LA VA caught shredding vets’ letters
The Washington Examiner reports that the Veterans’ Affairs Department’s Office of the Inspector General conducted a no-notice inspection of a Los Angeles office and discovered letters from veterans which were scheduled for the shredder, but they hadn’t been opened or read. Eight of the nine would have had an impact on those veterans’ claims;
“Of the nine claims-related documents, five did not have required initials of both the employee and supervisor and the remaining four had only the employee’s initials,” the report said. “If … staff and their supervisors followed VBA policy, these nine claims-related documents would not have been placed in personal shred bins that are designated for non-claims related documents.”
The report said if the OIG had not stepped in, “it is likely that. … staff would have inappropriately destroyed the nine claims-related documents we found.”
The office couldn’t provide to the OIG a record of the documents that they had shredded over the past few years. Well, at least the VA has found a way to do away with the backlog of claims like they promised.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Is anyone here surprized?
Sad? Yes. Surprised? No.
Nooooooo ! ! ! !
🙁
This makes me sick. Letters that were not even opened? Those were probably documents the VA said were required within a certain amount of time for an appeal. But, the VA says they never received them, so I guess they don’t matter.
EVERYONE in the VA’s administrative services need to be fired and they need to hire vets at EVERY level. I KNOW there are enough out there with the required skills to do admin work at various levels.
Everyone? All of them? Great idea. Have you applied to work at the VA?
That’s a good one Eric. Most VA jobs are posted for internal candidates only. Need to keep that crooked culture crooked.
I agree. It will just too freakin’ bad that the one or two good employees will suffer along with the thousands of bad ones but that’s a price I am willing to pay. Can ’em all and hit the restart button. The VA has a culture of indifference, interrupted often by downright callousness.
Start with getting rid of obozo and his whole incompetent, communist, muslim organization first…then maybe a lot of fed agencies will shape up!
I wish I could agree. The bureaucrats roll on through administrations. It’s only the appointees who are dependent on the chief exec for their phony baloney jobs. Culture change simply cannot occur under here-today, gone- today leadership. It takes many years and job #1 of every appointee is to effect the chief exec’s agenda and take turns putting their heads up his ass.
The problem isn’t one of civilians vs. vets. It’s a problem of bureaucracy and accountability.
I had a Chief in the Navy who was a worthless POS who only cared about his retirement and his promotion. Actually doing his job was too much work so instead he kissed ass and tried to move up by being a spineless toad.
I also had a boss who was a civilian that was so many levels of awesome that if he told us we were going to storm the gates of hell and update their servers (I was in IT) we would have pack software and water bottles.
The problem with the VA is a “Screw up, Move up” attitude.
I think this comic nailed it about your boss in IT.
https://xkcd.com/705/
I have to disagree with you Flag.
I have friends who work on both the medical and the benefits side of the house who I barely see anymore due to the number of hours that they put in at work trying to make sure that they are doing right by the people they work for, you and I.
Putting in a lot of hours and working a lot of hours aren’t necessarily;y the same. I read that some websites (Asley Madison and another) that had been hacked just had the data released. 15,000 of the ‘customers’ had .gov and .mil addresses. I wonder how many will trace back to the VA.
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/state-and-regional/a-missouri-patio-paved-in-military-headstones-veterans-mad-va/article_7c5329b2-ad97-5283-8c0f-26992aecb2e8.html
But the VA is investigating, so it’s all good.
Well, the important thing, GDC, is that no Confederate battle flags were used.
First off, it’s amazing that vets who are able to do 20 years in the military, then another 20 in law enforcement or some other field, then have a house, car, spouse and take lots of vacations, complain about their free medical care and the VA not attending to their every need. Second, the VA doesn’t handle claims. that is the job of the VBA- similar name, different office. You want your claim upgraded, make a comp and pen exam. Clearly no documents received from vets should ever be shredded until after they are read and handled. But the venom in these responses is disgusting. Be grateful that the govt spends billions of dollars on vets. Take responsibility for your own claim. And if you don’t need the money, don’t take it. Others need it more.
Eric: Get back to work.
Had to laugh at that.
yes Eric, or better yet…….TAKE YOUR PILLS!!
I’m on mine Lol…..
Uhm, Eric? Most of those billions you say are spent on veterans really aren’t. Most of those billions are sent on rental property, employee salaries, stupid programs which are not at all helpful to veterans, and a myriad of other things which benefit anyone and everyone besides veterans. Like silly conferences.
And shredders. Don’t forget the money spent on those…
Calling for everyone in a broken government agency to be fired and replaced is not venom.
Venom would be an extremely hateful comment(s) calling for bodily harm or death.
It took me over 18 months (almost two years, actually) to get my claim settled, with multiple “we never received that document” excuses … so pardon me if I beg to differ with your opinion of “venom,” and “be(ing) grateful” with the VA/VBA.
I will, however, temper my comment with this; once I was in the VA system I have zero complaints about the actual doctor/neurologist care that I’ve received. (Although the PT/OT/KT care has been a tad ho-hum.)
HEY you candyassed fungus-headed thumbsucking booger-eating bedwetting toad snot-brained Sparkle Pony, try saying that to some twenty or thirty-something Wounded Vet that has medical issues from his or her time in service that needs help from the VA and hits roadblocks like these slugs drawing a paycheck for screwing around while the same Government goes full throttle to hand out as much as it can as fast as it can to illegal aliens and welfare flunkies. VA benefits are EARNED, they’re not some handout of taxpayers’ money like welfare.
You lose, o Smurf-kissing little unicorn-lusting glittery gargoyle gonad-gazing buck toothed Swamp Donkey!
Eric,
Mixing gin with your favorite huffing spray paint is not good!
MCPO
I’m sure he’s been downing Dutch Rudder Gang Cocktails behind a bus stop while doing that!
So he’s been gargling man-juice again?
Eric says, “and if you don’t need the money, don’t take it. Others need it more”.
I say …
BHWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Anyone mind if I point out the “Straw Man” argument being made here?
TLDR version: Take your bald attempt at deflecting blame and shove it up your ass…
Diplomatic (and verbose) version:
First – our friend Eric builds a best-case scenario: A veteran who is able to have a very prosperous and successful life after service. Yes, it happens, and probably more than most people think. Military life does indeed prepare most people very well for life after. I know it made me grow up and begin taking responsibility for my life. But no, it is not a universal rule that every Veteran is going to have an awesome life after service. Especially if they are dealing with injuries sustained while serving.
Which brings us to the second half of this straw man argument: “Complain about their free medical care and the VA not attending to their every need”. First, as pointed out by several other commenters, VA health care is hardly free. Much cheaper than paying for it out of pocket? Hell yeah. But not free. And how many actual complaints have you seen here, or anywhere else, have been that the VA is not “attending to their every need…”? Most Veterans that I know turn to the VA as a last resort, and only for the conditions that they genuinely need to be treated for. Yep – I have also met my share of folks who make a career out of expanding their share of the VA money – but again, they are by far the exception and not the rule. And it is the mindless bureaucracy that rewards this behavior and punishes those with a legitimate claim that is the very problem. It is not the Veteran in need that gets help, it is the Veteran (or poser…) that learns to manipulate the system the best who gets the most help.
Straw man arguments are made by folks with no real argument to make. Try again with an intellectually valid argument please.
Have a nice day! 🙂
This is for Eric:
http://imgur.com/a/QDbyt#31
Um, “Eric” . . . last time I checked, the VBA was NOT a separate entity from the VA. The VBA is itself a part of the VA. In fact, it’s one of the VA’s three main administrative divisions. The other two are the VHA and the National Cemetery Administration. Referring to the “VA processing claims” in this case is therefore correct.
You. Bag of dicks. Fork.
Get going.
And kindly GFY.
Eric.
How about a nice tall glass of STFU?
Eric, is that what your ponytailed pot-headed liberal college Perfesser tells you in your college freshman classes? Well he’s as FULL OF SHIT AS YOU ARE!!
I would have venture to say that anyone who did 20 years in whichever service, and then another 20 in another job, probably doesn’t need the VA to start with. And when did military retiree health care become free?? I want all that money I’ve been paying back!! And don’t get me started on all of the POSs that have and are scamming the system. I work with a guy who gets 40% disability for having psoriasis!! Really??? Those are the people taking money away from the vets that need it!
I’m with you on that, Bill. Yes, the VA has problems. However, they are also innundated with bogus claims and “missing” or false documentation. Explain to me why someone who never made it past a year, never deployed, and can’t or won’t hold a job gets the same amount of compensation as a real wounded veteran with missing limbs or other serious injuries. There is a huge difference between helping a true Wounded Warrior or paying someone not to be well when they are fully capable. The system is definitely broken.
Bill, please understand psoriasis can affect the bones to the point of crippling arthritis. It can also affect the heart.
However, I don’t want to sound like Eric.
Eric, if you’re still about, veterans are the VA’s customers. No one was drafted to work for the VA; and if you don’t like veterans, don’t work for the VA.
Bill W. just retired medically from the Army from injuries in da sand box, and yes there are quite a few shitbags out here shaming the system, the one that pissed me off and I guess my old NCM
was a 28 year old female that was placed in my WTB. she was in the Army 2 Weeks, and low and behold, she had cancer well you would think the Army would Fix her, and then give her the boot.
no thats not the case instead they ran her thought the whole MEB process and the army gave her
50 percent the VA gave her 80….my NCM was MAD AS HELL ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE HAD GUYS AND GALS WITH MULTIPLE COMBAT TOURS WITH MAJOR INJURIES and they were
lucky to get 20-30 from the Army and the VA 60-90 percent WTF. WTF is wrong with this picture
This is unconscionable. Every chart, file, request and letter that lands on a desk is as much a representative of a patient as if the patient himself were sitting there. It’s a sacred trust, and you handle every paper the way you would want your own request handled. How the people that do this can look at themselves in the mirror each day is beyond me. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of their karma, that’s for sure.
Pinto – those involved with this shit just don’t give a damn. They know it’s been done in the past and those that have done this have never been help accountable (probably a “slap on the wrist”).
Civil Service laws need to be changed, with accountability being the driving force behind it. Just live in a private sector job – you screw the pooch, you get a pink slip… no exceptions. Until there is genuine civil service reform, this shit will continue to happen and nobody will be held accountable.
I concur, and I think the first thing to accomplish is to DO AWAY WITH the AFGE, the Federal Government Employees’ Union, which I’m sure the dirtbag employees pay dues to. That, and how often do we hear about USG Employees being fired for incompetence or malfeasance other than when it helps boost some politician’s media image (and said dirtbags usually get rehired afterward)?
every envelope had VA employee initials on it. trace the envelopes back from shredder to employees. break the fingers of every employee that signed off and let an unopened envelope move on to a shredder. don’t let them handle any more VA mail.
Firing Squads.
Sounds like a waste of ammo, how about LYNCH MOBS instead? 😀
There are a ton of scammers in the VA. One CPT who I knew posted his CPAP on FB and bragged about how that is like 70 or 100% or whatever.
I know a NG recruiter who has never deployed but claimed PTSD from recruiting for 2 years and got 30%. Now hes fighting his other claim for his seasonal allergies that he claims he never had before he joined the military. Oh and he’s still in so he draws his drill pay and his disability….
Along with the good come the dirtbags… hopefully one day they’ll all be weeded out.
IMHO, those responsible are due an immediate transfer to a COP in the Stan. Civilian? Too bad. You’re the new clerk in a combat zone.
Retired USAF, SAC (B-52) Vietnam 311th Air Commando/Special Operations Sq (C-123) Alaska Air Command (C-123, EB-57, EC-118, VC-118) Tactical Air Command C-130:
I mention the above because of what I’m going to say.
Non combat VA 100%
1. 2nd Lt, pilot tng, 4-5 months active duty massive brain injury, will never be a functional person again.
2. T/Sgt 10-12 years active duty B-52 tire/rim separation result blind and loss of both hands
3. Capt 8-10 years active duty, ejection seat malfunction, quadriplegic
Later in life injuries
1. Ask any paratrooper over age 45 how his knees/back are holding up and how many procedures they have had done or been told they need.
The military by its very nature is hard on the human body in peacetime and wartime some injuries show up later than others. The ability to “push” through the pain and injuries decline with age.
The POLs and unfortunately the military leadership sold this distinction of combat non combat veterans about 10-12 years ago. It doesn’t matter how you got injured or killed in the service of your nation.
The number of fakers and they do exist getting some degree of compensation from VA is not the problem of the claims backlog it is the system that has been allowed to develop for handling the claims it has degenerated to an adversarial one and until that is fixed I don’t think it will improve. Military retired pay, success after the Military are not and should not be a factor, VA disability compensation is and has been earned by the service, lives and blood of all veterans.
It never fails to amaze me how well the medical side works compared to the regional offices.
Please do not let this or any other administration separate veterans into groups or classes of veterans.
[…] via LA VA caught shredding vets’ letters : This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here. […]
August 21, 2015
Thousands of vacant VA jobs costing taxpayers billions
“DECATUR, Ga. — The Veterans Health Administration says it has 41,500 vacant medical staff positions throughout its network of 139 hospitals and clinics.
Critics blame the complex hiring process, poor recruitment and low wages compared to the private sector.
But according an analysis by USA Today, even a 1% increase in job vacancies contributes to more appointments being pushed past a month-long wait.
According to data provided by the Veteran’s Health Administration as part of an open records request, the Atlanta Medical Center was operating last month without nearly 25% of its staff, or 880 medical workers. It was the fourth highest number of staff vacancies in the country.
INTERACTIVE DATABASE: Check VA vacancies (Search by facility, city or state for details and wait time)
Between the three hospitals in Decatur, Dublin and Augusta, the data revealed 505 vacancies for nurses, 137 for nursing assistants, 153 physicians and 205 medical support workers. James Wright says its obvious the pharmacy is also under staffed.
http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/decatur/2015/08/21/veterans-va-taxpayer-health/32122349/