Tell Us How You Have Been Treated By Varo

[Pete53]

I am interested in what Members think of their VA. Please comment on your experience and are you glad or frustrated that your claim went to your VARO.

I will start mine went to Waco TX. Texas is so big we have 2 VARO's. Waco is slow but although it took way to long I think I was treated fairly. They did not lose paperwork my C File was complete except no Basic or AIT Medical Records.

The Chapter 35 handled by VARO in Musgogee Ok was pretty good although lots of paperwork and some appeals.

The Dallas VAMC was a mess but is getting better. If I need an operation I hope that I will get it done using Medicare HMO. The Department that does eye exams and issues glasses is terrible. The hearing Aids are good. My Primary Care Doc is good. Access to Medical Care is poor and the Pharmacy sucks.

Overall I give the VA that I deal with a C-.

[rattattat]

I dealt with the Nashville, Tn VA for my Dad. He got fairly good care no complaints there. His disability claim also went through pretty fast for an increase. I'd give them a B+.

My late husband got royally screwed by the Reno, VA for his claim for increase. He appealed for eight years before he got his 100%. He died just 2 months later. The evidence was there all along, but we knew nothing about the process and the rep was worthless. This was in the early 90's they deserved a F. Hospital care also sucked.

My friend Dave finally got a 70% rating last month from Reno, he filed the original claim in 2000. It is a very low ball rate too. The process seems to be a little bit better now than a couple of years ago.

The hospital and primary care is adequate if you have someone looking out for you. I feel sorry for anyone that does not have an advocate. Most of the doc's don't speak english very well, at least for all of us old folk that can't hear.

His last ICU hospital stay he had an allergic reaction to morphine,(hives, itching like mad all over his body) and if I had not called attention to this and made a fuss they would have continued the morphine. They ignored him.They tried to just blow it off because he has mild itching on his back all the time, but he was digging everywhere with this. You had to be blind not to see the difference. They finally discontinued the morphine ,gave him benadryl and the symptoms went away immediately.

Give a B for primary care, and a D for hospital.

[souldeliverer]

I am currently dealing with Nashville. They just reduced my PTSD from 100% to 70%. The main reason they gave was a phone call my SW made to me where I told him I went fishing and felt peacfull. This was their evidence. They are jacking me around and using wording, and picking and choosing things out of the C&P report to use against me. For instance, the C&P stated I cannot take care of my daily hygiene. They ignore this, and focus on the fact that I have not been an inpatient in a year!

I give the Nashville VARO an A+ for saving the taxpayers dollars, and screwing veterans! It wasn't always like this. In 2006, I was awarded 100% very quickly. Now they are taking it back no matter what evidence I give them.

[Jazona]

Jackson MS RO...awarded no brainer 10% rating fairly fast...C-

Phoenix, AZ RO...waged a thirty year long battle for an increase. Adversarial, trecherous, played every dirty trick in the book and then invented new ones, disrespectful, demeaning, arrogant, absolutely the most difficult relationship I have ever had with any government agency...F-

jaz

[Tbird]

i am going to try to put a survey up on on this question, what i would like to know is what questions should this survey ask?

I am interested in what Members think of their VA. Please comment on your experience and are you glad or frustrated that your claim went to your VARO.

I will start mine went to Waco TX. Texas is so big we have 2 VARO's. Waco is slow but although it took way to long I think I was treated fairly. They did not lose paperwork my C File was complete except no Basic or AIT Medical Records.

The Chapter 35 handled by VARO in Musgogee Ok was pretty good although lots of paperwork and some appeals.

The Dallas VAMC was a mess but is getting better. If I need an operation I hope that I will get it done using Medicare HMO. The Department that does eye exams and issues glasses is terrible. The hearing Aids are good. My Primary Care Doc is good. Access to Medical Care is poor and the Pharmacy sucks.

Overall I give the VA that I deal with a C-.

[allan]

Has favorable evidence been ignored or given little weight?

Did the VARO go doctor shopping?

Has a favorable medical examinations wording, by the examining physician, been altered by the rater in the SOC to the point it means nothing?

Has VA ignored requests for copies of your C-File/Military records?

Has the RO ignored requests for an C&P examination?

Has the VARO ignored requests for a copy of your C&P examination with opinion?

Have you been told by the VARO or SO that you can not have a local hearing prior to a decision?

Has the VARO lost records, NOD's, etc you've sent them? More than once?

Has the VARO rater ever called you and asked, what are you filing for? tried to clearify anything for that matter before a decision was made?

heres a few i can think of.

Edited June 14, 2008 by allan

[Mcafee]

VARO Newark NJ.Are the service manager or a claims person suppose to assist,develope,collect,to process a claim correctly and expiditiously?And if so why is it that when you have the appropriate documents to show for service connectability and degree of this with HISTORY to substantiate it. The person or persons whom decide your entitlement or Future on how you and your Family will exist.With out predjuice i do not believe this to be the case.I think there is a directive that comes down from MR CHEESE and they follow it like a lottery some win some lose. Yet they as Allan has put it in his post. Has favorable evidence been ignored or given little weight?

Did the VARO go doctor shopping?

Has a favorable medical examinations wording, by the examining physician, been altered by the rater in the SOC to the point it means nothing?

Has VA ignored requests for copies of your C-File/Military records?

Has the RO ignored requests for an C&P examination?

Has the VARO ignored requests for a copy of your C&P examination with opinion?

Have you been told by the VARO or SO that you can not have a local hearing prior to a decision?

Has the VARO lost records, NOD's, etc you've sent them? More than once?

Has the VARO rater ever called you and asked, what are you filing for? tried to clearify anything for that matter before a decision was made?