End All Backlog By 2015?

[bojack]

I heard President Obama and VA Secretary told press their goal is to end all backlog by 2015. Is this true?

Is that a good thing or bad thing for us because won't they just rush the process (rushing menas less accurate I am guessing).

Thankse everyone.

I am still waiting for my decision (been fighting since 02/06/2014).

[rootbeer22]

Folks:

It would be difficult to reduce the backlog quickly without some kind of major costs to the veterans? I'm an analyst and have reviewed a lot of the congressional testimony which outlines, the Good, Bad and Ugly of the VA Disability Claims System as well as going thru it myself right now. I filed an FDC and so far none of the promises of expediting the claim have happened yet and I was given and 18 month time horizon? Since about 2009 there have been a lot of promises about the intiatives that were going to take place to cut down the backlog? But via OIG, Investigations and the media, we've seen time and time again that those involved have "gamed the system" to try and get things to look better than they actually are? Many of the so called "technology fixes" have cost the taxpayers huge money and more is being spent each day? Early on I was told by other vets, that despite all of the beauracracy, success all comes down to the "luck of the draw" and who actually works your file in terms of compensation, appeals, etc. If you are lucky and get someone that is well trained and smart, you'll do fine. If not, you could spend years and years spinning your wheels? Te most disappointing part of the process was working with a VSO that was not trained or certified. To this day, she has no clue about my claim and I wasted time... with her....

[Pete53]

Ollie ollie everyone who is out come in free. VA is waiting for get out of jail free card.

[Navy04]

Root,

Have to agree totally with you. I was stationed in DC for over 4 years recently, and everything Said with no Results.

[Chuck75]

Your right - there is no way appeals have only increased about 100 since the beginning

of July.

I wonder how many DRO's have been requested and how many appeals are waiting to be

certified to BVA.

The end of a backlog is a laugh - thousands of the quick and provisional decisions will just

go into the hole for appeals hell.

IMO - that's the next backlog they will finally admit to.

jmho

"there is no way appeals have only increased about 100 since the beginning"

Sure there is! It's called "request for increase". Seems that the VARO likes to change an appeal/NOD at the RO

level from one to the other. Naturally, it accomplishes several things as well.

Reduces the number of long standing pending appeals.

Changes the effective date to a later date. Gives admin credit, and allows the claim to go "back to sleep" until

the VA system brings it up again for review/action.

After all, you could say that almost any NOD or other disagreement with the VA over compensation is

a request for increase!

[TiredCoastie]

Thanks, Chuck! If the VARO can resolve the veteran's concerns through some sort of process that keeps the claim from going to DC and generates the right answer, then to me it doesn't matter what the process is called. Of course, they could have gotten it right the first time and just called it a "claim." My first NOD, I had to send several letters to the RO explaining that I did intend to appeal and, based on the postmark, the appeal was timely. They initially called that NOD evidence filed in support of a claim that was in process at that time.

Judging from the months after receipt that it is taking for my NODs to be acknowledged or accepted as appeals, there's no telling how many "appeals," "requests for increase," whatever-they-want-to-call-it there are somewhere in the system. Like the secret wait lists for medical care, it seems like there could be a growing number of appeals out there that are somewhere in the RO and C-files, acknowledgable as timely, and otherwise unprocessed.

[Chuck75]

"If the VARO can resolve the veteran's concerns through some sort of process that keeps the claim from going to DC and generates the right answer"

If that was the actual purpose of the change, well and good. The more obvious result is altering/reducing the numbers of "old" claims, so that the numbers look better.

What do you think the VA's primary purpose in making the change was? (No Brainer to me!)