Poor Management By Va

[broncovet]

At the VA watchdog site, in the comments section, a VA employee admitted to "cherry Picking" Veterans claims..looking for single issue, fast easy claims while passing over multiple issue claims. How fair is this? Could I suggest this, as follows:?

Employees go to supervisor desk for their next claim, which is done in order of date received, unless there is a valid "advance on the docket" claim which would have priority. Employees would not pick their claim..they would be assigned a claim to work..in date order.

As far as complex claims go, each employee would get hard ones and easy ones..in date order, so that it would all even out over a period of a year or so.

Is this really so hard? Even waitresses are often assigned customers by the hostess.

comment follows from the VA watchdog site:

- I will not identify my employment afilliation so take this for what you will....

What was left out of the VA special (aside from many other things) was that if an employee does not get their "points" it has a negative impact on their performance evaluation! Performance evaluations can get you promoted. I have never heard of them getting you bonuses, but i guess anythings possible. And consistently under performing can get you fired! I'm sure this points system had the intent of promoting high levels of production however, what it ends up promoting is working just hard enough to get those points. Many cases would benefit from a more thorough review but due to time limits forced by the required "points system" they are just shoved through as quick as possible. More importantly not all cases give the same value. For example a case with 15 different disabilities being claimed is worth the same amount as eight - A case with 7 different disabilities being claimed is worth the same amount as a claim with only 1. Which do you think is more likely to be done first? Of course, the one that takes the least time for the most points! Or how about claims that are already in progress that need a review to see if they are ready to be rated? Some are 5+ volumes thick and some are the size of a manila envelope. I ask again - what gets done first? Of course, the one that takes the least time for the most points! The same scenario can be applied in any number of situations: old cases vs. new, thick vs. skinny, complicated vs. easy etc etc. Many times employees will "hold" files that could be sent to the rating board, simply because they have enough numbers for the day and because they know they will need them the next day (or God forbid, next week). Easy quick claims are "cherry picked" over others or "stolen" from other employees because they require less output to get the points! As a Vet working within the VA, I do what I can to serve Veterans the way I want to be served, but in the end I to am bound by the "points" system and my ensuing performance evaluations.

[jerrbilly]

That's interesting

At the VA watchdog site, in the comments section, a VA employee admitted to "cherry Picking" Veterans claims..looking for single issue, fast easy claims while passing over multiple issue claims. How fair is this? Could I suggest this, as follows:?

Employees go to supervisor desk for their next claim, which is done in order of date received, unless there is a valid "advance on the docket" claim which would have priority. Employees would not pick their claim..they would be assigned a claim to work..in date order.

As far as complex claims go, each employee would get hard ones and easy ones..in date order, so that it would all even out over a period of a year or so.

Is this really so hard? Even waitresses are often assigned customers by the hostess.

comment follows from the VA watchdog site:

- I will not identify my employment afilliation so take this for what you will....

What was left out of the VA special (aside from many other things) was that if an employee does not get their "points" it has a negative impact on their performance evaluation! Performance evaluations can get you promoted. I have never heard of them getting you bonuses, but i guess anythings possible. And consistently under performing can get you fired! I'm sure this points system had the intent of promoting high levels of production however, what it ends up promoting is working just hard enough to get those points. Many cases would benefit from a more thorough review but due to time limits forced by the required "points system" they are just shoved through as quick as possible. More importantly not all cases give the same value. For example a case with 15 different disabilities being claimed is worth the same amount as eight - A case with 7 different disabilities being claimed is worth the same amount as a claim with only 1. Which do you think is more likely to be done first? Of course, the one that takes the least time for the most points! Or how about claims that are already in progress that need a review to see if they are ready to be rated? Some are 5+ volumes thick and some are the size of a manila envelope. I ask again - what gets done first? Of course, the one that takes the least time for the most points! The same scenario can be applied in any number of situations: old cases vs. new, thick vs. skinny, complicated vs. easy etc etc. Many times employees will "hold" files that could be sent to the rating board, simply because they have enough numbers for the day and because they know they will need them the next day (or God forbid, next week). Easy quick claims are "cherry picked" over others or "stolen" from other employees because they require less output to get the points! As a Vet working within the VA, I do what I can to serve Veterans the way I want to be served, but in the end I to am bound by the "points" system and my ensuing performance evaluations.

[john999]

The claims system is preverse and will never be any damn good. All claims that are credible should just be granted, so vets don't have to wait ten years to get the correct rating. Delay and deny until you die. They have already done that with thousands of agent orange victims. They are waiting until the last RVN vet dies and then they will emerge with a report saying he should have been sc'ed for AO. DIC pays half of what 100% pays so they save money.

[Vync]

My claim denials always come back really quick.

I guess my new multi-item claim is doomed...

[Pete53]

Denying the claim is the way to finish it quickly

[carlie]

The issue of VA employees "cherry picking" claims

with the fewest issues is old news, they've been

doing this since at least the early 70's.

carlie

[Testvet]

The issue of VA employees "cherry picking" claims

with the fewest issues is old news, they've been

doing this since at least the early 70's.

carlie

since my claims file is at least 6 feet tall and is either moved by gurney or 2 dollies I don't think mine is ever grabbed by anyone to "work" it has had to have been forced on whomever was handed it I just can't picture anyone "volunteering" to process my claim ever not since Dec 2003 any how the last time I saw it was at the BVA hearing and it was in 2 piles behind the Judge......lots of boxes