Fixing The Backlog

[myround0]

Put the VA on 12 hour shifts every other month for about 2 years.

When a case goes to claims, it SHOULD BE SOLVED THERE.

If a case is forwarded from claims to a DRO, then if the DRO awards the case then someone in claims should have to answer as to why the case was forwarded to the DRO.

The same should happen when a claim is sent from the DRO to the APPEALS process.

Once all the information for a case is in, the VA should have one month to review it and get a decision to the Veteran making the claim.

When you look at the VA metric. 95 percent of cases are solved at the Appeals process. That to me reveals either people at the regional office either don't know their job and are there just to collect a check, which is unacceptable, or they do know their job, but refuse to do it. Where are the leaders at these regional offices. I just don't understand how you can have an open ended timeline, when you are providing a service to someone. At what point do you as a service provider, who is getting paid to perform a service, feel the need to PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.

All of my documents are there at the VA since March 2008, I know they are there because the rendered a denial decision on January 13, 2009. I served an NOD on January 22, 2009. I selected a DRO. I was given a SOC in September 2009, and on October 7, 2009, I returned the VA form 9. I know some will say my case is moving rather quickly. However, that isn't the point. The case should have been decided favorbly in the claims portion, and it should not take a full year. Once you have all the information, a folder should be moved to the ready for review stack.

That is my case, but so many others have endured the same process. The Va has put the onus on the BVA appeals team, when it should be placed at the front end, the Regional office claims team should be held accountable, as well as the Regional Office appeals team. If I were the ships Captain, Veterans Service Center Manager, my first brief would include fixing and resolving matters in our OWN HOUSE. We would do our best to resolve claims locally, and not let them back up our system. Some tough love needs to be applied.

All the talk about adding electronic or automated files making rendering a decision faster and more accurate only works when the service provider works. So you can do whatever you like, it comes down to leadership and the staff willing to DO THEIR JOBS, at every level, and, STOP PASSING THE BUCK.

[john999]

Yes, I think the VA secretary now realizes that justice for 2.5 million RVN vets is expensive if it has been denied for 40 years. The government put all the RVN vets at grave risk and did it without a second thought. I wonder what sorts of risks the current group of vets will suffer? Ten years from now we will find that there was some environmental poison the OIF/OEF vets were exposed to and the cost will be billions.

[vperl]

I never thought I would live to see the VA make any sort of heart disease presumptive for AO. Maybe the VA will drag out the actual implication of the award so slow most of us old dudes will be dead. I am sure they are thinking about this.

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As an old RVN dud or is it dude ? As a AO IHD claimant I resent represent the implication

that my VA is so underhanded and worthless and Deming to Veterans, is waiting for me to die a slow horrible death and leave my family with nothing but memories of a government gone, BAD neutral and just going through the motions of compensating the Veterans of all wars....

These Kids will and have paid a real high price, they will be more screwed up than us olde RVN guys.

Fire pits, Bio-Gasses, Depleted Uranium dust, and things we no not of today, or that the Government is HIDING unaware of at this time.

[Vync]

I read an article that Shinseki was in El Paso promising that the VA was going to provide better service to Veterans. They are also talking about building a showcase Hospital in El Paso. It seems weird that a town with so many Veterans would not have their own Hospital.

Possible dog and pony show?

(patiently waiting to see what happens)

[usmcfigdaddy]

B) As an old RVN guy myself I have refured my claim to an appeal and have been waiting for a year.Hopefully Shinseki can help us get our clains resolved sooner with the emplanation of his new plans that keeps a claim with a group until it has been resolved...---...SEMPER FI