tour in Iraq. I was a radar repairman in the Marine Corps," Goldin said. "It was after 9/11."
Inspired by the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, here at home, Goldin wanted to fight for freedom.
Goldin's grandfather Joseph and uncle Howard also inspired him to serve his country.
"I'm part of a generation of veterans that supported our country," he said. "I come from a long line of military."
But two decades later, he was running into problems as a veteran.
"It's just absolute frustration," Goldin said.
Goldin was dealing with the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or CHAMPVA, which helps veterans' relatives with medical care.
He applied back in July, and the website for the program suggests a 90-day timeframe for processing.
"It's hard for me to see what—I need my family taken care of, and I can't do it," Goldin said.
Goldin knew his application was received on July 29, 2024, so 90 days means he should have been accepted by the end of October. But with no word, he called the VA many times—and got nowhere.
"I have bills piling up," Goldin said.
Goldin showed CBS News Chicago some of the doctor and pharmacy bills that are piling up. He said he was on the hook for about $4,000.
"I feel like the VA just doesn't care," Goldin said. "I'm getting stonewalled."
So in December, Goldin reached out to CBS News Chicago, desperate for help as the VA missed its own deadline by more than a month.
"We're 45 days past our 90-day mark, so if I was 45 days late, I'd be fired," Goldin said. "Why aren't we holding them to a higher standard?"
Near-instant results when CBS News Chicago contacts VA
To start getting answers to that question, CBS News Chicago sent a single email to the VA—minutes after speaking to Goldin.
What happened then? Goldin said CBS News Chicago's intervention had near-instantaneous results on Dec. 10.
"OK, so I got the Zoom call at 12:26," he said. "At 2:08, I get a call from the VA, from a supervisor at CHAMPVA."
At 2:19 p.m., Goldin got another email with an apology for the issues—along with a form to be filled out to move forward.
"At 3:05, I got an email from him, 'Your family is now eligible and taken care of,'" said Goldin.
It was, by all accounts, truly unbelievable.
"Thank you guys for getting it taken care of," Goldin said. "Two and a half hours—it took you guys two and a half hours to take care of what I've been trying to do for months."
Goldin is still fighting the fight—this time on behalf of other veterans.
I just really hope this helps some other veterans, and that's really what I did this for," he said.
The VA acknowledged the delays in processing, and pointed to a dramatic increase in CHAMPVA enrollment. The number of CHAMPVA enrollees has jumped from 616,236 in 2022 to 703,597 in 2023, and 794,359 in 2024.
The good news is that solutions are coming. Next month, vets can apply online, which will speed up the process.
The VA is also changing how it handles mail processing to shorten delays. In May, the VA will switch to a new system entirely.
In addition, the VA is hiring more people and making it easier for vets to track their applications.
