New Va Scandal: Cbs News Finds Thousands Of Vets' Benefit Claims Discarded

[pacmanx1]

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/new-va-scandal-cbs-news-finds-thousands-of-vets-benefit-claims-discarded/

[Fat]

Shameful.........

I think a thorough investigation is called for and the guilty parties fired.

This is the reason why vets confidence has declined.

Further, this is a example of administration manipulation to "cook" the books.

Truth has to be a part of this process.

I'm beginning to wonder if they relaxed the nexus portion of the pyramid (in service disability, current disability, and nexus connecting the aforementioned).

Would the process go much faster.

The process is getting bogged down at a certain point and that point must be identified, corrected, and/or recalibrated.

The brave U.S. VETERANS deserve better.

[Berta]

a little more on this

In part:
“But a CBS News investigation has found widespread mismanagement of claims, resulting in veterans being denied the benefits they earned, and many even dying before they get an answer from the VA.” For example, Dorrie Stafford received a letter last summer addressed to her husband, Wayne, an Army veteran. But there’s just one big problem: “It’s dated July 29, 2014, and thanks Dorrie’s husband … for the disability claim he filed in July of 2004,” CBS reveals. ‘The decade-long delay is just one problem; the other is that Wayne died in an accident seven years ago, without hearing a word from the VA.“ According to whistleblowers, there are 13,184 similar cases dating back to 1996, and it’s not simply an oversight. One concerned employee, writes CBS, "said VA supervisors in Oakland ordered her team to mark the claims 'no action necessary’ and to toss them aside.” It’s increasingly evident our veterans are more well suited outside the system than in it."

http://patriotpost.us/posts/33449

[SoldierMedic395]

I'm thinking that Oakland is not the only one burying claims and supporting documents. I watched today's hearing but no one seemed to bring this up. Granted it was for budget proposals but it should have gotten at least a mention.

[broncovet]

Yea..many of us remeber the "October 2008" shreddergate, which, altho the VA promised to fix that (under Dr. Peake), its the same old same old. Remember what happened shortly after 2008, where Cleveland RO was found by the VAOIG to be one of the worst? You guessed it, Christine Alford was promoted from RO boss to VACO.

Im still trying to get my claim fixed from the 2008 scandal, and now there is the new one. I think Christine Alford is good friends with Bob Mayes, but I dont know if either or both of these are still employed by VA. Secretary McDonald should investigate both Christine Alford and Bob Mayes, and may uncover the source of this "culture of denial".

As I mentioned, Im still giving Secretary McDonald a "hall pass"...6 months is too soon to fix this, but, mostly, I like the changes I have seen with McDonald.

I dont know if he reads this, but the "email allison hickey" or email "Ronald McDonald" should be expanded. We should be able to email the RO boss...it would save a step...and only if the RO boss did not fix it would we email Allison/McDonald. Its the chain of command we learned in the military. You report and issue to your supervisor. Give him some time to deal with it. Then you go to his boss, and his bosses boss, on up to the pentagon. Its the chain of command. We had to memorize ours when I was in boot camp. If it worked there, why not here in the VA/

Edited February 26, 2015 by broncovet

[Notorious Kelly]

The labyrinthine, juggernaut, convoluted, clandestine,antiquated VA disability 'process' needs to be scrapped and completely redone.

Is there a flow chart somewhere that details this absurdity?

Putting some numbers on that chart might give better insight as to what's REALLY going on, and I don't mean the fluff reports they do now.

[John46]

For all veterans who qualify for VA care should be able to go to any doctor that accepts Medicare and let VA pick up the tab. Have the vets doctor fill out any C&P exams or better yet have a specialist (in that field) do the exam. That would solve the care we get overnight. I believe in the long run money would be saved.