Preparation For Notification

[usdart]

Just checked Ebennies and it moved again! Prep for Notification is the next to last step so here we go!

Excited? yes

Nervous? very

Relieved? not yet!

[rootbeer22]

TiredCoastie:

As an update, I moved very quickly from Gathering Evidence a couple of weeks ago, then to "prep for Decision Approval" early last week. Not sure what happened to the "Review of Evidence" stage in the middle of that unless they were doing that all along? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it does not go back a couple of process steps this week? Based upon our conversations, there's probably not a tendency to hold up the process right now for the reviewers? So, one would hope they have a good ratings package that does not require NOD's, DRO Reviews, and worst..appeals from the get go....I'm learning from the Vet Blogs across the internet that the "Prep for Decision Approval" Process can actually still be very lengthly at this point...so we'll see...they are showing an end date for my claim at sometime between 4th of July and Christmas but I think it's going to be much sooner based upon my analysis of the "big push" being completed before the end of the FY...and a big press conference to declare "Victory"...I hope they pull it all off correctly...and with Vet's favors....

Edited April 20, 2015 by rootbeer22

[TiredCoastie]

That would be awesome, Rootbeer! Hopefully you'll have a right answer in your hands in a few days. None of those dates that eBenefits publishes are worth anything, so something could break at any time...or not as you've found out! That's the really frustrating part. We sit in hopes and fears waiting for the answer, hoping it's right, hoping the rater and decision makers will read the evidence closely, hoping that the end will be what we asked for while anxious about the worst case scenario.

Still can't see them getting the backlog "eliminated" by the end of the FY. They *could* make the end of the CY, but unless output almost doubles or they set their sights on some number great than zero, not the FY.

[rootbeer22]

TiredCoastie

All agreed....it's a given that's there's an expectation that "the disability system" which is based upon "evidence" is designed such that a rater would give their "all" to do the right thing for Vets by ensuring all evidence is double checked in their C-Files? However, as an example, in my case I was concerned about what ended up in my c-file versus the massive SMR evidence that I provided, so I put in a FOIA. Once the FOIA hit the "ebennefits" system, it was viewed as an entirely new claim and the progress of my FOIA came to a screeching halt, but I had no idea that would happend? So, I had to cancel the FOIA to get it moving again? I was one of those that my claim was hard-copy and was supposed to be scanned and digitised but I've never been able to find out if it happened properly in the VBMS System? Then right now there's the "Pending Approval Review" which my claim is under that moved quickly after I submitted the 5103 waiver about 2 weeks ago and now should put "mutiple eyes" on my c-files and SMR evidence? That said, the "big push" is on to get the claims backlog down for 2015 so it's not in any VBA employee's interest now to send something back for review or more evidence? I'm concerend that there will be a tendencey to deny or defer claims now to expedite things? Currently about 53% of VA employees are Vets and the system is supposed to give the Vet, the benefit of the doubt in close calls - when all other things are equal? However, in many cases we find that the evidence in a case was always there and not always looked at, but later it took 2-5 years of NODs' DRO Reviews and the appeals to acutally check "all" of the evidence resulting in a postive outcome for the Vet? For instance I've been looking at the accuracy numbers for claims accuracy which are around on average 92%? However, it looks like the number of NODs, DROs, and Appeals tell a diffrent story and I'm not sure yet if they are rising during this big push? Originally, I was in a situation were I submitted a very robust claims package of SMR evidence 10 months ago for 13 DBQ's with all evidence avaiable and had thourough physical exams done. As a result, some of the later CP exams were thorough and others were not which is the same thing I'm hearing on this board from other Vets. Actually, I am still amazed that I would give direct and well thought out answers to the CP exam questions and then see that something entirely diffrent was written down on the exams? Frankly, I'm an analyst and have been investigating the trends to see what direction that disability claims are taking for 2015. That said, so far no one has been able to tell me yet if it's easier for a rater/raters to either deny or approve a claim in terms of which effort takes more workload to do? I'm sure that this "big push" is really challenging the whole rating system right now and especially the people involved in it..so I've been watching the outcomes of recent claims on several vet blogs to get a feel for how it's going. However, at this point, I need more data on first time claims that are being adjudicated in 2015? A lot of folks seem to leave this board when the get their claims results, so I wish we had better data on final outcomes...? Either way...my fingers and toes are crossed right now about my own claims outcome...but I know that it still could take months even in the "Decision Approval Stage"..and I have decided to check ebenefits only about once a week now...otherwise...it will drive my batty..seeing the same information..over and over again....unfortuantely, my lack of patience is one of my areas that I need to improve in...you would think that with age that one would becoem more patient...but it's been just the opposite for me.... thanks and good luck to you for your claims and the outcomes that your deserve.....

[TiredCoastie]

It's just painful, Rootbeer.

I don't think you'll be able to find the answers from looking from the outside and will need to have an in depth look at the organizational culture of the Department, Agency, and individual RO as well as a full understanding of the pressures on and attitudes of the raters along with day-to-day tasking. I too have done my own analysis for quite some time and have not come to any accurate conclusions that did not require inside information.

What the numbers and the press releases say is that there is a push to reduce the number of claims on hand. But to what extent and does that effort impact your claim decision or not? That's a question no one will be willing to answer for you.

OK, accuracy rates are in the low 90% range. That means about a tenth of every claim has an error or 1 in every 10 has a error, depending on the stat. Vets are smarter now thanks to many of us being better connected. Instead of taking what we've been given, we can re-analyze the same information against the published standard, come up with a different conclusion, and have the tools to quickly appeal. So that in and of itself is helping to drive the number of apppeals on hand...besides that at least 1 in 10 claims has an error and most likely have some sort of error somewhere. Is this better than before? Hard to say because is can be very subjective whether or not an error exists, especially if it's the agency making the call on a performance stat.

JMHO - many to most VA employees are trying to do their best by the veteran but have to do so within a bureaucratic organization. Some in any organization are going to be bad apples. Some are going to become jaded either by the overload of work or, God forbid, that sometimes veterans lie to gain disability compensation and it seems pretty obvious to them. Sometimes the best any of them can do is to give you a 90% solution so they get the next guy in line 90% and so on.

Again, JMHO, but in the military, I think we grew accustomed to the entire organization looking after the members of the organization to the best of everyone's ability. That was how we did things in the Coast Guard and from what I saw in Navy units that were close by. The VA simply doesn't work in the same kind of way, although they try.

[kcook622]

Hi everyone, this is my first time on this site, needing information from one vet to another...I am a 70% s/c vet and I put in for an increase on my original claim also TDIU. My question is my claim went to Preparation for Notification on 5/23/15, and now this morning it is back to GOE, also a notification for decision letter has been sent. Does anyone have any input as to why 1. Claim went back to GOE and 2. Notification Letter sent. Confused .

Thanks

K.Cook

E-5 USA Quartermaster

[rootbeer22]

usdart;

Any updates on the outcome of your claim yet? I'm currently at 7 weeks in the Pending Decision Approval Stage. I had to recheck my math again because I thought it was 8 weeks...but alas not? Regardless of what happens, I know all of the next steps in terms of the options that are available for NOD,s, CUE's & appeals, etc now-with help from this board.... This weekend, my wife said, "what are you going to do if you get a good percentage claim (say over 50%) since you are already prepared for a fight"? Anyway, I said, it's better to be prepared to fight and not have too, then just not be prepared at all to do so?" I spent most of my life preparing for war...so I told her, why is this any different then that?" For most of us, the military helped to many of us to become better "problem solvers" so many of these claims fall into that problem solving realm in my opinion. ....anyway, good luck and godspeed and let me know how you are doing?

Edited May 27, 2015 by rootbeer22