Unopened Claims Letters Hidden At Va Offices

[allan]

Unopened claims letters hidden at VA offices

By Rick Maze - Staff writer

Posted : Tuesday Mar 3, 2009 20:56:12 EST

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/03/mili...edmail_030309w/

[LarryJ]

Yes, thank you Berta. Very much.

Ya know, if the VA "REALLY" wanted to change, quickly, and for the better, all they would have to do is to no longer accept for processing ANY printed or manually filled out claims. VONAPPS and VONAPPS ONLY!

And, they would no longer accept any written and mailed letters........all correspondence with them would be by internet.....ya got documents you want them to consider......scanned documents, ONLY, would be accepted.

NONE of this "it got lost in the mail", "it's still being "processed" in the mail room", or the one that REALLY gets me in a dither "uhhh, gee, we doan know whut happened to it".

Everything would be entered and referenced via your SS#, every THING, buddy letters, IMO's, EVERYTHING, and everything would be digitized.....BEFORE they ever received it.

Every DAV, VVA, AL, VFW post would have the equipment to do so, every VSO, so, for the vets that have no computer, or are incapable, their VSO would take care of the processing, or the vet could have access to the equipment with which to accomplish their task of getting the stuff to the VA.

It could happen TOMORROW, if only anyone was serious about taking care of the problem.

But, they ain't.

[carlie]

We have to keep in mind there are still many vets without access to computers.

Even in rural areas - many will say just go to the public library - many people can't

even do that.

carlie

[luvHIM]

We have to keep in mind there are still many vets without access to computers.

Even in rural areas - many will say just go to the public library - many people can't

even do that.

carlie

DITTO

"Clearly, if the disability claims process were already paperless, many of the problems being considered at this hearing today would no longer exist," she said.

I disagree that this would solve anything at the VA because the DELETE button would only become a veteran's new nightmare.

[broncovet]

If people in rural areas can go to the post office, then they can go to the library or their Veterans Service office. Computers are as common as telephones, in fact way more common than pay phones!

Voc Rehab is already done online, and, if I may add, it is processed MUCH faster than C&P. VA medical care is already online, and this, altho not perfect, is superior to paper medical records.

Hospitals are trying to copy VA Medicals lead in converting to all paperless medical records.

Like it or not, computers are here to stay, and VA Comp and Pension is way past due for an electronic upgrade.

I find it a bit ironic that people are sitting at their computer bashing computers! Hadit would not exist without them.

The "delete" key will delete information off the LOCAL computer, not the server. In addition, the network administrator could make the "delete" key non functional if the delete key were abused on the local computer. Remember, too, that items deleted go to the trash, and the administrator can be the only one allowed to empty the trash, so he or she could monitor what each employee was trying to delete. Since each employee would have a login username and password, the administrator would have a record of what each employee deleted. I sure wish the shredder had a camera on it to find out who has been shredding stuff. The "Server" is actually multiple servers, with multiple backups, in a RAID 5 Array.

[Mcafee]

Hello All Hope All Is Well.

Now imaagine if the process was in Order the Issues at Hand would not Exist.

I think the biggest issue is Lack Of Accountability for the persons whom are there for DUTY and ASSIST I dont see it nor have I Incurred such an act by the VARIOUS AGENCIES Every one of them BVA VBA VARO VAMC VAOIG VISN VHA UNDER SECRETARY GEN.COUNSEL ETC All of them including Pam McBride at Secretary Shinsekis Office These Folks are horrible.

I also Believe alot of us due to lack of information for what is entitled for each Veteran also creates more back ups for claims.

Further more if the deciet on Veterans were addressed In My Opinion I Believe the Suicide rate would drastically change and the issues would be addressed. I think paper is PROOF and anything else can and will be modified. ARGH !!!

[broncovet]

Macafee..

And Paper documents cant be forged, altered or doctored up? Maybe you should see the movie, "Catch me if you can" Gee..I think I am glad I get my compensation payments electronically...the "mail man" is NEVER late, my electronic paycheck has never been stolen,

I have never "lost" an electronic paycheck either, and I have never been stuck in traffic trying to get to the bank before it closed to deposit my electronic paycheck.

By the way, "doctored" electronic documents are easier to catch than doctored paper documents. Why? Because the original is stored on the server and it is very easy to compare the two. Sometimes there is NO "original" paper document, especially if you sent it to the Regional Office where it will never be heard nor seen again.

I do certainly agree that accountability of the VA is a HUGE problem..and a "black hole" since the VA and VAOIG all have the same boss.

Edited March 5, 2009 by broncovet