BVA APPEAL SLEEP APNEA

[NAVY NC]

I called Peggy and she was very rude, acted like  I was smoking crack said she couldn't see anything on this particular appeal. 

 

Thanks

[pacmanx1]

BVA APPEAL SLEEP APNEA - VA Disability Compensation Benefits Claims Research Forum - VA Disability Compensation Benefits Forums - HadIt.com Veterans

[brokensoldier244th]

13 minutes ago, broncovet said:

Buck...When you call Peggy, the person on the phone probably does NOT have access to your entire cfile.  If they did, it would take them a very long time to figure out what is going on, reading thousands of pages.  

Instead, they have access to another VA computer system which is more of a "summary" as to where your claim is at, in order to give Vets who call in a "status".  Its insufficient to rate your claim, that is a much more complex process than just checking the status which Peggy does.  

The Vets "cfile" is very classified information, and not available to VA employees "except on a need to know basis".  

If Jane Smith, a VA employee in VARO Dallas, wants to know about her brother's claim in VARO Missouri, she probably can not also see the entire cfile, because she is not the rater for this claim.  The access is restricted to VA employees actually working on your claim, and is not available to the janitor who has nothing to do with any VA claims.  

If I have an account at my base exchange online store (I do), I can not access "your" purchases if you also have an online BX account.  

Computer access is actually complicated, and yes, I studied it in college.  

In a similar way, you and I have access to hadit files as a moderator, and we can do stuff regular members can not do.  But tbird has "unlimited access", that is, she has permissions to do stuff we cant do.  We can not change the name of the company that hosts hadit websites.  

In a similar way, VA employees "only have access" on a need to know bases.  That "ask Peggy" phone girl "does not" need to see when/if you are having surgury and on what, when you call, because she does not need to know that!  So, she is not given permissions to access your medical file.  But, your doctor needs to know this.  So he would be given this permission. 

But, your doctor would "not" have a need to know, for example, if you were appealing to the BVA, filing a HLR, or not appealing at all.  He is not involved with your appeal, and does not need to know that stuff.  He is involved with your treatment, and needs to know the medications you are on, to make sure you dont have an allergy, and the like, but not anything to do with appeals.  

 

We are barred by law from working on claims for friends, family, acquaintances, etc- extending out to several levels deep and if we DO come across one we have to notify the Infosec people and then sit on it before getting approval or not. We fill out a list every year. Our own records are removed from our home VA and sent to another RO and are flagged specifically to deny us access to our own records unless we request them through external means like Ebenefits, etc, or as part of an FOIA, just like everyone else. During our 'darling' period we were allowed to try to locate records of acquaintances, family, friends, etc, to see if we could, and if so, then document it so that THOSE files could be marked as non-accessible. If I were to converse with one of you here and attempt to do more than look up something for you that wasn't assigned to me, besides potentially losing my job, I would never be able to work on that file again, even it it came to me normally as assigned. Any change that might be made would be logged, timestamped, flagged, and immediately referred to someone in the vicinity of an Asst director level person at my VA, along with infosec, who would then call me or pull me into the office ASAP asking why, and with what authority I was looking. 

 

I occasionally email veterans that have email addresses in their C files that I am working on because it is faster than calling them (within the confines of work). If they reply to me after the file has already been released away from me back to the queue, I can't just go pull it up again and add whatever information they may have added- I have to find who DOES have the file and let them do it- because its not my file to work anymore. 

[Fat]

Navy N.C. I got some good advise for you.

Unfortunately not all employees care or are expertise at their job.

You can call Peggy and get several different reps whom will give different degrees of help.

Most workers are wonderful, but some leave desire at the front door.

The only thing in the VA process you can count on is the evidence in your claim.

Make sure the CALUZA standard is met and the medical evidence meets the criteria for the desired rating.

Its possible to go crazy trying to figure why individuals do what they do.

I have experienced and moreover seen claims with all the medical evidence be low balled or denied flat out.

A LOT OF VETERANS JUST QUIT.

 

However ardent ones push forward.

A commission really needs to be formed to discuss the LEGACY System and the effects of its operation in creating the current backlog.

Aside from resources and money, no claim should fester for 4-5 years for a decision.

I think workers do the best they can do, but maybe the totality of stages and paperwork keep claims from receiving the proper attention.

I think AMA and the influx of Judges and attorneys will eventually get the problem under control; however reviewing past procedures and policy will make sure mistakes are not repeated in the futrure.

 

Stay strong, diligent, and continue to gather medical information.

PERFECT YOUR CLAIMS....................