Fixing The Va

[hurryupnwait]

There's a lot of talk these days about fixing the VA. We have very talented people on Hadit and many know about the problems and issues with the VA, so let's start thinking about how to fix them. A Hadit think tank if you will.

When replying could we keep a format such as;

Issue: Slow processing of claims.

Fix: Hire and train more raters.

Cheers

Paul

[hollywoodnc]

Hello All and Merry Christmas to one fine family. I have to agree with most everything said and it probably goes without saying that the system is slothful.....sloths are exitinct in America for about 9500-12000 yrs. Call the VA a mammoth, sloth, archaeic , way behind the times.....the problem still is that it is old ,,,it doesn't work, and rewards poor work with more personnel needed to fix it. It's the same story of the little boy and his finger in the dike....too many holes and ran out of fingers to plug them.

I don't believe that training more people in something that is broke is the secret. We can see that all around in our government, financial institions, CEO's, and the economy. There is always a group of people who have NOT Done their jobs.

I am very interested in what Jerrel Cook and Watchdog said about Mr. Obama has basically let a large number of upper management of the DOD go. I applaud this. Our problems really start there and trickle down to the VA. Second , I am hoping that several things could happen and that would start with the new Sec of VA , General Shinfeki, by immediately telling Congress MAJOR changes are coming. First the "old guard" rooted into this stalling system at every RO would be retired , asked to leave....period. Someone has to take the blame. The VARO has ALL the power and it is the start of 80 percent of the denials and subsequent remand problems. In almost everycase the remand is because the VARO did not see or want to review properly the claim evidence and records. So if these people rooted in power and decision making are gone then bring in the new from within the VA that can move the claim properly. It is not adding the 3600 new adjudicators as they did to help with the backlog ...it is the system that will not allow a proper INITIAL decisions. Those people can easily take the load , but should, as Pete as said, if these RO's have a high remand percentage, then they should be gone. Second the Secretary can ask Congress to fix specific problems in the adjudication process. To ease the adjudication process and make sure the Veteran is Physically and FINANCIALLY taken care of thru the process. That the Secretary could ask for the VHA to have more control and rightful decision making over the VBA to help those Veterans that are injured, or sick. I do not for the life of me see how a Regional office clerk has more power over deciding if a veteran is sick or not than a Doctor. In short the Doctor trumps the VARO decision or opinion and that includes the BVA. That he needs to strip QTC of their power and stop this Sec of the VA relationships to CEO and Board members. Princippi and Peake for instance. QTC is unneccessary and cost over 1 billion dollars a year in contracts to the VA ....alittle corruptive as most of you have led or said. These local VA doctors would have the ability and their nexus would be used in the way it is suppose to. To help the Vet get his rightful claim thru the first time. This in itself would allow the backlog to start reducing its numbers because there would not be as many appeals nor remands. To allow the doctor to make this decision is only logical. How can you bring a doctor or nurse practioner that does not know any history of the veteran in to make a decision that usually does not make any sense to anyone. All it does is cause more wasted time and money to appeal that decision too. I also think the VA Secretary could ask congress to form a governing board that was only veterans that have been thru the system, to review how the VARO as a whole are doing, take legitamate complaints make recommendations to the Secretary and Congress for major changes if needed.That any laws by Congress must be approved by this Vet board. Not a board as is now, filled with Admirals and Generals that have never had to use the VA..... I also agree Pete , that the TDIU process should be short and Petes idea , I really like.. Ok so this is just my opinion and yes I am going to write the new Secretary and suggest to him what problems are needed to be addressed. I would suggest this to all of our Hadit family. This thing is broken and we all agree it needs to be fixed.......it may now have some chance and already some of the old guard are being dismissed. I do want to thank all of you for your help and your encouragment with my battle fighting the dragon VA and to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas. God Bless, C.C. NEVER GIVE UP

Great Post Capt Contaminate!!!

However there's only ONE issue that you presented that I do not agree with...

The doctors!

Most of these (so called) doctors, are no doctor at all.

When I review my entire file, I am disgusted with the quality of write ups that these clowns did!

I am inclined to believe that, what doctors notate in the file is a given with the RO's. Yet, if for example you have a "General Physician" examining a patient with Orthopedic problems, he cannot render an accurate assessment for the patient.

This is MY case.

This discrepancy also exists when a doctor renders a decision for a C&P, which we ALL have to go through.

It's no wonder that a lot of Veterans are shafted with their claims.

I recently discovered that my Primary care Physician stated in my record, that I don't "Check Myself"?! hahahaha

At first, I laughed...but this can be taken seriously by adjudicators as someone that doesn't care for himself.

#1) This bozo NEVER asked me if I perform a self exam.

#2) The answer is YES...I do feel myself DAILY!

Alright gang...don't go there!!! hahaha

All kidding aside...

Anyway, this is just one of many discrepancies in my file.

It's no wonder that I'm always given a hard(no pun intended) time when I apply.

:)

[mags1023]

Sorry to fax again,but the fax number at BVA....mailroom Is 202-565-4720..this Is where,all bva letters ect go,......then the mailroom...SHOULD .....sent It to the right person......however most everything sent to bva, never gets to the mailroom....the mailroom will not question the fax,as everything sent to the mailroom.......Is cleared.....to reach the mailroom,.....now you know why your papers sit at bva ......for years

Issue: Claims processing

Solution: An independent medical review team should be established and co-located at the VARO. These folks would be contract personnel and not VA employees. They decide on the claim:

-if approved, forward it to the VARO as approved and ready to be processed. VARO then decides on date of claim and retro is applied and payment is mailed or electronically processed.

[mags1023]

Sorry to fax again,but the fax number at BVA....mailroom Is 202-565-4720..this Is where,all bva letters ect go,......then the mailroom...SHOULD .....sent It to the right person......however most everything sent to bva, never gets to the mailroom....the mailroom will not question the fax,as everything sent to the mailroom.......Is cleared.....to reach the mailroom,.....now you know why your papers sit at bva ......for years

Issue: Claims processing

Solution: An independent medical review team should be established and co-located at the VARO. These folks would be contract personnel and not VA employees.  They decide on the claim:

-if approved; forward it to the VARO as approved and ready to be processed. VARO then decides on date of claim and retro is applied and payment is mailed or electronically processed.

- if questions or denied; send back to veteran and representative for further clarification.

VARO would not get involved with a claim until the DRO level.

s/Mags

[john999]

I think this may be a useless discussion because the people in power don't give a damn what we veterans think about the VA. Veterans need to get out in the street to make an impression on lawmakers. Otherwise, we are just charity cases.

[Mcafee]

Hello All Hope All Is Well. In my expeirence over the past few years of my attempts to gain or recieve an entitlement of which is due to myself as well MY family members for SERVICE to THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The Agencies across the BOARD no matter which one. US ARMY.VARO,VAMC,BVA,VBA,VHA,VACO Case Management,ETC It is very clear to me that these individuals can change this system if they choose and it starts at the top THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. And the reason I say this you can not sit there and tell me this person regardless how many years we go back in history is not aware of this complete and total sham of a SYSTEM and choose to let it continue.The problem is very simple NO ACCOUNTABILITY. JUST TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT OUR LOVELY STATE OF ILLINOIS AND ITS GOVERNOR !!! I THINK I HAVE MADE MY POINT. Thank You and I APOLOGIZE IF I OFFENDED ANYONE BUT THIS IS THE REALITY OF OUR SYSTEM.They CHOOSE NOT TO CHANGE.

[gdsnide]

I have to agree with that

Also, look at Congress. 700 Billion to bail out Wall Street & the Auto Companies ask for 34 Billion & as far as I know they have been turned down

Why is it that people who actually create things are at the bottom rung of the ladder?

Also, all the Billions being thrown away in Iraq when that Country is suppossed to have an 89 Billion dollar surplus this year

I also read where the Federal reserve did something with 2 Trillion Dollars but refuse to say what it is that they did with it

Get those Banana trees growing because that's where the US is heading

Also, lets send some more jobs out of the US & give those CEO's some more bonus's of 50 Million

Hard to be a "Poor Man" in a "Rich Man's" world

GARY