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

[Berta]

I feel the VAROs should be obligated to state every piece of evidence we send them and then to state how they addressed each piece of evidence.

Most of the problem with shreddergate involved the EP (end product) code taken for work that appeared to be completed but was not even done at all.

As you all know I sent the AMC a full statement and started off with the Fact that "NONE of my medical evidence has ever been addressed or acknowledged by the Buffalo VARO -for this claim -filed in February 2003."

I raised full medical and legal argument, added the Nehmer stipulation stuff for my survivor in case I die and then sent copies of what evidence they should have addressed, and sent additional medical evidence and their own evidentiary case law regarding evidence submissions.

In less then 2 months they have already reviewed my evidence and I am set for a decision.

Of course the decision will reveal if they really reviewed my evidence carefully-

one can never assume-even with considerable evidence-what the VA will do.

My point is that I made a strong demand that my evidence be finally addressed.And maybe it finally was.

A DRO, the VSM and even the Director of my RO had my evidence and yet took no steps at all to even consider it.

I recently was given a 6 months denial time frame from the Regional Counsel to pursue my SF 95 on evidence destruction.The odd thing about that is he already had denied the SF 95 but right after shreddergate he suddenly gave me my rights to file suit.

But I found that VA had used my Agent Orange claim evidence for my CUE claim. ????

Two distinctly separate issues.They didnt destroy my AO evidence-just put it into the wrong claim file.

The legal evidence for my CUE claims is what I can charge them with destroying.

None of that evidence has ever been addressed or mentioned at all.

Someone made decisions at ROs as to wehose evidence will be read and whose would not be.

I think this was a scheme that reached back further then we know.

I was victimized by this same situation in the 1990s.

Critial evidence was continually missing and withheld from VA opining doctors.

A newby or a careless VA employee would not be knowledgable enough to know what they had to withhold.

These decisions were made by higher ups at the ROs.

Only when I became aggressive in the 1990s and also recently with the AMC response did I ever get any of my evidence read at all.

Vetarns and widows have to make sure that they strongly challenge the VA ( VA Watchdog has recommendations on how to do this)if their evidence was not properly addressed.

It doesnt matter if VA shredded it or simply removed it from te C file and put it back after the denial.

If the VA ddnt address it-they violated the basic evidence tenets of VA 101 and no vet or widow shouls suffer from their decision to do that.

Edited December 17, 2008 by Berta

[hollywoodnc]

I LOVE some of the posts here, especially "Blowing up the VA"!!!

That's to funny! hahahaha

I was going to post this using a Bulldozer!

It is true though, that WE need to make the change, NOT the Morons that we elect!

Elected officials will not do it on their own, WE need to pressure them to change it.

[john999]

You know just about everyone that posted had good ideas about fixing the VA. So why can't the people in power do any of these things? I think it is because the don't want to and because they don't give a &^%$.

[hurryupnwait]

Issue: I think the VBA is broken and needs to be reorganized.

Fix: I have never thought my medical claim being rated by a non medically trained bureaucrat was a sound idea. I d like to do something like the following:

Step 1. A team would review the claim to see if it meets the three things required for service connection:

1) an in-service event (illness, injury, etc),

2) a current disability, and

3) a nexus, or link, between 1 and 2.

If not, then sent it back with what is needed to meet the requirements.

If yes, then send it to step 2

Step 2. Send the claimant to C&P exams for each medical condition claimed. The C%P examiner would be a doctor that specializes in that field, not a nurse, PA or post graduate resident. The doctor would assign the rating and send it to the RO for final processing.

I would be much more comfortable having a doctor give me a rating, than a bureaucrat at the RO. The VA may have to help train more doctors, but I d rather have them spend money training doctors than training more bureaucrats (raters).

Step 3 If the claimant appealed the rating then he/she would be sent to be examined by other doctors for a second rating. Repeat step two.

Step 4 If the claimant wanted to appeal this decision then it would be sent to BVA.

Any comments or other ideas?

Happy Holidays

Paul

[john999]

Hurryup

If the VA had a medical professional involved in the rating process then it would cost them money. They would rather have some clerk do it, and put the veteran into financial hardship, or die waiting for a decent and competent decision. In the long run it would be cheaper to have doctors involved in rating medical decisions, but the VA does not think in those terms. All they think about is their current budget. That is why it takes ten years to build a VA hospital because they have no long range planning except to make cuts where they can. Your suggestions are all good, but has anyone at the VA ever asked you what you think? They told me to mind my own business when I suggested building a clinic in my part of town.

[Testvet]

John you are obviously an ex government employee that knows he is smarter than the people he is talking to, and they know it, I am surprised they didn't make you an appointment to see a proctoligist so you could be scheduled for an optorectomy thats the operation where they sever the optic nerve with your anus and get rid of that chitty outlook on life you have rofl :P

Edited December 17, 2008 by Testvet