Obama: VA has reduced backlog
Last week, President Obama told the Disabled Veterans of America that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has reduced the backlog of disability claims and he’s pleased, from the Washington Post;
“Today, I can report that we are not where we need to be, but we’re making progress,” Obama said during a speech at a Disabled American Veterans’ convention in Orlando. “In the last five months alone, it’s down nearly 20 percent. We’re turning the tide.”
White House officials told reporters that the administration has reduced the backlog — claims pending for more than 125 days — from 611,000 at the end of March to 500,000 in August, according to an Associated Press report.
In May, the Department of Veterans Affairs began what it described as a “surge” to address the buildup. The plan required all VA employees who process disability claims to work a minimum 20 hours of overtime each month through September to tackle the delays.
Our buddy Pete Hegseth at Concerned Veterans of America, think that the problem is systemic;
Today, President Obama addressed the Disabled American Veterans national convention, outlining what his administration is doing to keep America’s promises to our nation’s heroes.
Pete Hegseth, CEO of Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) issued the following response:
“For months now, a multitude of problems at VA—especially the bureaucratic disability claims backlog—have fallen on deaf ears in the White House, so we applaud the President for finally taking the time to address this long overdue issue. It’s unfortunate that it took efforts of groups like Concerned Veterans for America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, along with sharp words from many Members of Congress, to finally get the President to give the topic the issue it deserves. This speech was long overdue.
“For the past year, CVA has brought attention to the VA backlog problem by significantly raising public awareness, thereby forcing VA to respond with short-term measures to reduce the number of pending and backlogged claims. These temporary steps — like mandatory overtime and provisional rulings — have created the perception of improvement. Yet, 800,000 veterans are still waiting.
“If the president is truly committed about fixing the VA backlog—and the prospects of future backlogs—he should empower Secretary Shinseki, and all future VA secretaries, with the authority needed to hold VA employees accountable for their work. VA employees have one obligation—to serve America’s veterans; and VA employees at all levels should be hired, fired, and rewarded based on the merits of their efforts alone. Bad employees are nearly impossible to fire at VA, and we have seen countless examples of VA employees receiving bonuses when none were deserved. This unacceptable culture must change.
“Only this type of systemic civil service reform will allow VA to forge a culture of excellence that ensures the needs of veterans are met in a timely, accurate, and appreciative manner. To this end, CVA has gathered more than 25,000 signatures calling on President Obama to instill accountability in the department and fix the VA backlog. CVA will deliver this petition to the White House on August 20th, and continue our efforts from there.”
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Obama also said that Al Queda was decimated and no longer a threat… he also said he was going to cure the oceans, bring together our friends and enemies in dialogue…
I believe the only time he is not lying, or telling some more tall tales is when his mouth is shut.
I filed in March (online) to add my daughter as a dependent.
They said I needed her SSN which was on the way. About 3 or 4 weeks later I was able to scan it and add it to the file. it still says “Gathering of Evidence”.
I was able to get someone the phone at the VA help line who confirmed that yes, they had the file they needed. He was a DAV too and so I didn’t rip him a new ass when he told me that the approximate time for processing through the Baltimore field office was 15 to 18 months.
/lovely.
Obama said it? Then its a lie.
Next.
@2, I am waiting for them to fix my dependents staus as well. 2 boys still in school over 18,dropped when they turned 18 as dependents but submitted the required documents to show they are both still in school. Have about the same wait time here in Massachusetts as well.
The amazing part is that they are making the overtime efforts seem like the useless turds at the VA are somehow putting in a herculean level of work to clean the Augean stable they have created through their own sloth from decades of glacial progress.
Any private enterprise would have collapsed and failed long ago with this level of productivity from its’ employees. While I am not suggesting private enterprise would be any better it’s clear that the VA is hiring people who don’t understand their mission and who don’t understand it should be an honor to take care of the needs of our service men and women. That doing this work as quickly and efficiently and honestly is the minimum standard.
Obama’s answer for everything is to make a speech about it. Words , not actions, is as far as he ever goes in his leading from behind style of governing. His first action as president was a speech and an executive order closing Gitmo. Four and a half years later Gitmo is still open. In his Gitmo speech he said that it would close within the year. His backlog makes the VA look absolutely speedy.
Yet another speech where we’re supposed to be impressed that everyone must work an extra hour a day to do what they should have been doing years ago.
Anyone else remember when the VFW caught the VA paying bonuses, not for efficiency but for the number of claims denied. Bet that is still going on.
I cringe every time I see the word President in front of that charlatan’s name. Yeah, I know he is the twice elected chief executive but I don’t have to be reminded of it. Clinton started the job of reducing the lofty office to the most exclusive place for a BJ in the world and obamaman is finishing it by screwing the entire country from the same place. It’s another way to reduce an institution to the same status as a local school. Nothing special here at 1600. Just another place. In fact, according to Mrs “All this for a flag?” obamaman, the WH is no better than a prison.
@9 – The WH is no better than a prison? Yeah, a former associate of mine works at the WH, and most (if not all) of the military members on the WH Military Staff hate it there, too.
Go figure.
“In the last five months alone, it’s down nearly 20 percent. We’re turning the tide.”
I wonder how much of the decrease is due to people dying or just plain giving up.
This POTUS is all talk.
Started my VA adventure last friday. Turned an elibility form with my last DD214, only to be informed the VA says I only have 2 years of active duty. So, now I have to prove the other 24 years.
Just adding to the backlog.
Disgusting. Yeah, right. Any movement of the piles of paperwork is being done by the hands of folks well below the pay grade of the announcer in chief. They don’t write the rules which are slowing the process.
But, hey, let’s not look at reality at the VA. Reality doesn’t look so good.
If Obama’s lips are moving, he’s lying.
He could tell me the sun was shining, and I’d have to step outside to verify.
@11–I wonder how much of the decrease is due to people dying or just plain giving up.
You could say the same thing about the unemployment rate.
Seems to me they could have MORE people working at the VA than are on active duty, and they’d STILL find a way to take at least 12-14 months to process a claim.
And 52 percent of the people voted for the man who wants to put YOUR healthcare in the hands of people Just. Like. THIS.
Another round of stupidity on VA issues from the honchos in the White House.
The problem isnt rooted in the amount of hours the VA puts in, its the procedures they use and the attitudes and work ethic. Streamline the paperwork, make the system smoother and get rid of the dead weight.
Just yesterday I got a letter from the VA to fill out and send back to get me into the VA system. I have already been in the system for 3 years. Yet they are going to waste the employee time and resources to send me a letter and waste more time simply confirming something that I am not only eligible, I’m in their system.
I filed at the end of February 2012. I had my assessment in June and called the other day to see what was happening. I was told that I was approved on the 1st of this month and it was sent to a regional committee to determine if my paperwork was correct (whatever that means). I was told that it wouldn’t be long now, but am afraid that it was rubber stamped and low-balled.
That’s how the Administration is clearing things up. Rubber stamp them with the low-number and let the vets sit in appeal for a decade with everyone else. I’m just praying that I get enough to afford the help I need…
@17 Flagwaver, I hope it’s soon bro. It took me 23 months, Hell I got Social Security in 11 months,,, even having to appeal it. Its bad when the VA is worse then Social Security.
The medical care is easy compared to the pension part.
@17, yeah thats one way they clear the backlog. If they give you a partial finding on any condition you are claiming its taken off the backlog, even if it takes longer to settle the rest of it. If your ducks are in line you should be okay, I know its stressful as hell waiting though.
I wish, Old Dog… Walter Reed lost my entire medical jacket… Everything from BCT until I got blowed up… The grenade training accident, the shot to my rear hip (it was NOT an ass wound), the detonation and subsequent replacement of my kneecap with a piece of Hasbro plastic… all of it.
Flagwaver,
I crashed and burned hard due to a service related condition 11 years after I retired. May 2011 my package started, July 2011 I had my first exam,,, Months went by, then a year. The VA stopped sending me update letters ,, In June of 2012 I finally got a hold of someone and they said they were waiting to get 2 of my medical records I had given then access to 13 months before. I personally went to the hospitals and got the records and put them in the hands of the VA rep. It took me putting in a financial hardship package to get my final findings in March 2013.
If they are saying they have reached a finding its probably good news and you will find out soon, Hope so anyway.
Please keep in mind…this is the same “Caring and concerned” Obama that once suggested that Vets should pay for the treatment of injuries received in combat with their own insurance.
The man has himself never risked anything more dangerous than a bad photo op or rock bottom approval ratings.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/18/obama_drops_controversial_thir.html
The notion that he would even consider such a thing speaks volumes about him.
Aww, give him a break, people. He’s only repeating what someone else told him. He’s got golf games to play, holes to putt into, sandwiches to eat. He’s a busy guy. (sarc)
@8 You’re very close but what was happening was the initial decision makers received bonuses for processing claims in an expedient manner. What was the fastest way to process the claim? Deny it. In all my years at the Vet Center I went through this crap too many times to mention, especially out of the Winston-Salem VARO, which is one of the worst in the country for this. My best buddy had Prostate Cancer, which is Agent Orange presumed, and also PTSD which he never filed on but had been treated for since 1978. Both were backed up by evidence, his medical records on the prostate cancer and write-ups from people who had been treating his PTSD for years. He filed a claim for both. Deb and I happened to be visiting Dan and his wife when he got his letter from Winston’s VARO. “No evidence veteran has prostate cancer. No evidence veteran was ever treated for PTSD while in service.” When he filed the claim I told him this would happen and he said, “I have cancer and all the records of treatment. How the hell can they do that?” I hated that I was right but I knew that office well. He eventually won both when his VFW/NSO immediately took the claim back in to the adjudication office to have it reassessed without appeal. Also, they never even gave him a C&P before the first determination. I have a ton more of these stories, but this is their game. I believe what they are doing now is giving an immediate lowball, 10%, then saying that the final determination will be made in the future. Then they can say they processed it and give themselves a check mark in the backlog reducing box. GET REPRESENTATION! Many of these claims can be fixed without going through the lengthy appeal process which takes years, and years, and years.
VA reminds me of the airlines – if they partially process a claim and kick it into a new bin, it’s handled for now. If you get on a plane and push out from the gate, you’re on time even if the plane sits on the tarmac for hours. (Sorry, delays at O’Hare last week left me cranky.)