What Is Your Number One Complaint About The Va?

[Slowlane]

If you had a chance to "air" your number one complaint about the VA what would it be?

1. Medical care?

2. Claim backlog wait time?

3. Total communication breakdown (no way to make your point)?

4. C&P lies?

5. Hamster wheel tactics and deny deny until they die? (my favorite)

CNN has opened the nations eyes over the medical scheduling crimes. Jeff Miller has said that "this is just the tip of the iceberg". CNN has a "Contact Us" link on their website.

This might be our big chance of get some national attention on some of the above items if this (Hadit) website could unite together and go forth in numbers.

However, sadly, this thread will die in less than three days. No messages will go forward to CNN. An opportunity to get some attention before the latest scandal blows over will be lost.

Slowlane

[georgiapapa]

It just seems to me that many issues could be prevented and existing issues could be resolved in a timely manner if veterans were provided with the same level of service at the VAROs as is provided to claimants at the Social Security Administration. You can usually find a SSA office within a reasonable distance, talk to a SSA rep about your claim in person or on the phone and within a reasonable time period (almost immediately). You can usually get your questions answered by a rep at SSA who has immediate access to your files and actually tries to help you. JMHO.

Georgiapapa

[Asiadaug]

Well, I was trying to figure out how to say something diplomatically. I know VA has a huge workload. But, having worked for the federal government for many years I can sort of spot "double talk" when I hear it. I also do not think the people answering the question really have anything to do with the claim or process.

ebenefits....allegedly the greatest thing since Skippy Peanut Butter does not work for me. I've enrolled in the system almost a year ago today. I can log in...and that's about it. I can not get to status of claim. Nothing shows up in Personal Dashboard. I have reported this to them many moons ago and the reply is always, "The developers are aware of your problem." At least they are straight faced enough to not say the developers are working on it, or the developers are fixing it. Nope...they are honest to that point.

Claims status...so, since I can not see claims status from ebenefits, they dutifully transfer me so I can get an update. The people on that end...sweet as you can be, say, it is in the development stage. Ok....that went on since last year, and so I recently asked what they meant by that. They said they needed proof of service with boots on the ground in Vietnam. Hmmm... not withstanding the fact that I enrolled at a VA hospital in Reno...no problem...I sent DD 214, DD215 and DA Form 20. Oh yeah and my medical records have the unit and APO number of the hospital "in Vietnam" that treated me. So, I asked them if it would help to resend a copy of DA Form 20 that I got from NPRC to assist in providing evidence of "boots on the ground. "Oh...well sir....there is more to it than that sir.", was the reply. So, that is Bravo Sierra speak for I don't know what they are doing. Ok, I got it.

Replacement of my old VIC with new, advanced, sustainable and environmentally friendly Veterans Health Identification Card? Is that forthcoming as you claim on your website? Umm..well sir....you are looking at maybe October timeframe.

So, what can I say that was good....ah....I got a free flu shot with no complications and relatively little hassle..... But hey...it's all good!

[Slowlane]

AAAYYYYHHH!!!!!!!!! OK after 2 pages of good complaints can we at least come together long enough to select the NUMBER-ONE-COMPLAINT??

And the number-one-complaint is:

1. Wait time for BVA Appeals.

2.

[john999]

Wait time for BVA appeals is a horror story. The thing is that many claims should never get to the BVA. They should be solved at the VARO level. Even if a BVA appeal "only" took a year that is a year too long.

[Slowlane]

Wait time for BVA appeals is a horror story. The thing is that many claims should never get to the BVA. They should be solved at the VARO level. Even if a BVA appeal "only" took a year that is a year too long.

John, There are so many complaints tied to BVA that it should be the ONLY item that we should try to get national exposure on. Wait time, SOC, Form 9, wait again on BVA, years and years and on and on and on. So, instead of a "top 5" complaints I am going to just focus on BVA problems.

[sgt papa smurf]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post, I have lurked here and learned a great deal.

My number one complaint right now would be falsifying information in my notes. I have had 2 visits to VA and reviewed my notes both times (yes same doctor) the information is flat out lies. I say I it hurts here/there, he listed no pain. Negative straight leg raise when I specifically stopped you about a quarter of the raise up and said it hurts and again when you bent the toes-yet again when you did the next leg/toe. One item ok-maybe a mistake but 4 things wrong lied about in one office visit!!!

I filed a complaint with patient advocate and next chance I get into VA will file what is wrong with notes formally. I am changing doctors but that makes me even more nervous because I know it will be known that I reported falsification about the one doctor and the next on will know. So be it. The good part is I wrote down notes after each visit so I would not forget.

I have read on other forums how much this is happening in notes/C&P exams etc... I have also taken the time to read the appeals and see how vital this information is in the decisions for us veterans-so it should be accurate. To me this is malicious with intent to harm my situation. This means more red tape and NOD's etc...further delaying other claims causing more backlog. If the information is accurate and reported truthfully the first time it would avoid all the additional cost to process it but more importantly provide justice initially for the veteran.

Most veterans don't read their notes or may not have access to them to see just how many little lies are being planted in their files. It seems many on here do and other forums but I had not until recently. For the most part I had a private doctor and those notes were correct. Now in my situation I need to rely on the VA and it is opening my eyes to why I tried to avoid them for years when I had private insurance.