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Roanoke- Disgraceful

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Berta

Question

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/01/mili...stakes_012010w/

Rick Maze -of Army Times summarized the IG report here- I have had problems finding the right report at VA Watchdog-

will check later-

I think this deficient work is becoming the status quo at many ROs and I wonder what-if anything- could result from these findings- are the vet's informed their claim can be re opened due to errors?

The DM II CAD vet who was initially denied because they didn't "properly consider" his IMO- does the IG realize that too is SOP for MANY MANY vets and widows.

I am outraged by this stuff and I know you all are. We are literally being victimized by incompetents.I also wonder what follow up the IG will do as to their findings and recommendations to Roanoke.This is one big reason that vets should never give up their claims as there could have been many errors that -if they had not occurred- would have possibly generated an award.

I get livid over AO vets denied due to errors-I told NVLSP 2 weeks ago I fully believed that VA was still starting to deliberately manipulate AO claims in order not to pay them as they got caught doing in the late 1990s.They know how this was done in my case recently but I sure cant be the only one-But what motivation could they have? or are they just plain dumb.

With medical proof of a documented AO disability and proof of exposure- an AO claim could take mere seconds to be decided and then follow through with the award paperwork.

AO is one sole chemical entity that has disabled and caused the deaths of thousands and thousands of vets.For Decades-since the war. The VA has no other single disability I know of except may for PTSD that has caused so much damage (as well as serious additional complications and medical issues) as AO has caused to exposed veterans.What motivates the VA to award AO comp to a vet who wasn't exposed to AO at all and then try to steal comp from a real AO vet.

Steal is a strong word-

but if you deliberately take something that legally belongs to someone- that is theft in my book.

It almost sounds like they made a deal with a SO on this situation- as hard as that would be to believe.(yeah right-some of these errors have got to stem from collusion -as an SSOC I have- revealed in my opiniopn and I made a stink with OGC on that.

I wonder if these IG reports actually get results on the specific claims they find have been done wrong.I guess I should ask the IG directly about that (and ask when they are coming to inspect the Buffalo VARO)

In part the article from Rick reads:

"Investigators looking at claims processing at the VA regional office in Roanoke, Va., found that 25 percent of the case files they closely studied had serious mistakes. Some veterans were denied benefits they deserved, and disability compensation was given to others who were not eligible"

"In one case, a veteran was underpaid $21,857 because the claims staff did not properly consider a physician’s opinion that coronary artery disease was a complication of service-connected diabetes.

In another, a veteran was overpaid $15,640 for a diabetes-related amputation below the knee that he said was related to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. His claims folder contained no evidence that he had served in Vietnam, the IG report says."

"The report, released late last week, found similar problems with claims involving traumatic brain injuries."

<a name="ygrp-msg1">

<a href="http://" target="_blank"></a> "Thirty percent of the desks inspected contained information that should not have been left unsecured. Investigators found six boxes of unsecured returned mail, about 4,200 pieces in all, containing personal information on veterans"

Edited by Berta

GRADUATE ! Nov 2nd 2007 American Military University !

When thousands of Americans faced annihilation in the 1800s Chief

Osceola's response to his people, the Seminoles, was

simply "They(the US Army)have guns, but so do we."

Sameo to us -They (VA) have 38 CFR ,38 USC, and M21-1- but so do we.

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Berta..

Agreed. Dont forget that one Veterans evidence was placed in the shredder bin by a "careless employee" in this report. If one claim was shredded , more will surely follow. Shredding is alive and well and "controls that were put in place" to prevent shredding are ineffective.

Further, if it happens in one RO, then it is happening at others.

My question is, who is hiring, "careless employees"? Is this "careless employee" a cousin or friend of a RO manager/executive? Does RO management not have any controls in place to discipline or terminate "careless employees"? This is not a employee mistake..this is management error blamed on one employee. That is a fact.

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Anyone want to place bets that their C&P exams were performed by QTC? I'd like to see an undercover IG investigation of the QTC examiners.

I also wonder if the IG adequately reviewed the case of the soldier who was supposedly not in Vietnam and claimed AO exposure. AO exposure could happen in a lot more places than just Vietnam...

This makes me feel more grateful that my claim will hopefully be processed at the Montgomery RO. I already have low expectations of their quality of service, so I know what I to expect.

"If it's stupid but works, then it isn't stupid."
- From Murphy's Laws of Combat

Disclaimer: I am not a legal expert, so use at own risk and/or consult a qualified professional representative. Please refer to existing VA laws, regulations, and policies for the most up to date information.

 

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I agree with Vync. The VA wants us to lower our expections throughout the VA: Claims done on time? Lower your expectiations..count on it taking 10 years or more. Medical Care: Whenever you visit the VA, go to a private doctor to confirm that the VA doc didnt infect you, for example, with Hep B by using dirty equipment for a colonoscopy.

If you go to the VA to get an H1N1 vaccine, you had better make an appointment with your private doc to make sure they used a clean needle and didnt infect you with whatever the last guy had. If you go to most VA medical centers, expect to be discharged sicker than when you went in. If you go to a VA pharmacy, expect that they wont give you pain pills because lots of medication "disappears" from VA's pharmacy inventory. If you apply for GI bill education benefits, lower your expectations in line with what the Va will produce...many months of waits.

However, if you are a QTC contractor, or VA executive, you can expect full payments on time, every time plus bonuses for "good work"....that is, as long as you follow Va guidelines of stating that the Veteran is sick, but it wasnt caused by military service.

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Something smells like rotting fish at Roanoke.

About 15 months ago my claim was "farmed out" to Roanoke. My question is, "Why?" (At that time, I did not know that Roanoke was so far behind in claims processing that the building was about to collapse...what does the VA do about it? Well, they send them more claims, that's what)

Why would my claim be "farmed out" to a RO that is already that far behind? If this "farming out" stuff is done to speed up claims, then why put my claim even further to the back of the line.

MORE ROTTING FISH: Roanoke "developed"...and then lost my claim. All the development work on my claim that was done in Roanoke is GONE with the wind. I communicated with, and saved emails with a Roanoke employee. They sent my claim back to Cleveland for a decision. Recently, a copy of my c file revealed NOT ONE PAGE of documentation from Roanoke..all of it is gone.

It gets even fishier: Cleveland RO manager, shortly after the "October Shredding Incident" gets promoted to VACO. She was the one responsible for sending my claim to Roanoke.

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Something smells like rotting fish at Roanoke.

About 15 months ago my claim was "farmed out" to Roanoke. My question is, "Why?" (At that time, I did not know that Roanoke was so far behind in claims processing that the building was about to collapse...what does the VA do about it? Well, they send them more claims, that's what)

Why would my claim be "farmed out" to a RO that is already that far behind? If this "farming out" stuff is done to speed up claims, then why put my claim even further to the back of the line.

MORE ROTTING FISH: Roanoke "developed"...and then lost my claim. All the development work on my claim that was done in Roanoke is GONE with the wind. I communicated with, and saved emails with a Roanoke employee. They sent my claim back to Cleveland for a decision. Recently, a copy of my c file revealed NOT ONE PAGE of documentation from Roanoke..all of it is gone.

It gets even fishier: Cleveland RO manager, shortly after the "October Shredding Incident" gets promoted to VACO. She was the one responsible for sending my claim to Roanoke.

Wanna know whats really bad? Im in Roanoke my tdiu claim was suppose to be an appeal but they just generated a whole new claim. The old one? who knows where it went. 6 months ago they said my claim was farmed out of Roanoke to Huntington WVA. I didnt care why they done it but there was joy on my face, It was like my claim had made into rating board heaven and was in a better place instead of the bowels of hell. They recently remodeled there as well and gave the VSR's bulletproof glass and brand new everything on a different floor, go figure right? And there was a big man that worked the front desk there that was straight edge professional, but still courteous and would help you with anything in a very timely manner. I guess he too was replaced when the furniture...by a disgusting rude little man who is unkempt and doesnt even wash the gobs of sleep out of his eyes, nor combs his hair before he comes to work and is unwilling to help anyone. just sits there and before they can even halfway explain he tries to send them to a VSO and gets hostile like he is a bad man if you prove him wrong or make him work. The place is a disgusting farce, A very expensive disgusting farce with nice furniture, a flatscreen t.v. and bulletproof glass. And they wonder why I go off on people?

IFOR : Bosnia

SFOR: Bosnia

Task Force Able Sentry

Task force Falcon IEF

KFOR: Kosovo

Operation Enduring Freedom

baaa baa blah spit sputter blah spit bah is what I told my C&P examiner and then I farted... Still trying to keep my sad sense of humor

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