How Do I Update Va Regional Office?

[Chief Pink]

Hello All.

Background: I moved to Kansas from Georgia almost a year ago. While living in Geogia my VA Regional Office was the Atlanta VARO. The claim that I filed through them has long since been completed and closed. I just recently initiated a new claim through eBenefits and also made contact with the VSO in my area.

Issue/Question: eBenefits shows that my VARO is still Atlanta, GA and a letter that I received yesterday from Atlanta confirms it. I asked the VSO to update the VARO to Wichita, KS since it is obviously closer to me than Atlanta, GA. He stated that he is unable to do that and that the Veteran is not allowed to pick and choose which VARO to use. I understand the not being able to pick and choose a VARO but shouldn't the VA automatically update my VARO to show the closest VARO to my physical address? I know that the VA has a habit of farming claims to other Regional Offices when their backlong justifies it. However, in the case of Atlanta versus Wichita, Atlanta has thousands more open cases than Wichita. So I'm confused.

Is there something that I can do to ask the VA to update my Regional Office? Will the VA automatically update my Regional Office when someone realizes that I no longer live in Georgia?

Thanks.

[carlie]

Personally, I would go to the VARO I lived closest to and speak

with a representative in person.

jmho

[Chief Pink]

Thanks Carlie for taking the time to respond. I agree with you but the closest one is still roughly 2 hours from me. Otherwise I certainly would have made a visit to them. Granted a 2 hour drive is better than a 2 day drive to Atlanta

But, it may actually come down to that. Time will tell I suppose. It will be interesting to see if the C&P exams will show an Atlanta address!

Thanks again.

[vern2]

The VSO is blowing smoke. Contact VA via 1800 and request new VARO due to your relocation, assuming you have no pending claims.

Vern2

[john999]

I would do just as Carlie suggests. You may want to file a claim again one day and you sure want the VA to know where you are. The VA does almost nothing automatically. They might send you an order to show up for a C&P exam in your old state not knowing you have moved. That will be trouble for you. When filing claims I usually tell people not to move once they have filed their claim because the VA can and often will send notifications to your old address. If your forwarding order has expired the letter from the VA will be returned addressee unknown.

[vern2]

Oops, saw that you have new claim. Maybe you do need to visit the local VARO to request a change, as Carlie stated.

[Chief Pink]

Yes it's a new claim and I don't have any open claims from Atlanta. The odd thing is that the VA has had my updated address for quite some time. My meds are mailed here, all correspondence is addressed correctly, my monthly money statement shows the right address etc., etc.

So, in an effort to keep from driving all the way to Wichita I left a message on the C&P line at the Wichita VARO. Hopefully, they will call me back next week. Otherwise, I will just need to make a road trip and get'r done. I hear that there is a great drive thru BBQ joint out there. Yes drive-thru, no sit down tables. Sounds like fun huh?

Thanks again for the input!