Your Recent Experiences With The Seattle Regional Office

[rootbeer22 255]

Folks:

I've had a First Time FDC claim in to the Seattle Regional Office for 6 months now and it's till in the "Review Stage"? I'd like to hear more from other Vets who have used or are using the Seattle Regional Office on what their experiences have been which includes both successes and major challenges to date with the staff and their processes? So far, I've read about their last OIG evaluation back in 2011 which talks about some issues that arose there - but nothing really unique to that office? However, that's been many years and I think it's time for a fresh look at what's happening there now with Veterans? My recent issue is that I asked for an in person review of my C-File months ago and did not hear back until finally last week. Then I received a letter giving me their published hours and an invitation to just come by and that someone from Customer Service would let me review my C-file? From my research, the Seattle RO has had the reputation of having some of the longest wait times for processing claims in the country - but I'm not sure if it's getting better or worse nowadays? I do know that they are a very large regional office and they process a lot claims annually.

Please let me and the group know about your experinces if your VA Disability claim is going thru the Seattle RO?

Edited November 18, 2014 by rootbeer22

[johnwreno 2]

Rootbeer,

My case is now in the Seattle RO on remand from the BVA on two issues. One Issue Mood Disorder to include PTSD was granted. Because I live in Washington State it went to Seattle which doesn't make sense to me since I use the Vancouver Clinic which is Part of the Portland VA and which is also a RO

All I know is that my Attorney has tried for months now just to get the extension numbers of the people he needs to talk to and I've even lent a hand trying to use my few connections here to get them all to no avail. This claim is rolling on into the 11th year. I also saw your request for your FOIA. I did the same thing and 2.5 to 3 yrs and 3 signature files sent that they kept saying the never received I finally get the files, one week after my C & P hearing, how convenient for them that was.

All I can say about Seattle is that the one response from them my Attorney sent me was just flat rude and typical of most of my VA experiences. Since I don't kiss there ass and walk the line they think they have the right to tell me to walk, I have to fight for every single scrap of anything. It's to the point that I don't use there services at all if possible, As long as I don't call them they don't call me, I've caught everyone I've dealt with over the yrs lying to me at one time or another, from mental health to housing and voc. rehab. My dr has no clue who I am or what ailments I have, and had no idea why I was on a narcotics contract. He asked me when I started loosing muscle tone in my left leg, His been my doctor for 7 yrs maybe I looked at him and ask how long you been my DR? What 5-6 years, My leg has been like this since 1997. And being on a narcotics contract I'm suppose to give a UA every six months, if street drugs are in my system I lose my pills. I had Pot in my system when I signed it probably 5 years ago. Havent done one since, and if he ask me I tell him I did labs and the UA and I don't know why it's not in his computer end of discussion. But I reasonitly went to the ER in Portland and told them in Triage I smoked pot and meth. My dr was on the phone the next morning reading me the riot act. He cut off my pills wants UA's once a week and if clean I can have a week prescription. They can keep them. After 25 yrs on them they don't do the trick.

Ive come to the realization that the second biggest mistake since I signed up for the Army in 1979 was filing a claim for compensation and that this is not something I am ever going to win and it's never going to end. I might win but that in the minds of others, the cost of it to me and what I've gone thru over the years and had to deal with the VA doesn't have enough money or resources to make up for what it's done and what it has cost me.

I wish you the best of luck and hopefully 10 yrs from now your not on here feeling as beat up and run over as I do

[Notorious Kelly 451]

John,

Really sucks what this bureaucracy has put you thru and I'm surprised vets don't go postal over it.

Please summarize your experiences and send them to the new head of the VA: Bob robert.a.mcdonald@va.gov and 513-509-8454

If that doesn't produce satisfaction in a reasonable time, go to the media.

Please don't give up for both yourself and all vets!

[Buck52 3,234]

Hang in there guys. I believe you will get fast results if you email or call the New VA Secretary Robert (Bob) McDonald = As Notorious Kelly!mention!

I hope you guys hear something soon!

[aplcr0331 0]

I filed a claim with them in August 2013 for increases in Bilateral Knees, Increase in Depression (Secondary) to Sleep Apnea, and Re-Open Sleep Apnea FDC claim. I was recently notified that my Knee increase was denied, my Depression was increased from 0% to 10%, and that my Sleep Apnea was deferred. The Seattle Office does not seem to have a lot of my medical records, especially the ones pertaining to my Sleep Apnea diagnosis while I was on active duty. Despite repeated uploads through eBenefits and repeated mailing of hard copies they are making decisions without having all of the evidence.

Kind of frustrating, I'm not sure my time frame is that bad...seems OK based on a lot of stories I read around here. I only deal with them through eBenefits and the Postal Service I've never called. Don't want to.

Good luck!

[rootbeer22 255]

Folks:

Thanks, I'm going to write a future newspaper article about my FDC and VBA claims process experiences and would like to see what's going on at the Regional Office with other Vets? So far, I've learned that huge amount of claims and their complexity is making it hard on everyone..especially those waiting on claims as well as the staff at the RO having to work extra-hard to make them happen. Also, I am concerned that it appears that Vets are providing evidence by uploading and sending it in but it does always seem to be present when the ratings are occurring? So the question is , "what is happening to the evidence and where is it going? There's some concern because I did extensive work in terms of my evidence prep to submit "all" of the existing evidence for my claim. Technically, all of my evidence should have been submitted and digitised in VBMS? However, when I submitted a FOIA to verify the successful, my claim was set aside and appeared to stop. No oine told me that a FOIA would do such a thing? Especially, in this era of electronic records. So, I had to cancel th FOIA to get my claim moving. A VBA Rep said my files were there but unless he knew all of the evidence first hand it would be difficult to say that it was all there. Currently, I'm awaiting ACE exams but I already submitted 13 DBQ's with exams completed on them. Currently, I'm at 13 months from when the informal claim started and 7 months when the FDC went it. My big mystery is that I'm just not sure that all of the evidence is there that I provided so there's a lot of faith that the VBA Rep was accurate that all of my evidence was digitised properly and fully in the VBMS System...I guess we'll see. Recently, I have decided to pull back my POA from my VSO because it's just another layer that is unessecary to deal with and I have not seen the value of the VSO anyway.

[63SIERRA 536]

"Thanks, I'm going to write a future newspaper article about my FDC and VBA claims process experiences and would like to see what's going on at the Regional Office with other Vets? So far, I've learned that huge amount of claims and their complexity is making it hard on everyone..especially those waiting on claims as well as the staff at the RO having to work extra-hard to make them happen."

The claims process is not that complex, please dont buy what they are trying to sell.

WRONGFUL DENIAL OF LEGITIMATE CLAIMS ARE THE REAL PROBLEM. DUE TO INNACURATE C&P EXAMS THAT NEVER SEEM TO LEAN IN THE VETERANS FAVOR, DOCTORS WHO MINIMIZE AND IGNORE VETERANS PROBLEMS, AND LEADERSHIP THAT LETS ALL OF THIS TAKE PLACE.

It is almost a war of attrition. How much can they lie, delay, minimize, lose claims, shred claims, stash claims is thier game. Time is on thier side, and they know it.

Edited January 13, 2015 by 63SIERRA