Unopened Claims Letters Hidden At Va Offices

[allan]

Unopened Claims Letters Hidden at VA Offices

Posted on March 08, 2009 by gm http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.phpvar addthis_pub = \'peapolzmedia\';

By Rick Maze

A new report about Veterans Affairs Department employees squirreling away tens of thousands of unopened letters related to benefits claims is sparking fresh concerns that veterans and their survivors are being cheated out of money.

VA officials acknowledge further credibility problems based on a new report of a previously undisclosed 2007 incident in which workers at a Detroit regional office turned in 16,000 pieces of unprocessed mail and 717 documents turned up in New York in December during amnesty periods in which workers were promised no one would be penalized.

“Veterans have lost trust in VA,” Michael Walcoff, VA’s under secretary for benefits, said at a hearing Tuesday. “That loss of trust is understandable, and winning back that trust will not be easy.”

Unprocessed and unopened mail was just one problem in VA claims processing mentioned by Belinda Finn, VA’s assistant inspector general for auditing, in testimony before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Auditors also found that the dates recorded for receiving claims, which in many cases determine the effective date for benefits payments, are wrong in many cases because of intentional and unintentional errors, Finn said.

The worst case uncovered by auditors involved the New York regional office, where employees testified that managers told staff to put later dates on claims to make it appear claims were being processed faster. A review found that 56 percent of claims had incorrect dates, although no evidence was found of incorrect or delayed benefits payments. Finn said workers reported that this practice had been used for years.

The new report comes as VA is trying to resolve an earlier controversy involving documents essential to the claims process that were discovered in bins awaiting shredding at several regional offices, which raised questions about how many past claims had been delayed or denied because of intentional or unintentional destruction of documentation.

‘It is impossible not to be shocked’

Kathryn Witt of Gold Star Wives of America said survivors trying to receive VA benefits have long complained about problems getting accurate information and missing claims. “When they call to check on the status of the claim, they are often told that the VA has no record of their claim and that they should resubmit their paperwork,” she said.

In one case, a woman claimed she had to submit paperwork to VA three times to prove she was married and had three children, Witt said.

And having to resubmit the same claim, she added, does nothing to reduce the backlog that already forces survivors to wait six to nine months for simple claims to be approved.

“It is impossible not to be shocked by the numbers from Detroit,” said Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., who chairs the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s oversight and investigations panel. “Shredding documents or burying them in the bottom drawer is a breach of trust. Whether that breach of trust comes as a consequence of inadequate training or negligent or deliberate behavior, Congress must not and will not tolerate it.”

It is unclear, however, whether there is any short-term fix.

A permanent solution is to have a fully electronic claims process to establish a record of when documents are received and their status as they move through the process. A fully electronic system will not be in place before 2011, VA officials said.

Kerry Baker of Disabled American Veterans said a short-term answer could be to scan all documents related to claims into computer systems. Baker, DAV’s assistant national legislative director, said this could be done at one or more large-scale imaging centers that would transform paper into electronic records.

“A large section of the veterans community and representatives of the community have long felt that the Veterans Benefits Administration operates in such a way that stalls the claims process until frustrated claimants either give up or die,” Baker said.

He said that although he doesn’t believe that is true, something must be done.

“Denying earned benefits by illegally destroying records should serve as the proverbial wake-up call that signals the urgency of this overdue transformation,” he said.

Geneva Moore, a senior veterans service representative from Winston-Salem, N.C., who testified on behalf of the American Federation of Government Employees, a union that counts about 160,000 VA workers among its members, said backdating claims and document shredding are signs of a claims system under stress.

“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.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/article5193.html

[carlie]

[ name=john999' date='Mar 9 2009, 05:46 PM' post='134688]

I would like to know why in the computer age our C-Files are not scanned into a online system so that clail files would not have to be shipped all over the country when you move or file an appeal. People still have their entire C-Files disappear. It is crazy in this day and age that all the C-files are not backed up on disc or tape or something besides just sitting there in a box at the VARO's warehouse. Someone could just drop your file in the shredder and you would disappear.

John,

This was the main item of discussion at the VA Hearing last week,

VA going paperless.

carlie

[purple]

The VA might claim that it costs too much.

But we know that they just aren't that smart.

[allan]

That's a good question John.

Here's an example of what i've experienced with medical records being copied & put into the VA electronic system.

My treating VAMC Dr can simply look up my labs, xrays & past med evaluations with ease.

But the ER nurse can't find "any" medical information on me when I try to get care. "Sorry, can't find your records" is what she said & turned me away without any care.

When I was sent to Seattle VAMC, the neurologist thats supposed to be sending me home with a firm diagnoses after 10 years, can't find one piece of past medical treatment records(over a decade) from Spokane VAMC or Seattle VAMC.

No labs, MRI results, xrays or Dr's notes on examinations can be found. How convient when your trying to get MS or whatever the hell is wrong with you ruled out. Seattle VAMC can't view Spokanes med notes, and vice versa.

Another incident I had, where a VAMC Dr changed his electronic notes where he said I had "none" of the health issues the VA has been treating me for over a decade & removed many comments. This was done to cover his but over why he suddenly dropped all my pain meds.

Many are issues i've been trying to service connect for years. When questioned about it, he went back through & changed what he said.

Luckilly I requested printed copies. I have the altered notes as well as the originals.

I know they can play with it however they want. If your records are favorable in your c-file, they will likely not show up, or be alter when it goes electronic. If it can be done with electronic med records, it can be done with your c-file.

Who would be arrested or prosecuted for it? Who can we pin it down to now?

I see a faster way to deny or delay coming. Untill someones butt gets tossed in jail, I also see bidness as usual.

They get paid enough to by good liqure & that's good enough to wash away their guilt after they cash their bonus checks.

I don't think they will go against their administrators instructions for a bunch of vets.

This "is" the system we have. If it wasn't rigged from the get go, we would be equal to an illegal alien and allowed the same rights.

[cvsp]

I have a question regarding this.

I recently had a C&P exam for my claim. The VSO agent had sent my SMRs into the VA. At the C&P exam the doctor did not have my SMR records. She did mention she should of had them in her file if they were sent in. Luckily I had a copy with me and gave them to her.

Was the file the doctor was holding my c-file? It was about 3 inches thick. She said it was imperative that they be in the file and I was left with the assumption that she would include them.

Today I called the usless 800 number and the VA said they still do not have a copy of my SMRs. Would they not have them if the doctor included them in the file (maybe it was the c-file)?

For what it is worth it was my first trip to this VA hospital for the C&P

[allan]

hello CVSP,

"Was the file the doctor was holding my c-file? It was about 3 inches thick. She said it was imperative that they be in the file and I was left with the assumption that she would include them."

"Today I called the usless 800 number and the VA said they still do not have a copy of my SMRs. Would they not have them if the doctor included them in the file (maybe it was the c-file)?"

**********************************************************************

Your SO is dropping the ball. They are your "LEGAL" representitive. They should have hand carried the records to the VARO if they were in the same building.

Have you asked your rep what happened to them?

Did the Dr view your service records, discuss the health issues you noted that were a claims issue with you and give you an examination, lab tests, MRI's or xray's?

After the tests were done, if any were needed, did the C&P examiner provide a medical opinion as to your current claimed medical issues being service connected?

If you are the only one who has a copy of your records, do not give the DVA or your SO the originals. Make a copy of them & make an appointment for a local hearing at the VARO. At this hearing you can have your SO there to represent you. Have them time stamp your SMR's & have them entered into the record.

While your waiting for the hearing date to come around, request a copy of the C&P results from VAMC that did the examination. It will take a great deal of time to get the results from the RO. It only takes around 20 to 30 days from the VAMC.

If the results are not favorable & there is no mention of your service records, I would request another examination be done, this time with all the records. Your SMR's must be there & be theroughly viewed.

[cvsp]

Allan,

Thanks for the help. Currently I do not have an SO. The one that I was using was shut down. I am waiting to hear back from the DAV at the moment.

The Dr did review the service records. In short the unspoken impression I got from her was to why I was even there for a C&P with such SMRs. I did also hear her mention TDIU (which I now know the term thanks to Hadit).

The C&P was only two weeks ago so I am not sure what was said. I did get the warm fuzzy from the Dr that it was open and shut. Though I could be wrong.

While the DAV in my area is away this week, I think I will take your advice and request a hearing and personally hand them my SMRs

Thanks again!