Are you a Houston area vet?

[Keli]

My name is Keli and I'm an investigative reporter in Houston, looking to talk with veterans about their experience with the disability claims process. Whether you've had difficulty navigating the system to get the proper percentage or you felt it was easy, let me know. Also, if you're eligible to apply for benefits but have chosen not to, I'm interested in talking with you too. I'm especially looking for Houston-area vets, but anyone in Texas that can help would be great.

Hope you can help me learn more about the system and the ways it needs to be improved. Please email me at krabon@khou.com or respond to this thread.

Thanks!

Keli

[Vync]

Keli,
Are you investigating for a one-time news report, possibly with a specific release date, or will this be an ongoing/periodic release? (i.e. "monthly veterans issues" bit)

 

Well, you definitely came to the right place and will likely get plenty of responses.

I'm in Alabama, but regardless of the state where a veteran is located, you will likely see many of the same concerns.

 

Keep in mind that the VA is split into these sections and most veterans tend to have problems with the first two:

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) = healthcare.

Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA) = claims, compensation, ratings, vocational assistance, etc...

National Cemetery Administration (NCA) = national cemetaries

 

 

 

[Tbird]

Keli sending this out in our weekly newsletter.

[Vync]

1 minute ago, Tbird said:

Keli sending this out in our weekly newsletter.

Awesome!

[Tbird]

Just now, Vync said:

Awesome!

Awesome's what I aim for. :-)

[Keli]

@Tbird - Thank you so much! I truly appreciate you helping me get the word out and reach more vets.

@Vync - I do in-depth investigative reports, so this would likely be a multi-part story that will make a difference. I'm hoping to shed light on some of the inefficiencies and discrepancies at the VA when it comes to assigning disability benefits. Is the VBA the division responsible for assigning / approving disability benefits? Thanks for your help!

 

[Tbird]

@Keli - It is VBA below is how VA lays it out on their site

 

Claims Process 

http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/process.asp

There are eight distinct steps that most claims for disability compensation follow. These phases may vary in time depending on the complexity of the claim, the amount of evidence that must be gathered to support the claims, and the type of evidence. You are strongly encouraged to submit as much evidence as possible with your claim to help minimize processing time. The eight steps of claims processing are as follows:

Step 1. Claim Received

Your claim has been received by the VA. If you applied online with VONAPP Direct Connect, you should see receipt in your list of Open Claims within one hour. If you applied through the U.S. mail, please allow mailing time plus one week for us to process and record receipt of your claim.

Step 2. Under Review

Your claim has been assigned to a Veterans Service Representative and is being reviewed to determine if additional evidence is needed. If we do not need any additional information, your claim will move directly to the Preparation for Decision phase.

Step 3. Gathering of Evidence

The Veterans Service Representative will request evidence from the required sources. Requests for evidence may be made of you, a medical professional, a government agency, or another authority. It is common for claims to return to this phase, should additional evidence be required.

Step 4. Review of Evidence

We have received all needed evidence. If, upon review, it is determined that more evidence is required, the claim will be sent back to the Gathering of Evidence phase.

Step 5. Preparation for Decision

The Veterans Service Representative has recommended a decision, and is preparing required documents detailing that decision. If more evidence is required, the claim will be sent back in the process for more information or evidence.

Step 6. Pending Decision Approval

The recommended decision is reviewed, and a final award approval is made. If it is determined that more evidence or information is required, the claim will be sent back in the process for more information or evidence.

Step7. Preparation for Notification

Your entire claim decision packet is prepared for mailing.

Step 8. Complete

The VA has sent a decision packet to you by U.S. mail. The packet includes details of the decision or award. Please allow standard mailing time for your packet to arrive before contacting a VA call center.

How Long Will This Process Take?

The length of time it takes to complete a claim depends on several factors, such as the type of claim filed, complexity of your disability(ies), the number of disabilities you claim, and the availability of evidence needed to decide your claim.

You can track the status of your claim by registering for eBenefits at www.ebenefits.va.gov. You can also visit VA's ASPIRE web site. Here you can find the average processing days for the regional office that is working on your claim. To find the average processing days for your state:

• Find your state on the map, place your cursor within the state and click
• This will open the Veterans Benefits Administration Aspire • Benefits site. Click "Enter"
• You should see a split table. On the left table click on "Compensation"
• This will expand the table. Approximately five rows down is "Rating Claims Processing Time"
• Follow that row to the right until you locate the cell located within the column of your regional office.

The number you see is the average processing days to complete a claim that requires a disability rating. The average is based on completed claims since October 1 in a given fiscal year.