HadIt.com Elder allan Posted February 12, 2009 HadIt.com Elder Share Posted February 12, 2009 -----Original Message----- From: D. Mac Donald [mailto:dmac107@dlm.hrcoxmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 10:12 AM To: dav@davchpt13.hrcoxmail.com Cc: colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net Subject: Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas Posted by: "Robert F. White" etihwr2@verizon.net myfranks Mon Feb 2, 2009 9:18 pm (PST) http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/...claims_020209w/ Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas By Rick Maze - Staff writer Posted : Monday Feb 2, 2009 17:36:26 EST A Harvard University researcher with some radical ideas about how to reduce the backlog of veterans disability claims appears to be in line to head the Veterans Benefits Administration. Linda Blimes, a public policy lecturer and research at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to operate like the Internal Revenue Service - on an honor system that trusts veterans claiming service-connected disabilities. All veterans claims would be approved as soon as they are filed, with a random audit conducted to "weed out and deter fraudulent claims," Blimes told the House Veterans' Affairs Committee in testimony in 2008. Ninety percent of veterans disability claims end up being paid after they make it through the system, she said - proof, she said, that most veterans are asking only for what they deserve. Immediate payment of at least a minimum benefit would help to reduce the average 180-day waiting time for initial benefits claims to be processed and allow VA to redeploy the employees processing those claims to work on more complicated appeals, she said. Blimes also has talked of a vastly simplified disability rating system that would have just four ratings instead of the current 10 for service-connected disabilities and illnesses. Blimes has not been formally announced as a nominee, but her name is being circulated among lawmakers and congressional staff in what has become a standard procedure to determine whether there is any strong opposition to her taking the key post. Her idea of a streamlined claims process has some prominent supporters, among them Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman who has talked of automatic claims approval as a way to quickly eliminate the claims backlog. Retired Rear Adm. Patrick Dunne, a holdover from the Bush administration, has stayed on to run the VBA until a successor is named. He is not the only VA executive who has stayed around; Dr. Michael Kussman also remains as VA's undersecretary for health. In addition to Blimes, another name being circulated is that of disabled Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, who could become VA's chief of intergovernmental affairs. Duckworth, the Illinois director of veterans affairs, is closely associated with President Barack Obama. On Friday, the White House announced its intention to nominate W. Scott Gould, a former Navy Reserve intelligence officer, to be VA deputy secretary under retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki, the former Army chief of staff recently named to head VA. Gould does not have experience running veterans programs, but he was co-chairman of the review team that looked at VA for Obama and has experience in trying to centralize and streamline organizations. Gould is vice president for public sector strategy at IBM Global Business Services. Gould is married to Michelle Flournoy, whom Obama has nominated to be undersecretary of defense for policy. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Reference: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml __._,_.___"Keep on, Keepin' on" Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan" See my web site at: http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadIt.com Elder LarryJ Posted February 12, 2009 HadIt.com Elder Share Posted February 12, 2009 HALLAFREEKINLOOOYAH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quint7 Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I don't get the part that says: "Blimes also has talked of a vastly simplified disability rating system that would have just four ratings instead of the current 10 for service-connected disabilities and illnesses." Does that mean that instead of 10-100% in incriments of 10% they would go to 25-50-75-100%? If that is the case I would assume that a lotta vets would get lower percentages than they have now. VA isn't gonna round up and 25% is a big gap. If I'm wrong on that could someone post what they meant by the 10 ratings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadIt.com Elder Pete53 Posted February 12, 2009 HadIt.com Elder Share Posted February 12, 2009 This is absolutely wonderful news. A fresh wind is blowing. I went to VAMC yesterday and have never been so well treated the staff and other Veterans all saying hello and being polite to all. I felt like I was with a big family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadIt.com Elder Commander Bob Posted February 12, 2009 HadIt.com Elder Share Posted February 12, 2009 (edited) This is absolutely wonderful news. A fresh wind is blowing. I went to VAMC yesterday and have never been so well treated the staff and other Veterans all saying hello and being polite to all. I felt like I was with a big family. I find that encouraging. Thanks for the sit-rep, Pete53. Edited February 13, 2009 by Commander Bob 92-93 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdnkjeeper Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I don't get the part that says: "Blimes also has talked of a vastly simplified disability rating system that would have just four ratings instead of the current 10 for service-connected disabilities and illnesses." Does that mean that instead of 10-100% in incriments of 10% they would go to 25-50-75-100%? If that is the case I would assume that a lotta vets would get lower percentages than they have now. VA isn't gonna round up and 25% is a big gap. If I'm wrong on that could someone post what they meant by the 10 ratings? I am wondering about this too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadIt.com Elder Commander Bob Posted February 12, 2009 HadIt.com Elder Share Posted February 12, 2009 I don't get the part that says: "Blimes also has talked of a vastly simplified disability rating system that would have just four ratings instead of the current 10 for service-connected disabilities and illnesses." Linda Bilmes Testifies Before House Subcommittee on Veterans’ Health Care Costs Hearing on Veterans' Health Care Costs Testimony before US House of Representatives Veterans Affairs Committee March 13, 2007 "... the VBA should replace the cumbersome 0-100 scale for disabilities with a simple four-level ranking: zero disabled, low disability, medium disability, and high disability. This would immediately streamline the process, reduce discrepancies between regions, and likely cut the number of appeals. The VBA should create a “short form” for returning veterans, using this four-level ranking and set a goal of processing all claims within 60 days of receipt. This new system should be up and running within two years, including retraining of the workforce and developing necessary guidelines and appeals procedures. " link: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/new...alth-care-costs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Question
allan
-----Original Message-----
From: D. Mac Donald [mailto:dmac107@dlm.hrcoxmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 10:12 AM
To: dav@davchpt13.hrcoxmail.com
Cc: colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net
Subject: Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas
Posted by: "Robert F. White" etihwr2@verizon.net myfranks
Mon Feb 2, 2009 9:18 pm (PST)
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/...claims_020209w/
Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 2, 2009 17:36:26 EST
A Harvard University researcher with some radical ideas about how to reduce
the backlog of veterans disability claims appears to be in line to head the
Veterans Benefits Administration.
Linda Blimes, a public policy lecturer and research at Harvard's Kennedy
School of Government, wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to operate
like the Internal Revenue Service - on an honor system that trusts veterans
claiming service-connected disabilities. All veterans claims would be
approved as soon as they are filed, with a random audit conducted to "weed
out and deter fraudulent claims," Blimes told the House Veterans' Affairs
Committee in testimony in 2008.
Ninety percent of veterans disability claims end up being paid after they
make it through the system, she said - proof, she said, that most veterans
are asking only for what they deserve.
Immediate payment of at least a minimum benefit would help to reduce the
average 180-day waiting time for initial benefits claims to be processed and
allow VA to redeploy the employees processing those claims to work on more
complicated appeals, she said.
Blimes also has talked of a vastly simplified disability rating system that
would have just four ratings instead of the current 10 for service-connected
disabilities and illnesses.
Blimes has not been formally announced as a nominee, but her name is being
circulated among lawmakers and congressional staff in what has become a
standard procedure to determine whether there is any strong opposition to
her taking the key post.
Her idea of a streamlined claims process has some prominent supporters,
among them Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the House Veterans Affairs Committee
chairman who has talked of automatic claims approval as a way to quickly
eliminate the claims backlog.
Retired Rear Adm. Patrick Dunne, a holdover from the Bush administration,
has stayed on to run the VBA until a successor is named. He is not the only
VA executive who has stayed around; Dr. Michael Kussman also remains as VA's
undersecretary for health.
In addition to Blimes, another name being circulated is that of disabled
Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, who could become VA's chief of
intergovernmental affairs. Duckworth, the Illinois director of veterans
affairs, is closely associated with President Barack Obama.
On Friday, the White House announced its intention to nominate W. Scott
Gould, a former Navy Reserve intelligence officer, to be VA deputy secretary
under retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki, the former Army chief of staff
recently named to head VA.
Gould does not have experience running veterans programs, but he was
co-chairman of the review team that looked at VA for Obama and has
experience in trying to centralize and streamline organizations. Gould is
vice president for public sector strategy at IBM Global Business Services.
Gould is married to Michelle Flournoy, whom Obama has nominated to be
undersecretary of defense for policy.
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed
without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes. Reference:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
__._,_.___"Keep on, Keepin' on"
Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"
See my web site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/
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