Quickly

[Christopher]

Some of U guys know about my old posts...Pete and Berta chiefly.

For those that don't...I have an appeal on a condition..that two VA C&P examiners have documented: As likely as not..and more likely than not, had it's onset during active duty.

I have gone thru the Hamster Wheel for 4 years on this issue.

Apparently..as per IRIS..a decision will be done "quickly".

I have to tell U...The IRIS guy has been phenomenal leading up to this "quickly" statement.

Without going into detail..this civil servant has been outstanding as far as my inquiries go.

I put him in for recognizance.

Maybe I was lucky..maybe it was a coincidence I got a good one...in any event...I should hear something "quickly".

To the gist of my post: whaty is the VA's definition of "quickly"?

I bet a dollar to a donut it's over a year.

But to summarize my thoughts: Take advantage of the IRIS system...it has done me right.

[rentalguy1]

To the gist of my post: whaty is the VA's definition of "quickly"?

The VA's definition of quickly is: Sometime between now and the veteran's death.

I received a phone call response from my iris inquiry. The lady that called said she wasn't allowed to respond via email because of security reasons. Anybody else ever heard this?

[free_spirit_etc]

Nope. I haven't heard that one. My husband tried using IRIS a few times - and he mostly got cut and paste responses that had nothing to do with his questions. But they have been pretty good with their responses to me (for the most part).

Not that they always tell me something I want to hear - or even always correct. Hwever, I like the IRIS system because I have a written record of what I asked and a written record of their answer.

With the phone - there is NO evidence that you ever asked anything - WHAT you asked, or what they told you. So they can tell you anything - and never have to account for what you were told.

Why in the world would they set up the IRIS system in a way that security was breached? It sounds more like they don't want a record of what they tell you.

It is possible that some of their written responses have come back to haunt them.

I guess you could - after their phone call - IRIS them back with your understanding of what they told you - and asking them to respond in writing (either IRIS or LETTER) if your understanding is not correct.

Then you would have a better chance of having that stand if they did not respond.

I am always suspicious with any type of customer service when I send a question in writing that is clear and specific - and the only written response they will give is that they need to TALK to me. To me that means "we are not about to create a record of what we are going to tell you on this..."

Free

The VA's definition of quickly is: Sometime between now and the veteran's death.

I received a phone call response from my iris inquiry. The lady that called said she wasn't allowed to respond via email because of security reasons. Anybody else ever heard this?

[Christopher]

The VA's definition of quickly is: Sometime between now and the veteran's death.

I received a phone call response from my iris inquiry. The lady that called said she wasn't allowed to respond via email because of security reasons. Anybody else ever heard this?

At first..they tried that on me..In the method of election contact..I chose E-Mail..but they called me.

So..I promptly sent another IRIS..stating..hey..I chose E-Mail..why am I getting phone calls?

Not that phone calls are all that bad..Like Free Spirit said..I want a record of communications.

I guess it's a crap-shoot as to who Ur VARO is...but mine is good on the IRIS.

[donews]

The VA's definition of quickly is: Sometime between now and the veteran's death.

I received a phone call response from my iris inquiry. The lady that called said she wasn't allowed to respond via email because of security reasons. Anybody else ever heard this?

When they first responded to my IRIS inquiry the other day, it was by phone.

My daughter-in-law answered and told them I was sleeping at the moment and the lady said no problem they will email me the response.

Sure enough when I woke up the link was in my email.

[Berta]

Scuttlebutt is the VA has sudenly been working more quickly than not on many many claims-Friday I found out my musical chair claim has moved twice since my last 800 call-

man they are bookin-

not working on it just passing it around faster

Claims they (VA) are seeing with an attorney as the POA under the new attorney for vet regs- are also being handled very differently - and probably faster and this was confirmed to me by one of those vets attorneys

What concerns me the most is are they actually reading the claims they are working faster on?

As the VA Inspector Generals survey report showed in 2005-

our claims are on a vast VA production line

quality is dismissed in place of quantity of decisions rendered.

AS Rich Cohen vets attorney said the other night at SVR-

we have to fight SMART not just fight hard.

That hamster wheel (the VA claims process)has lots more hamsters on it daily and at some point it will completely spin out of control and those hamsters will all fly off it-

then again by defiance of the VCAA- the VARO has made sure that some us us will never get on the hamster wheel at all-

and our claims will just collect dust until we raise some hell.

Quanity not quality coupled with claims that lack what the veteran must obtain-

and whoever determines at ROs whose DTA rights will be violated or not-(and someone MAKES THAT CHOICE)

combined with vet reps who dont have a clue-

even in VA math- comes out to

NAda -zilch-denial in most cases these days.

Edited March 15, 2008 by Berta

[Pete53]

Chris if I were you I would be encouraged. Quickly means close in my book. I would guess days and weeks as opposed to motnhs and years.

Good Luck