The News Today

[justrluk]

Today's news:

VA cites progress on backlog; Congress disagrees:
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/va-cites-progress-backlog-congress-disagrees

Report cites VA struggles with benefits paid to veterans:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/14/va-backlog-committee-hearing-veterans/12573043/

Former VA official pleads guilty in $1.4M fraud scheme
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/former-va-official-pleads-guilty-in-14m-fraud-scheme/26948566#!be31xg

Disarray, data manipulation at Phila. VA, report finds
http://articles.philly.com/2014-07-14/news/51492200_1_va-regional-office-inspector-general-veterans-affairs

Researcher leading PTSD-pot study loses job
http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20140714/NEWS/307140030/Researcher-leading-PTSD-pot-study-loses-job

VA reports mishandled records at Baltimore office
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-07-14/news/bs-md-va-documents-20140713_1_baltimore-office-baltimore-sun-halliday

[john999]

Progress on backlog is pretty funny. I filed a FDC over a year ago. It took one year to get a C&P exam which was not necessary since all the evidence for an increase was in my claim. Now I have one claim headed for federal court, and I am thinking about filing a claim for an EED on a 70% rating I got in 2002 which was on appeal since 1997. I was at 30% for five years waiting on an increase. I got the increase in 2002 but the ED was 2002. Something wrong but I was intent on get TDIU, so I let it slide. Now I think of these potential fights and I wonder if it is worth the stress and uncertainty? When the VA lies to me it makes me madder and then I file more claims. I don't mean to get off the topic of overall VA failure. The VA is failing us all. I have to visit my new PCP today. God knows what kind of xxxxxxx he will be I am hoping he just continues the mildly poor care I have been getting.

John

[Pete53]

there is nothing funny about VA lies

[63SIERRA]

I now get good care from the VA. I think that the reason is Dallas VA got ranked as worse of all and they fixed it. It has slid back for some but I feel that they take pretty good care of me.

The biggest problem I have with VA is its a training hospital and we are a bunch of old guinea pigs being practiced on by inexperienced Doctors

I still dont know who did my kidney surgery, every time I ask they tell me someone different. maybe they take turns, one cuts. one clamps, one suction , one sew, one clean. you know how those union jobs are.

[63SIERRA]

there is nothing funny about VA lies

LOTTA PISSED OFF VETS TODAY.

Im actually nauseiated by this disgusting evil organization.

Edited July 15, 2014 by 63SIERRA

[Berta]

more links to VA crapola:

I dont get it as to the fact VA said they have overpaid some veterans.

It seems to involve the ratings they did on 'provisional claims".


Here is more on yesterday's IG report release:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/report-fast-tracking-claims-helped-veterans-affairs-backlog-stats-hurt-vets/article/2550835

Here is the link to the actual report.VA IG release, July 14, 2014 Baltimore VARO

In part::

"On June 19, 2014, the Acting Director of the Baltimore VA Regional Office (VARO) alerted the OIG that approximately 8,000 documents and claims folders for 80 veterans were inappropriately stored in a supervisor’s office. Desk audits of staff office space performed by VARO management revealed about 1,500 additional documents containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) were inappropriately stored in employees’ individual workspaces. We initiated this review to assess the allegations of a lack of accountability for mail management and benefits claims processing at the VARO. OIG dispatched a team of benefits inspectors to the Baltimore VARO from June 21 to 27, 2014, and substantiated the conditions reported. We determined a supervisor had inappropriately stockpiled about 8,000 documents in an office. Most of the documents reviewed contained PII and consisted of processed and unprocessed claims-related mail with the potential to affect benefits payments."

and
"Alleged scams include entering the wrong origination dates on claims, thereby making them appear newer than they really are; hand-picking simple cases that can be processed quicker, which improves productivity numbers; or destroying records needed to process claims.

In Philadelphia, IG investigators found mail bins full of claims and other documents that had not been scanned into the electronic records system since 2011, Halliday said in written testimony.


http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-14-03644-225.pdf

More here on the hearing last night:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/15/va-is-making-disability-payment-errors-in-rush-to-cut-backlog-watchdog-says/

Somewhere in the IG report it says that lots of errors were made in TBI claims, and also that many pension claims were

not worked on at all.

All of the information coming out is very disturbing.

I actually think maybe VA said they overpaid some vets just to cause all SC vets anxiety.

Heck, VA does all they can to deny even the most valid claims, so I can hardly believe they have really overpaid many veterans.

Plus they are forgetting, unlike the VA, veterans have Honor.

I think the last thing any vet would do is accept what they know for sure is an overpayment from the VA.

But if overpayments were made, and VA wants their money back, the veterans can also file for a waiver of the overpayment....after all the VA made the error, ....they didn't.