ptsd Speeding Up Claims Processing

[BigCountryVet]

Greetings all,

Here's an ingenious and very fiscally responsible idea to speed up and streamline the claims adjudication process! I am a veteran residing within the Waco VARO area. the approximate turnaround time for ptsd related claims (or IU claims like my current claim being adjudicated) isw 10 - 12 months. I am an OIF 1 & OIF 3 Veteran and have already been sc for ptsd 70%, tinnitus 10% & lumbrosacral strain 0% (need to file for an increase on that as I've just been confirmed to have a bulging disc recently). Over the last few weeks I've gathered from reading here on Hadit that the general consensus is that most, if not ALL, are [very] stretched thin on their patience with waiting for their claims to be finalized. I've read about all the attempted "streamlining" the VA is doing (laughable at best) to expedite their claim adjudication processes. Well, I know certain federal court cases have caused certain classes of claims to now take precedence over other classes of claims which is fine; I have a heart for all veterans and love to see advocating for any group therein. What bothers me to know is that Waco for sure (I personally know an adjudicator there WHOM IS NOT ALLOWED TO SEE OR HANDLE ANY OF MY PAPERWORK WHATSOEVER!) employs masters level college graduates at well over $40K per year to process, starting out at, 1 - 2 claims per day. they are expected to gradually succeed to completing 4-5 & more per day with their salary increasing accordingly. Now I think my friend who powered through college and earned her masters degree before she was 24 deserves that level of salary but I DO NOT think the VA should be filling it's claims offices with half as many adjudicators as they could based upon their manpower budget. Here's the ingenious and fiscally responsible idea -- gradually integrate bachelors level graduates into the seats of the masters level graduates but pay them a nominally smaller salary commensurate upon their education level. eventually the masters level adjudicators can be shown the door and the VA will have more than enough to hire twice as many claims processors and speed up the claims processing rate by 2 times. Maybe it IS too simple, but it seems like it would work to me. What do yall think?

[Pete53]

I think that the VA should let Social Security work any claim that they can't finish in 4 months. I think that VA should pay Veterans after they wait 6 months at 100%

[Vync]

Having a Bachellors or Masters degree is definitely a plus, but is not proof of competence or work ethic. We can only hope adjudicators will perform their work thoroughly and accurately.

Good ideas here. I think Pete is on to something with the pay @ 100% after six months.

[BigCountryVet]

I read a comment on a Face Book post today by the VA Benefits Page ("VA Now Hiring") in which the veteran suggested the VAROs ought to dismiss all the current processors and fill the empty seats with nothing but starving, needy, broken veterans who know the pain and struggles of the veterans submitting all these claims. I think this is a wonderful idea but I foresee one problem -- the government will claim that veterans processing other veterans' claims is a biased thing and they would pass on that idea. Any input on this particular idea, guys? I'm all for it, but knowing the way the top of the VA has worked in the past they could just reject ideas like these in an instant.

[carlie]

the government will claim that veterans processing other veterans' claims is a biased thing and they would pass on that idea. Any input on this particular idea, guys?

Well, I hate to have to point it out but many of the decision makers employed by the VBA - - -

are already veterans.

In VA claims adjudication, there shouldn't be a need for a specific college level

of education. There is a need to know how to read and comprehend what is read,

then apply the regulations correctly.

[john999]

The United States does just not rate veterans as high on priority list of "things to do". Look how they drag their feet on "Care givers" program just for the most severely disabled vet's spouses. I guess Vietnam Era vets just got by on their own for 4 decades. When you see that vets can't even agree on who their friends are in congress you know they will always be dead last. Nobody has a better claim on the nation's resources than disabled vets, but every Tom, Dick or Harry can get more because they are organized. The NRA has congress jumping through hoops for them and their are 25 million vets who have to beg for help.