Why does the VA try to do all at each location?

SFC Carlton Crider — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 12:16:18 -0500

I am positive that the Veterans Administration does some things very well at each location, for example PTSD in Omaha, Prosthetics in Cleveland. I think the VA should break up the individual claim and send them to the regions that are experts in that field and return in a timely manner. If they send to expert regions then all regions would have work instead of, for example, Detroit overworked and broken beyond repair and Anchorage underworked with absolutely nothing to do.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2014 1:25 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 13:25:19 -0500

I like that idea, SFC Carlton Crider. The biggest problem would be the cost of travel and lodging. Who foots that bill? The VA? The individual? That's probably why each VA location tries to do it all locally.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2014 3:19 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 15:19:36 -0500

Gotta say there's another path - find enough experts for each region, even if only as temporary hires or consultants. The reality is there simply aren't enough experts in many of the fields that veterans are affected by in the regions. Sending the data for the claim to an expert 1000 miles away doesn't make sense if the veteran opts to challenge - then what? Does the veteran or the expert do the travel? The reason for the regions is to reduce the amount of travel for both the veteran and the experts. Additionally, there's enough issues with paperwork - electronic and hardcopy - being lost within the regions and now you are expanding the potential for lost paperwork and claims data. I can't tell you how many times I've re-sent paperwork on behalf of a veteran because paperwork was mis-handled at the regional level - imagine what would happen if we are sending paperwork from Florida to Hawaii ....

Response by CPO Bernie Penkin made Dec 8 at 2014 11:23 AM

CPO Bernie Penkin — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 11:23:56 -0500

It's too bad that parts of the VA system couldn't be combined with Tricare or private health insurance. Referrals could be made by the primary care doctor who has a better insight into the vet's medical history and any VA related medical needs would be billed accordingly.

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Dec 8 at 2014 5:02 PM

PO2 Corey Ferretti — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 17:02:50 -0500

SFC Carlton Crider are you saying to ship a veteran to all there locations or send there paperwork? If it is to ship a veteran to all these places how would we fund that in this time of budget concerns. Then if we ship the paper work to all these locations to me that is more of a chance for paper work to go missing and take longer on the end of ratting. When i was MEB i was stationed at NAVFAC SW in Fallon, NV. I had to go down to Balboa Naval hospital then i had to get all my paper work sent down there. After that they had to send my package off to DC. At one point no one new where my paper was just it went off to DC. When i called DC they could not talk to me only My PEBLO. So for me this could become a sticky situation.