Va Lacks Effective Management And "overall Leadership"

[broncovet]

I value the opinion of someone who volunteers their opinion more than someone who gets paid to voice their opinion. This guy is not getting paid to voice his opinion, but was on "the inside" and offers his assessment of Va leadershiip:

http://dailycaller.c...ormer-official/

I think most of us agree the VA issues are leadership problems and not "bad Veterans". Its disgusting when the VA blames Vets for its own bad management....Example: The Va blames its backlog on too many Vets applying for too many benefits.

Edited October 31, 2012 by broncovet

[Teac]

Ironically ... Veterans don't need the paid wirtten opinion of someone who has been on the inside... we know all too well that the VA is screwed up and that no matter what excuxse they use for the problems it is us that are screwed in the end.....

I don't think you can put all the blame on the leadership at the VA, the employees no matter their background are the blame for the backlog.... Many of us on this board could do a better job of adjudicating claims than some of the va employees, and I would bet my life, we would have few if any bad decisions or appeals compared to the mess we are facing now.....

The first thing that should be elimated and that would speed of processing of claims is to do away with a C/P exam when the medical records clearly show that one is not necessary... all too often the va will request a c/p exam and then once it is completed either ignore the results or rate a claim based on the medical record alone... The only time a C/P exam is necessary is to show a nexus, the medical record is not clear in a diagnoses, or their is no medical record...... Just think of all the time and money saved if the va would take this common sense approach.......Under the system it seems like the medical record is the last thing considered when a claim is filed.

[71M10]

Ironically ... Veterans don't need the paid wirtten opinion of someone who has been on the inside... we know all too well that the VA is screwed up and that no matter what excuxse they use for the problems it is us that are screwed in the end.....

I don't think you can put all the blame on the leadership at the VA, the employees no matter their background are the blame for the backlog.... Many of us on this board could do a better job of adjudicating claims than some of the va employees, and I would bet my life, we would have few if any bad decisions or appeals compared to the mess we are facing now.....

The first thing that should be elimated and that would speed of processing of claims is to do away with a C/P exam when the medical records clearly show that one is not necessary... all too often the va will request a c/p exam and then once it is completed either ignore the results or rate a claim based on the medical record alone... The only time a C/P exam is necessary is to show a nexus, the medical record is not clear in a diagnoses, or their is no medical record...... Just think of all the time and money saved if the va would take this common sense approach.......Under the system it seems like the medical record is the last thing considered when a claim is filed.

WOW the really cool thing about not doing C&P's is we don't even have to change the regulations, we can just follow the existing ones!!!

[Teac]

WOW the really cool thing about not doing C&P's is we don't even have to change the regulations, we can just follow the existing ones!!!

Just think what a pipe dream...... following the regulations I mean..LOL

[ram4578]

In response to: 71M10

Clearly you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. First the majority of the people working for the VA are veterans themselves (and no, their claims do not get adjudicated any faster than anyone else’s claim). In addition, the majority are hard-working, well-educated, and have spent countless hours training. We are talking about individuals that tirelessly lay it on the line daily, working toward the goals of the VA mission. Most are family people who spend countless hours working mandatory overtime assisting veterans every day. For instance, a Rating Veterans Service Representative must undergo intense training concerning claim adjudication. The training takes several months if not years to fully grasp. The methodology is complicated and requires a very strong knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy, disease processes, and medical treatment procedures. In addition to medical training, a claim adjudicator must have the ability to comprehend legal processes with an intimate working knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as such pertain to disability claims. Also, in-order to successfully process a claim, the adjudicator must be able to operate several complex software programs and research various subjects as they pertain to claims examination.

Secondly, the VA is bound by Federal law with concern toward adjudicating claims. The process is mandated by Congress. Certain information must be of record before a claim can be adjudicated. The law is the law. If a change in law is warranted in your opinion, please contact your Congress member.

Finally, medical records which are received from the Department of Defense are often incorrect, not fully complete, or have several non-current diagnoses. The C&P exam is designed to get the most current picture of the veteran’s health as it pertains to their claimed condition. Are there bugs in the system? Yes, absolutely! Do things need tweaked? Definitely! You must remember that the VA deals with millions of claims every day, week, month, and year. Some of the claims are from veterans that served in WWII because many of those individuals are still actually applying for new benefits. Not just anyone can walk off the street and adjudicate these claims. Besides, I see you are 90% percent service connected. Seems as if the process worked pretty damn well for you!