[Does Va Request Recent Medical Records?]

When you file a claim ,in about a month va will send you a letter telling you what they still need from you. In that letter a form 21-4142 will be attached.This form you will fill out and return, giving va authorization to get your medical records from doctors and hospitals where you was treated also you need to give dates you was treated a VAMC.It would be a little faster if you obtain your own medical records and send them to va if so make sure you put your claim number at the top of each sheet and send va copies so you will have records of what you sent.

mobie

[Bogus Claims Clogging The System?]

Back log!

STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE R. JAMES NICHOLSON

SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

FOR PRESENTATION BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS February 8, 2007

Compensation and Pensions Workload and Performance Management

VA's primary focus within the administration of non-medical benefits remains unchanged-delivering timely and accurate benefits to veterans and their families. Improving the delivery of compensation and pension benefits has become increasingly challenging during the last few years due to a steady and sizeable increase in workload. The volume of claims applications has grown substantially during the last few years and is now the highest it has been in the last 15 years.

The number of claims we received was more than 806,000 in 2006. We expect this high volume of claims filed to continue, as we are projecting the receipt of about 800,000 claims a year in both 2007 and 2008.

The number of active duty service members as well as reservists and National Guard members who have been called to active duty to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom is one of the key drivers of new claims activity. This has contributed to an increase in the number of new claims, and we expect this pattern to persist. An additional reason that the number of compensation and pension claims is climbing is the Department's commitment to increase outreach. We have an obligation to extend our reach as far as possible and to spread the word to veterans about the benefits and services VA stands ready to provide.

Disability compensation claims from veterans who have previously filed a claim comprise about 55 percent of the disability claims received by the Department each year. Many veterans now receiving compensation suffer from chronic and progressive conditions, such as diabetes, mental illness, and cardiovascular disease. As these veterans age and their conditions worsen, we experience additional claims for increased benefits.

The growing complexity of the claims being filed also contributes to our workload challenges. For example, the number of original compensation cases with eight or more disabilities claimed nearly doubled during the last 4 years, reaching more than 51,000 claims in 2006. Almost one in every four original compensation claims received last year contained eight or more disability issues. In addition, we expect to continue to receive a growing number of complex disability claims resulting from PTSD, environmental and infectious risks, traumatic brain injuries, complex combat-related injuries, and complications resulting from diabetes.

Each claim now takes more time and more resources to adjudicate. Additionally, as VA receives and adjudicates more claims, this results in a larger number of appeals from veterans and survivors, which also increases workload in other parts of the Department, including the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 has significantly increased both the length and complexity of claims development. VA's notification and development duties have grown, adding more steps to the claims process and lengthening the time it takes to develop and decide a claim. Also, we are now required to review the claims at more points in the adjudication process.

We will address our ever-growing workload challenges in several ways. First, we will continue to improve our productivity as measured by the number of claims processed per staff member, from 98 in 2006 to 101 in 2008. Second, we will continue to move work among regional offices in order to maximize our resources and enhance our performance. Third, we will further advance staff training and other efforts to improve the consistency and quality of claims processing across regional offices. And fourth, we will ensure our claims processing staff has easy access to the manuals and other reference material they need to process claims as efficiently and effectively as possible and further simplify and clarify benefit regulations.

Through a combination of management/productivity improvements and an increase in resources in 2008 to support 457 additional staff above the 2007 level, we will improve our performance in the area most critical to veterans-the timeliness of processing rating-related compensation and pension claims. We expect to improve the timeliness of processing these claims to 145 days in 2008. This level of performance is 15 days better than our projected timeliness for 2007 and a 32-day improvement from the average processing time we achieved last year. In addition, we anticipate that our pending inventory of disability claims will fall to about 330,000 by the end of 2008, a reduction of more than 40,000 (or 10.9 percent) from the level we project for the end of 2007, and nearly 49,000 (or 12.9 percent) lower than the inventory at the close of 2006. At the same time we are improving timeliness, we will also increase the accuracy of our decisions on claims from 88 percent in 2006 to 90 percent in 2008.

www.va.gov/OCA/testimony/...020800.asp

[Seeking Advice]

Larry,Vike is right request a increase for your already service connected PTSD and attach evidence showing that your PTSD syptoms has Worsten.The Gaf will take care of itself.

mobie

[Second Signature]

Martin,Vike is right,my guess is that, you should get a letter before the end of the month.

mobie

[The Big Brown/yellow Envelope Arrived]

Congrat Holli

mobie

[Am I On The Right Track?]

USACID,I believe you are on the right track to get a rating,but if i was you i would have my private psychiatrist or psychologist to write a letter stating that you are unemployable and will never be gainful employable in the future because of your ptsd. GOOD LUCK!

mobie

[Your Guess On Vet I`m Helping.]

Cavman,if he was a helicopter mechanic he was exposed to a lot of noise,no doubt,and he have medical evidence in his military medical records that he was treated for his hearing when he was in service and doctors stating that his hearing disability is due to his military service,i really don't think he should have a problem getting a rating for hearing and he should be able to get some hearing aids also.Just to make sure when he go for his C&P,give the examiner some copys of his private doctor statement so he/she know he has been diasgnose with a hearing disability.

Good luck and thanks for helping a veteran.

mobie

[White Envelope Came Yesterday]

Romad,congrats on your success.

Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

When can I file an appeal?

You may file an appeal up to one year from the date

the local VA office mails you its initial determination

on your claim. After that, the determination is

38 U.S.C. § 7101(a)

38 U.S.C. § 7104

considered final and cannot be appealed unless it

involved clear and unmistakable error by VA.

mobie

[What The Varo Told Me About My Request!]

Terry,whenever you have a C&P,it take the examiners at least Thirty days to sent your medical report to the varo,that is the reason that the representive at the varo told you that would delay your claim instead or telling you to go to the medical center(release of records) where you did your C&P and fill out required paper work and have them mail you copies of your C&P.

mobie

[Bva Phone Survey?]

What is the BVA?Are they attached to the VA?

(1)The BVA is the board of veterans appeals

(2)YES.

Now that i answer your two questions let me go into a little more detail

The Va is the veterans affairs,this is the regional office in the state that you live in where you would file your initial claim for benefits and if all fails at regional office than you file a form 9 and it will be sent to BVA which is in Washington DC

[Awarded 10%]

Tim,GAF is just a part of the process,but personally i thank you should been rated more than 10%.I am guessing that you have a cib or purple heart that was used as your inservice stressor and only medical evidence was C&P.This is just my guess if so,I would file a NOD And ask that my claim be reconsider and looked at by a decision review officer (DRO) and in the mean time try to get in a couseling program at the va.You got 60 days to ask for a DE NOVO DRO after time claim was granted.A reconsideration mean that your claim will be consider from original date you file it.Ihope this helps.GOOD LUCK!

mobie16r

[Reopened Old Claim 13 Years Old! Need Advice?]

Back 13 years ago My claim was denied because of lack of medical records from Time searved in Desert Storm.They said that they did not exsist. Yea right! I have found these medical records from time questioned and I have Sent these copys to my Regional VA center.I have also sent proof from Docters ,My Union BA. and others of the struggle I have had to stay employed cause of the joint damage I have had since Desert Storm. Both shoulders have been operated on both thumbs are deformed at joints .and now my right hip is going.I am very gaulthy type of Guy and didn,t want help from any one to get my money to live, but now I am pretty much unable to work without great pain.and I have to accept this fact . This is HARD.

I just received an appointment to see a VA REP at local VA Hospital to dicuss correspondence between the regional VA and the Local REP. Whats going on here?

Should I Do The CUE thing ,The reason my Claim was origonally turned down was lack of medical files from The time I claimed it happened and my medical file's from this time clearly state what happened how it happened and that I was seen 3 times for this while on active duty in the Gulf.and put in a slings givin meds and Told to stay at company area and not work for weeks at a time.The medical files tell the story in black and white. I even had a operation within 4 months of returning home to correct what happened While on active Duty.I beleave all I really needed was the copy of the Lost medical files for a Que . Am I correct?

[Additional Stressor Ltr]

Yes Quillo,

You can resubmit any inservice stressor that cause you to have post traumatic stress disorder,this is what you need,if anyone was killed or wounded, you need to give the names and dates of the people that was wounded or killed,if you found out what units was involved,you should be able to get the the names of the people that was wounded of killed, this is what va is looking for something to connect you to this event.If you give them names and dates you have a better chance of getting your claim granted.