Va Claims Backlogs Vary Widely,

[SSGMike.Ivy]

VA CLAIMS BACKLOGS VARY WIDELY,DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE.

Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Montgomery, Ala., have some of the longest VA claims backlogs in the country. But Washington, D.C., is the worst, with 6 out of 10 claims taking more than six months to resolve, says AMVETS

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ inventory of pending claims and their average time pending have increased significantly in the past three years, according to the Government Accounting Office.

But actual delays experienced by veterans vary widely across the country, according to the VA’s own statistics.

Unbeknownst to veterans in Fargo, N.D.; Boise, Idaho; and Providence, R.I., they actually enjoy some of the fastest claims turnaround times in the country, with fewer than 6 or 7 percent of claims requiring more than six months to resolve, according to the VA.

On the other hand, veterans who file claims in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Montgomery, Ala., are likely to face much longer delays because more than 40 percent of claims in these cities take longer than six months to resolve, VA statistics show.

And veterans who think filing a claim though VA headquarters in Washington, D.C., will expedite their case are sadly mistaken. Sixty-three percent of claims filed through the VA’s Washington, D.C., office take more than six months to resolve, the longest wait of any VA office in the country, according to VA statistics.

“We know that VA is facing a crisis, but veterans in some parts of the country are experiencing much longer delays than others,�� said Luz Rebollar, one of 60 AMVETS national service officers in 25 states who guide veterans through the VA’s claims filing process. Last year, AMVETS provided this free service to nearly 47,000 veterans, which resulted in $164,878,466 in recovered benefits.

Rebollar, a naturalized American citizen who enlisted in the Navy, was seriously injured and medically retired before her 20th birthday, said there are many reasons why the claims backlog varies from city to city. But one obvious consideration is that the number of VA personnel assigned to each office doesn’t necessarily match its caseload.

Consider Hartford, Conn., Manchester, N.H., and Augusta, Me. Because of varying caseload to personnel ratios, employees at each of these offices handle 92, 78 and 57 cases per year, respectively, so their processing times naturally vary.

This same dynamic also explains why veterans in relatively small or mid-size cities don’t always have a filing advantage over their peers in major metropolitan areas. Veterans who file claims through Buffalo, N.Y., Hartford, Conn., and Los Angeles, for example, each face the same level of delay, with 28 percent of claims in all three locations taking more than six months to process.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson has proposed hiring 450 additional VA claims officers to help remedy the claims backlog issue. But while this may help alleviate staffing shortages in some areas, AMVETS believes the claims backlog issue cannot be resolved solely by having the VA hire more claims processors. This is because the VA’s existing claims processing system is inefficient in many respects and needs to be updated with new policies and procedures, many of which were recommended last fall by young veterans attending the National Symposium for the Needs of Young Veterans.

For example, Rebollar said, the VA should implement systems and procedures to expedite the electronic and cross-jurisdictional processing of claims. While the VA started to develop an e-filing program several years ago, the system is in a state of flux and has not yet been set up to accommodate the filing of evidentiary documentation that the VA requires for each claim. The VA’s e-filing program also does not enable the veteran to name a veterans service organization, such as AMVETS, as his or her representative through the claims process.

Congress, for its part, also needs to approve mandatory funding for the VA so that it can more effectively manage its workforce and make the necessary technological, procedural and organizational improvements that are needed to expedite the processing of claims, Rebollar said.

“The backlog issue is not going to go away until the federal government rolls up its sleeves and takes a serious look at expediting the resolution of claims,�� Rebollar said. “Until that happens, young veterans just returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan are going to continue to be frustrated with our government and with a system they believe is failing to fulfill the promises that were made to them when they entered the service.��

A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America's Armed Forces, AMVETS is the only veterans service organization that represents members of every branch of the military, including the National Guard and Reserve. AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring their earned entitlements as well as community services that enhance veterans' quality of life.

Editors Note: Reporters seeking to better understand the VA claims backlog issue are encouraged to contact Jeff Crider to arrange an interview with Luz Rebollar or other AMVETS experts. “Voices for Action,�� which outlines specific recommendations young veteran have made for reforming the benefit system is available online at www.veteransnationalsymposium.org.

[Pete53]

I think that most here think that the VA plays with the numbers on claims and how lobg it takes.

[jan]

Sure wish New Orleans would hire some more competent workers and get our claims resolved.

The VA is always complaining that they have no money. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out if they get the claims settled doing the first six months then they wouldn't have to do the back pay and everyone should be happy. Of course that is only job security and who

cares if the vets get rightful pay. The constant sending of paper to them has been sent umteen times is ridiculous. I have sent them everything except my 2 kids and 6 grandkids which

I told them was coming next HaHa. Enough Of my complaining. We need to do what Illinois Vets

did and call CNN or FOX

Jan

[cloudcroft]

I think the VA will be sending you a NOD shortly...

-- John D.

I think that most here think that the VA plays with the numbers on claims and how lobg it takes.