Veterans Benefit Administration continues deplorable record

[Gimpy]

Below is an article from Govexec.com about the Continuing Backlog of Claims at the Department of Veterans
Affairs. Each and every year the VA comes up with another lame-brain way to reduce the claims backlog and
process veterans claims efficiently, but it always turns out to be SMOKE AND MIRRORS, with nothing much of
a worthwhile nature being accomplished.

For example, in the article below you will find the VA stating:
"VBA directly attributes the increased numbers to the 2000 Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA), which
provides veterans with more assistance in preparing their claims, ".

What happened to the "PROMISE" of President Bush to see that these claims are adjudicated in a more timely and fair manner?? Just another "broken" campaign promise, HUH??

While the VA places much blame on the VCAA (Veterans Claims Assistance Act 2000), they never
mention that it was because the VA refused to obey Laws, and regulations that caused an infuriated Congress
to step-in and act by enacting the VCAA 2000.

The VA will have backlogs and endless appeals until the VA begins to embody the intent of Congress and
conduct claims adjudication in a truly non-adversarial way. Much like the Large Corporations of America (the
ENRON example) the VA seeks to find LOOPHOLES in the Law to get-out of doing their job, and to find ways
to COOK the books.



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April 30, 2002

VA still buried in claims backlog

By Tanya N. Ballard
tballard@govexec.com


Claims processing at the Veterans Benefits Administration
(VBA) remains slow and inefficient despite numerous efforts to reform the process during the past several
years, witnesses told members of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Benefits at a hearing held in
El Paso, Texas on Friday.

Six years ago, VBA launched an aggressive effort to improve its claims processing accuracy by using case
management techniques and by reorganizing its field offices into clusters meant to collaborate with one
another. VBA oversees the processing of veterans? benefits and pays out nearly $25 billion each year.

But several stumbling blocks kept VBA from achieving its goal. At the end of March, it was taking the agency
an average of 224 days to process a claim. Claims are for such things as disability compensation, pensions
and survivors? benefits. There are more than 400,000 cases, not counting appeals, still pending in VBA?s
backlog, twice the number of backlogged cases in fiscal 1997. The agency is now struggling to reduce those
figures to 100 days and 250,000 cases, respectively, a goal set by Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi.

VBA directly attributes the increased numbers to the 2000 Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA), which
provides veterans with more assistance in preparing their claims, and the recent decision to allow benefits for
Vietnam veterans with diabetes, said Robert Epley, VBA?s associate deputy undersecretary for policy program
management.

Still, an increase in employees and work hours at VBA will result in increased productivity and the backlog will
begin to diminish, Epley said.

Recent initiatives launched to tackle the ever-growing pile of claims include: the creation of a special team to
close out claims more than one year old; the addition of production goals to regional office performance plans;
and, the establishment of specialized processing teams at each veterans service center.

?We believe that our current strategies will not only further our efforts to reach the goal of 100 days for claims
processing time, but also serve to improve our business practices,? Epley told lawmakers.

However, Cynthia Bascetta, director of veterans health and benefit issues at the General Accounting Office,
said in her testimony that stepping up the claims turnaround time at VBA depends on more than just
increasing production and reducing inventory.

?While these initiatives seem promising, it is unclear the extent to which they will improve timeliness,? Bascetta
said, citing as an example the time spent waiting for evidence needed to complete a claim. ?VBA needs to
continue to reduce delays in the process.?

Bascetta said that officials at some of the regional offices are focusing on easier cases in order to meet new
production goals, which may cause older cases to remain unresolved. Information systems improvements are
also needed to help deliver improvements with claims processing, Bascetta said.

?After 16 years, VBA is still experiencing delays in implementing its replacement benefit delivery system,?
Bascetta told lawmakers.




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[Andy]

Gimp, I've got an "issue" with the VA right now. Things are moving slowly and I'd like it to be better but I'm not ready to come down on the President. Seems like he has a full plate to include keeping the number of future DAV members as low as possible.

It almost seems like the VA might need to be treated like the INS. There are so many people hanging out talking about how many years they have until retirement, maybe the organization needs to be changed from the top down, or a new agency needs to be established. That, of course, would be a big job and a lot of politics would come into play. As long as Bin Laden and the boys are loose, drug prices, espically for the elderly are high and an organization like the INS makes front page news, I'm not sure any big changes will be made to the VA. Trust me, right now I'd love to some real changes, espically in the rating board system, but regardless of who's President, it doesn't seem we'll see change in the near future.

I know it sounds like I'm saying the cup is half empty but remember there are some in congress, including people from my own state who thing Vets should just be washed in with people on un-employment, medicare and the like. Not sure that would be a better idea.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[Gimpy]

Even though I agree with a great deal of what you say.

A "PROMISE"---IS a "PROMISE"!

If the current administration can find "funds" to send "Aid" in the BILLIONS to Pakistan and other so-called "friendly" arab countries. (Personally I wouldn't send them two piles of monkey-shit, much LESS any "billions" in aid, until they handed over ---or EXCECUTED---every freakin Islamic radical in their country!!). Then, there SURE AS HELL must be some of those "funds" available for insuring veterans (past AND future) are adequately and fairly treated with "timely" and "accurate" disability claims adjudication!

Just like the "man" said---"A promise MADE should be a promise KEPT!!"--Quote, GW Bush.

[Andy]

No way would I think of drawing a line in the sand on this one. You are, of course, right. If he does nothing substantial by 2003, I'll yell with you.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[Gimpy]

You're a man of principal!

I'll be warm-en up my best "REBEL" yellin voice for ya come next January!