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.

[broncovet]

Bergie..

I agree. I would love for an employee to "step up" and blow the whistle, on this kind of stuff. Va will continue with it as long as they can get away with it, just like they did shredding documents for years until someone spoke out. They will NOT listen to Veterans, the VA does not beleive a word we say. If an employee says it, they beleive it, but if we say it, it is of no consequence. It has to be an employee. It was an exact quote from what the employee said online.

[jerrbilly]

It would be an easy thing to change if they really wanted to do it. All they would have to do is give a rater a point for each condition rated instead of each claim rated. A rater with a claim with three conditions in it would get 3 points and a rater with one condition in a claim to rate would get a point. Then maybe this would stop cherry picking.

Jerr

Bergie..

I agree. I would love for an employee to "step up" and blow the whistle, on this kind of stuff. Va will continue with it as long as they can get away with it, just like they did shredding documents for years until someone spoke out. They will NOT listen to Veterans, the VA does not beleive a word we say. If an employee says it, they beleive it, but if we say it, it is of no consequence. It has to be an employee. It was an exact quote from what the employee said online.

Edited January 5, 2010 by jerrbilly

[broncovet]

Jerrbilly.

Of course it would be easy to fix. The VA does not want to fix their problems, they want the status quo, where Veterans get shafted.

It is just plain bad management, and many, many Veterans get their claims delayed because of this. I know how bad it hurts waiting on them..for 7 long years.

[Vync]

John999's right. The three denials in the last two years all had a different reason to deny my claim. It seemed like they were trying to find some other reason to add to the denial letter, just so it would look a little bit different than the previous denial.

Testvet, they have to budget for extra staff and overtime every time they even think about reviewing your file. B)

When I was at the RO in October, I talked with a guy for about 15 minutes. Afterwards, I spent 2 hours in the chairs in the hallway waiting to see the DAV rep. During those 2 hours, the VA guy spent most of his time in the halls socializing.

When I was in the Army, I had to process boatloads of records. At the end of the day, I was always surrounded by a mountain of files while my coworkers had small piles. This probably further explains the cause of my lower back problems... The work ethic at the VA is nonexistent.

[Testvet]

John999's right. The three denials in the last two years all had a different reason to deny my claim. It seemed like they were trying to find some other reason to add to the denial letter, just so it would look a little bit different than the previous denial.

Testvet, they have to budget for extra staff and overtime every time they even think about reviewing your file. B)

When I was at the RO in October, I talked with a guy for about 15 minutes. Afterwards, I spent 2 hours in the chairs in the hallway waiting to see the DAV rep. During those 2 hours, the VA guy spent most of his time in the halls socializing.

When I was in the Army, I had to process boatloads of records. At the end of the day, I was always surrounded by a mountain of files while my coworkers had small piles. This probably further explains the cause of my lower back problems... The work ethic at the VA is nonexistent.

rofl I get the impression they will be happy when they can send my file to the file room for good and that no rep will ever have to see it again I have a few more months before I "HAVE" to make decision on if I should appeal for an earlier effective date back to when I wrote Sec Principi in Nov 2002 instead of the official date they are using now of dec 2003 my letter to Principi used the term stress rather than PTSD bit it included all of the medical problems I felt were related to my military service and the experiments at Edgewood and exposures of Gulf War one I just knew that between the 2 controversial issues my claim was going to be nothing but problems and I was right on that point rofl I never saw a decade long fight nor a federal court case http://edgewoodtestvets.org/

related to the same issue by other veterans but I have a lot at stake another year of back pay the house grant the vehicle grant and mortgage insurance that is a lot of money to leave on the "table" I think I have to file the appeal before June 2010 that will be the one year mark of the award letter based on the BVA decision which was published on April 7, 2009 I think my wife should get the mortgage insurance and I wouldn't mind using that extra year of back pay to buy a new pontoon boat that will handle my power chair some people call them party boats lol I will name it the "Hadit Fambly Boat" rofl that should make some people say WTF? rofl

[john999]

A year of retro is a nice sum of money. I would go for it if it will not stress you out too much. If you are not risking anything get that money!