The 800 # And Trying To Track Your Claim

[carlie]

I borrowed this from elsewhere to help members understand

why you and VBA really can't accurately track the status

of claims with either the 800 number or Iris.

I am posting it for informational purposes only

and closing it to comment.

This was authored by cruiser.

"you guys shouldn't be trying to track your claims as they move around the Regional Office like you would track a UPS package. It doesn't work that way. A claim at VA doesn't necessarily move in a linear fashion like a package does nor does simply knowing where a claim is at a given point in time tell you why it is at that location or where it is going next.

VA personnel are supposed to scan files in to their location when they have them in their possession. As a DRO it wasn't uncommon for someone to ask me to look at something in a claims folder, perhaps something totally unrelated to my job as a DRO, and if I scan it in and someone looks at the computer screen they will see the file is with the DRO and get all excited. "The DRO is making a decision." The next day I return the file to the person who asked me to look at it and now it isn't with the DRO any longer.

Files can be in locations all over a Regional Office for any number of reasons that might have nothing to do with your claim. They keep track of the location of files so VA employees can find them if something comes up and they need the file. The call center people don't always know why a file is where it is or how long it will be there or where it will go next. All they can do is speculate from looking at the information that is available to them. Like I said, you can't track these things like you would track a UPS package. It just doesn't work that way."