Expedited Claims Processing For Homeless Veterans:

[carlie]

***Expedited Claims Processing for Homeless Veterans:

Outreach to Homeless Shelters and Service Providers:

In November 2009, VA developed a 5-year plan to end homelessness among

veterans by assisting every eligible homeless veteran willing to accept

service. VBA generally defines homeless as lacking a fixed, regular, and

adequate nighttime residence. VBA provided guidance to all VAROs that

claims submitted by homeless veterans should receive priority processing.

At the time of our inspection, VBA determined its national performance

measure for processing homeless veterans’ claims based on the average days

the claims were pending. VBA’s national target was for the claims to be

pending no more than an average of 75 days.

Seven (23 percent) of 30 homeless veterans’ claims pending at the time of

our inspection had processing delays. The seven delayed claims had been

pending from 29 to 124 days. However, as of September 30, 2011, homeless

veterans’ claims at the St. Petersburg VARO were pending an average of

66 days, 9 days less than the national target. Therefore, we made no

recommendation for improvement in this area.

Congress mandated that at least one full-time employee oversee and

coordinate homeless veterans programs at each of the 20 VAROs that VA

determined to have the largest veteran populations. VBA guidance, last

updated in September 2002, directed that the coordinators at the remaining

37 VAROs be familiar with requirements for improving the effectiveness of

VARO outreach to homeless veterans. These requirements include

developing and updating a directory of local homeless shelters and service

providers. Additionally, the coordinators should attend regular meetings

with local homeless service providers, community governments, and

advocacy groups to provide information on VA benefits and services.

More Info :

http://www.va.gov/oi...11-04243-86.pdf

Edited March 1, 2012 by carlie
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[Disciple]

For those of you who don't think the VA should expedite cases.......you should be praising God that you're not the one who's homeless in the Northeast where we just had -30° wind chill temps or that you haven't been diagnosed with a terminal disease knowing that you have very little time left. Our Father calls us to have love, compassion and mercy for one another.......as veterans, we MUST have that for one another because if we don't take care of one another, the rest of the world sure won't. I'm praying for all of us...as brothers and sisters. God bless all of you!

[eganusn]

Good Information. I requested expedited processing of my claim in the Atlanta VARO on 12/28/11, claim intially filed "informally" on 2/9/11. I know that the information was received, along with evidence submitted via my Lawyer. However, nothing yet, except a call from the Atlanta VA homeless coordinator, who did nothing during my call, except to ask if I was still homeless.

I would love to know who to contact to make a complaint over this because I am getting nowhere with "Peggy" or any level at the local VARO. The congressman in my district is pretty much useless, not because of his ability to do so, but his staffers inability to address any veteran issues that come up.

[eganusn]

funny thing about this as well....Even though all pertinent documents and even the QTC exams are complete, its still in the "development" stage. LOL!

[mysticcherokee usn vet]

check yer PM

[eganusn]

Mysticcherokee,

[Teac]

Just one thing.... everytime the va decides to expedite a claim for any veteran for any reason, another vetean gets screwed in the process and the expedited claims just add to the backlog. Treat every claim the same and no one would have a valid complant.

In the old days 10-15 years ago, it took less than 6 months to get a claim processed in most Regional offices, and a year or less to process an appeal at the BVA level. Today if your real lucky you get a C/p exam within a year. As to appeals I requested a De Novo review over a year ago to date nothing has been done to process the request....