OIG: VA fails to have appropriate staff address Vets appeals.

[broncovet]

Its explained here:

What this means:  There is a good chance if you recently completed an appeal, it was done by people who lacked the experience/expertise to do it.  

Who pays for this?  Vets do, in long delays.  

[brokensoldier244th]

I'm working as part of an IOG initiative for this for MST claims that were likely denied for bad/inexperienced evidence review, not locating behave markers, bad paper discharges under MH/DADT, unseen or late-flowing evidence that was prior to the initial decision, etc.

These types of occurrences are why the San Juan MST Op Center was created last year (where I work). 1 specific site to handle all MST claims, just like AO/Mustard/Radiation/Lejeune, etc. We work on other parts/contentions of the claim as well, but if it is primarily an MST claim it comes to us, and we are all specifically trained and/or have a background in something RE: MH, prior law enforcement, or law, CW/SW counseling, whatever. The OIG claims I am working on are a separate sub-initiative within the MST OP center, and ill probably be working on it for the next several months. 

 

 

[Rattler]

Was that part of that 2018 OIG report on the MST denials? My ordinal claim started in August 2017. 

What bronco bet posted is a different OIG that I got noticed the other day and posted in the forum. 

To me no matter what the issue is its always the same old thing. Unqualified people making decisions about claims. It doesn't matter if it someone at the VA or the imitation C & P doctors. (workers comp doctors posing as VA & P doctors)  This is the real problem with the system.

I am 100% thrilled for what they have done for MST Vets. The problem is not all MST Claims make it to your group. Sme person at the VA sees a UTH discharge and dismisses the claim because of it. Or they see a single AWOL in the record and dismiss the claim. With all the miss information out there that you have to get you discharge upgraded before you can apply for benefits. If the VA was forced to do more Charter of Discharge determinations by qualified VA employees who are trained to handle COD claims.  Hears an example. The Vet that got me going down the PTSD/MST road I am helping get his benefits is still getting juking around even though he did get his discharged upgraded to a General. He has 3 years of MH records stating from the head MHT  doc (Who he was seeing for MH) I am so tired of the scam screwing Vets out of benefits.

I should have put this in Rattler Rant..... 

https://community.hadit.com/topic/90225-veterans-are-still-being-required-to-attend-unwarranted-medical-reexaminations/#comment-533042

[brokensoldier244th]

It is related to it, yes. That report is what prompted VA to consolidate MST claims to only 5 sites with specially trained sub-groups, back in 2021. That then evolved into just creating a specific division just for MST. I'm one of the 15 people re-reviewing many of the claims that were part of that OIG Report review. There are only 15 of us out of VA doing this part, so it's going to take us a minute.

 

Many of them are plagued with myriad issues- bad records, unseen, late flowing, never requested, non-liberally construed stressors, military reports/counselings from cadre and Cmd that would curl your hair with how badly they are worded and how blatantly sexist they are. Those are usually the older ones, though, 90's and older, before the military started taking MST more seriously, at least on paper. 

[Rattler]

We need to clone you brokensoldger244th at the VA.

This vet had a pre streeser of having 4 members of his family murdered and was denied leave to deal with it. He went AWOL came back was put in a PCF faculty got a summary court that got deferred to anART 15. When he was at the PCF he got assaulted by an NCO and thing kind of fell apart. 

 

[brokensoldier244th]

Oh good lord. Yeah, that sounds about par for the course. The internal NCO part will be difficult- surely it's not in their OMPF, but if behavioral markers can be pointed to during/post-incarceration that will go a long way. Hopefully, they are/have/gotten at least some treatment documented somewhere whether VA or otherwise. That helps with the propensity of evidence falling on their side of things. 

 

I get to read all sorts of stuff like this. It makes some days more difficult than others, but Ive experienced ST as a child, and my wife was assaulted in college while we were distance friends, so, at the end of the day, I know that every claim I get researched enough to get re-examined and rated (and hopefully awarded) is a win in my column towards balancing the scales.

[Rattler]

You can bet I made sure that the doc's and only the doc's that related to his PTSD/MST claim are in there face. I even went out and found the newspaper clipping where his family was killed. They tried to schedule a telehealth C & P exam with the wrong doc. I had hime request one that works for VES that I know will do an honest evaluation on him. So I had him cancel it because he cant do telehealth and request they send him to this other MH doc at VES.

I probably should send this out as a PM to mods. The VA after 2 years and 8 Mo. finally sent me the email telling me that they are going to process my application for a claims agent. One catch, yup you guessed it they want me to fill out the application and resubmit it. I hope it doesn't put me to the back of the line.