Claims manipulation Wichita RO

[Berta]

"In April 2015, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) received an allegation that Wichita VA Regional Office (VARO) management instructed staff to input inaccurate data when entering Notices of Disagreement (NOD) into the Veterans Appeals Control and Locator System (VACOLS). Allegedly, VARO staff entered inaccurate data to improve timeliness measures associated with appealed claims processing actions."

full story at

http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-15-03581-204.pdf

[Meddac]

So Wichita reviewed 10% of 762 cases (75), and found that 4 cases were incorrect. Their plan is to review 10-20 cases a month? They found errors in 4 of 75 cases so why are they not reviewing the other 687 cases? How is this process even acceptable to the OIG? Development was delayed by an average of 264 days, management is squarely to blame it appears, and they still have their jobs.

Bob McDonald is NOT concerned for Veterans, only for his political image. I really need to do a podcast episode on the "money grab" that takes place in the Washington area. Some would probably find it interesting.

[Buck52]

I wish we had a VA Secretary that would stand up for us veterans and speak their mind and not let members of congress or the house committed intimidate.

jmo

...........Buck

[Meddac]

12 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

I wish we had a VA Secretary that would stand up for us veterans and speak their mind and not let members of congress or the house committed intimidate.

jmo

...........Buck

Here's what he thinks and the opinion of the Examiner in Washington:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/veterans-administration-weve-failed-pay-us-more/article/2589776

I spoke of it in my latest show. Bob McDonald is not what VA needs, but I think he'll continue into the next administration.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Meddac

[Buck52]

Jbasser  aka hadit Admin  and host of the hadit blog talk radio show

had mention  a year or two ago what he thought about Robert  A (Bob) Mc Donald  and I believe he was right

jmo

........Buck

[Buck52]

haha

What an understatemet.

Perhaps it's progress that McDonald acknowledges that his agency has a very serious problem

[Meddac]

Addition information seems to state that this is an issue of Claims Assistants just attaching a general diagnostic code to everything that comes in. CA's aren't trained very well at all (it's all internal). It doesn't get management off the hook at all though because they just remained passive in allowing it to happen.

The attached article states "Since claims assistants weren't able to accurately diagnose patient conditions, they entered the same incorrect code on all similar appeals, figuring they'd be corrected later.", and goes on later to state that "The inspector general's report did not go into those details because that wasn't part of its scope"

http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/us/article/Report-VA-office-in-Kansas-manipulated-data-on-7379060.php