Biggest Problem With Va

[broncovet]

I was thinking about this the other day. What is the VA's biggest problem. Certianly in the "top 10"are things like credibility, the backlog, errors, indifference, etc.

But which is the worst problem? IMHO...drum...rolll.....the number one problem at the VA is......

1. The Veteran has no realistic way to "fix" glitches. Dont expect Peggy to do it, and her sister, Iris is also useless, as are your local congressman. Shinseki ignores emails from Vets, as does Brad Mayes. Nope...we just stay in "glitchland" forever until we are homeless or worse.

The BVA should not be a 4 year glitch repair. This is unacceptable. We need to have a hotline to call a real person who can actually fix our problem, and IRIS does not do that. Anyone else? I doubt the Va is listening, and I doubt even more that they care. But at least they could pretend like it this close to an election.

The VA has a way to fix employee glitches in pay. We dont hear about VA employees getting paychecks 1, 2, 5 or even 10 years late. Never. They have a way to fix THOSE errors. But Vets? Nope. Vets are expected to wait..forever...

Edited October 26, 2012 by broncovet

[71M10]

I hear you Bronco,

What we need is an Equal Access to Justice act for Veterans. Codified in this new law should be the ability for a veteran to file suit in federal court any time the VA takes over one year to ajudicate an initial claim or appeal. Veterans who's claims exceed one year would be entitled to legal representation(of thier choosing) paid by the Federal government. Additionally, any appeal that results in an award should also be awarded interest computated at the prime rate compounded monthly. Any veterans case that is transfered to federal court and decided in the affirmative should also be awarded treble damages for breach of the public trust as codified by US law under CFR38 (since the government obviously didn't follow the intent of CFR 38 they should pay damages).

That should do it! Until it actually costs the government more because they did it wrong, they have little incentive to fix it.

VA employee pay problems are fixed promptly, because the governing laws do apply strict penalties for non-compliance.

Best regards,

Edited October 26, 2012 by 71M10

[broncovet]

Agree, 71. If this were truly a "non adversarial" system, then a Vets application for benefits should put the VA on notice...you have a year to tell me why I should NOT get this benefit, or else I am "claiming" what is mine.

If the Va can not come up with a good reason to deny in a year..then should be a "deemed approval".

Its disgusting the VA has "deemed denials"...that is, if the Va never does give you a decision, its denied. Veterans benefits is a right and Vets have a right to "due process" for someone taking away our rights.

Im fed up to my neck in VA's excuses for the delays.

Social Security gets your application denied or approved in 120 days, or their boss wants to know why not....and (the SS employee handling the case) better have a darn good reason why it took over 120 days. I have family members who worked as a social security decision maker.

Its a crime that Vets wait longer..much longer...than social security claimants. Phoey on the excuse they are more complicated...that complications is because the VA wants em complicated...remember,...they publish the rules in the federal register...

Edited October 27, 2012 by broncovet

[lugnut]

Just my thoughts on this... I feel it boils down to a lack of communications on the part of the VA. There are too many times when a simple phone call to the VARO could get a situation taken care of quickly, everyone would be one the same page, etc.Nobody has any common sense. I once suggested to the RO in Maine that they should assigh one rater to a claim and follow it from start to finish; that person would come to understand it much better than anyone else and it should get done far quicker. BUT, it never happened. The last C&P exam I had, I couldn't get the examener (psyc dr). to let me tell her that I

have speech problems and can't get a sentence started sometimes, nor would she let me show her my notes. Therefore she wrote that I wasn't forthcoming with info,etc,etc. No communication. And it's all in my c-file which she marked that she read. Go figure. Thats enough from me tonight.

Lugnut aka Buddy

[Teac]

In my humble opinion,.... Government employees really care less what we think about their services..

Even if we could get damages and back intrest payments for claims that were not handled properly.. why should they care its not their money, ( even though they act like it is) and it sure would not motivate them to make better decisions.. in fact I think it would have the opposite effect and that more claims would be improperly denied...

my self, when it comes to claims... I think the government hires the most anti-veteran and incompetent people on earth...

[hurryupnwait]

In my opinion, we should be entitled to legal representation with a VA claim when any claim is initially filed. I think many glitches occur during the time period from the initial filed claim to the decision letter, mine did anyway, fortunately it was a glitch they overlooked. My VSO put that I had never opened a claimed but actually I was reopening a claim from 1972. Lawyers are very high paid glitch checkers.

[jvretiredvet]

What a very interesting opinion.

Of course, everyone knows what is said about opinions.

In my humble opinion,.... Government employees really care less what we think about their services..

Even if we could get damages and back intrest payments for claims that were not handled properly.. why should they care its not their money, ( even though they act like it is) and it sure would not motivate them to make better decisions.. in fact I think it would have the opposite effect and that more claims would be improperly denied...

my self, when it comes to claims... I think the government hires the most anti-veteran and incompetent people on earth...