Typical Iris Response To Questions

[vern2]

This is my response to recent VA IRIS email sent to me. It is replete with errors that IRIS and VA has made. Went to IRIS website and noticed that my claim, originally filed in July 2012, is now showing closed with no appeal, no nothing.! WTF.

I received this response from IRIS and have questions about it.
Response from IRIS:

Our records currently show your appeal is a traditional appeal.
We received your Notice of Disagreement (NOD) on October 7, 2014.
NOT CORRECT! THIS SHOULD BE OCTOBER 7, 2013.

Your appeal will be reviewed under the traditional appeals process. Right now, your appeal is awaiting that review. If we need additional information, we will contact you. If we don’t need any additional information, a decision will be made and you will receive written notification.
The processing of Notice of Disagreements average about 377 days.
NOTE: IT HAS BEEN OVER 377 DAYS SINCE I FILED NOD AND REQUESTED DE NOVO REVIEW.

The length of time it takes to process your NOD depends on the specifics of your case and the VA’s pending workload.
A review of your documents indicates you submitted a notice of disagreement (NOD) to the St. Petersburg Regional Office (RO) indicating you wanted to appeal the decision in your September 22, 2013 notification letter and requesting a de nova review or Decision Review Officer for your appeal. We show you also submitted supporting documents with your NOD.
NOTE: SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION WAS SUBMITTED STARTING IN JANUARY 2014.

We are reassigning your inquiry to the St. Petersburg Regional Office (RO) to request they update your appeal records to show you requested the de nova review and contact you to advise you when this has been done.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN " REASSIGNING"? MY CASE WAS AND STILL SHOULD BE WITH THE ST. PETERSBURG VARO. IF NOT WHERE WAS IT?

PLEASE Respond to my questions. Thanks!

What a crock! changed my NOD date by one year and then "reassigned" my case to St. Petersburg and ignored the fact that been over 377 days since my NOD.

Hate dealing with any aspect of the VA as incompetence is the accepted norm with this agency.

[Chuck75]

"The Woodward and Bernstein question is WHY?"

Money Money Money (and politics)

[Vync]

I almost never get responses to my IRIS questions. When I do, it tends to be six or eight months later and usually a form response.

[Buck52]

Did you request a ''Traditional Appeal?

just from my experience a DRO Reviewed decision worked better for my claim! jmo.

Edited November 25, 2014 by britton

[Buck52]

Sounds like the appeals team did not receive your NOD?

If so submit another NOD...With your original filling date! usually takes a year to process NOD's or sooner! depends on specifics & the backlog...also if you have more than one NOD or multi's NOD's The original NOD is taken first. this maybe why its taken your claim so long for decision?

Its possibly they just received your NOD on Oct 7th 2014,,,,because it got lost and they just got it a year later...as long as you have prof as to win you filed like return receipt of postage...

Edited November 25, 2014 by britton

[Stretch]

Problem of this is that many Ro's send cases to other VARO's because of the work load. MY claims are in Los Angeles, Ca., although I have been a resident of Arkansas for ten years.

It is my opinion that the Ro's can forstall claims by moving them around to different RO's. I don't think that this increases the speed of a claim in any way. It is just pushing the load around to different places. It is a shell game.

I know you don't want to hear this, but this is the way it is for now. You just have to hang in there with us and try not to become too depressed and/or angry.

I really like your example. I also like Rootbeer's comments. These are very true.

[Chuck75]

If policy is followed, the claim can be sent to another VARO, then back to the originating VARO.

The final disposition/decision is supposedly in the hands of the originating VARO.

I had a claim that was sent from on VARO to another. The second VARO sent me a copy of the decision,

but nothing happened further until the originating VARO did the things they do once a decision is reached.

(And, this was a Nehmer claim to boot!)