Va Raters

[Mitchu]

What i want to know if it normal practice for raters to take files home to work on them? What type of security is there and how do we know that the privacy procedures are being followed?

[Berta]

I recently heard from a RO employe that they are prohibited from taking claims work home due to the data theft.

They do work weekends.

[Ricky]

If the VA would use some of those billions of dollars they receive to upgrade the damn information systems they have they could computerize the claims process. Then they could access the files via computer at home which would be ok with me. Do you realize what this would do for the VA. My God, it could cut years off a claim.

They could also allow the veteran access to his current claims (read only access) so he/she could follow the dang thing during the process. Once this was done they could cut almost all of the contact team, use them for raters which would also help with the workload. Wow, I am really dreaming now.

No joking they have received billions of dollars over the past years to upgrade their information systems but no action has been taken. I wonder what they have done with the money. Probably like most govt agencies and bought 1200.00 office chairs. Mine does this all the time, our budget is held tight during the year making our operations suffer, then in Aug/Sep there is a mad rush to use the money. It is spent on stupid stuff like the chairs.

I get the hell beat out of me during the budget build up and submission period. They scream and stomp their feet making me waste many hours on building the budget for my section. I do not know why cause when we try to do things they tell us the money is not available. Then at the end of they year they rasie cain cause my section has not spent the money I requested. Its a no win situation.

The point made below about the VA employees getting rated on production is a good one. You can see the effects of it in all of the paperwork received by you from the VA on your claims. They really do not have a lets deny all the claims attitued and try to get you. It is simply a case of piss poor work standards which is pushed on them from the management level. When you bring to their attention that they missed something during the last rating like an IMO, the new guy figures the other one did look at it so he just copies the last rating, changes a word or two to make it his authorship and pushes it out of his inbox to the distro box and claims a stat. Probably spends about 15 to 30 mins on your claim eventhough its been in his possession for months sometimes years. He just wants that stat. Now one would says well if he only spends 30 mins on my file why is there such a back log. Not enough of them employed to push that file through plus there are many many idiotic things a govt employee have to do on a daily basis. Remember, his boss, the management only gets one stat for all of the stats claimed by the raters. For the management's stats have to come from employees trained (things like how to touch fellow employees, how to put on condems, how not to offend whites, blacks, mexicans, muslims etc... etc..., employees briefed on new laws, employees briefed on proceedures, getting budgets together, worthless meetings and on and on. It is an amazing maze and a true amazing experience to just watch a govt operation go through a days work. Then you gotta take into account smoke breaks, time away from the desk trying to impress that new young thing on the contact team, time talking about foot ball etc...... Truly amazing, the day of a govt employee!!!! I know cause I be one.