That's what Daniel Bertoni, director of education, workforce, and income security at the Government Accountability Office, told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee this week on the need to improve how the department processes a growing mountain of disability claims.
Much of VA's problems in processing disability claims, which totaled 1.6 million in 2008, stems form the fact that the agency still handles paper claims.
But, Patrick Dunne, VA's undersecretary of benefits, told the committee that the department has a paperless processing initiative, which sooner or later will resolve the problem. Dunne did not provide a timeline for the truly paperless claims process. That's because in order to go paperless, VA first needs to do the business transformation thing. MITRE, the federally funded think tank, has been working on transformation for the Veterans Benefits Administration since 2006, and VBA has now enlisted Booz Allen Hamilton to help out, Dunne said.
Booz Allen, I'm sure vets with well-aged claims will be delighted to know, will provide VA with "business process re-engineering, organizational change management, workforce planning and organizational learning strategies to ensure that VBA positions itself to take best advantage of the technology solutions being developed," Dunne told the hearing.
I think VBA needs fewer buzz words and more action to fix its broken claims processing system.
COMMENTS
Health Care and Using The VA Excuse Against...
One of the reasons the VA runs into problems is the extremely quick influx of patients, while the agency has always been underfunded causing the inability to streamline quicker and upgrade technology faster which would have saved money, from our Wars of Choice!
Also, as the country ignored thus not understanding, the problems War and Occupation creates on those serving, severe PTSD in many, just as it ignores the PTSD in the civilian population caused by extreme trauma lived!
The Country never wanted to Spend in order to Save, always playing catch up, costing more!!
James 08/10/09 09:35 am ET
Everyone feed up with the VA should meet me on my Facebook page. Especially the people like my husband who has also been waiting over 30 years for the VA to "Do the Right Thing." His case is not unique, however; we took it to the White House before they would re-open his claim. Someone on this Comment Page mentioned that the VA employees are trained to CYA and that is ALL. Please everyone interested in forming a Facebook group e-mail me at august101950@yahoo.com.
Thank you NEXgov for hosting this Forum.
Let's put a fire under their A@%&&**
Doris Pruitt 08/05/09 02:10 pm ET
The VA system needs more than an overhall.
I submitted my claim in 1997, it's been to BVA twice and USCAVC once, still waiting for the C&P examinations for nearly 12 years even though the court and the BVA directed the VA to do so.
Here are a couple of suggestions:
Change the law. Any VA claim that isn't fully adjudicated thru appeal within 3 years will be granted at 100% as of the date of claim. That would light a fire under the VA and the BVA.
Reorganize. Take all the claims workers from HHS and transfer them to VA. Take all the VA claims workers and transfer them to HHS.
Institutionally, VA awards workers for denying claims. Once done, the entire VA works to rubber stamp the negative decision. No one in VA ever again looks at the paperwork with an eye towards the merits of the claim and granting the Veteran's claim. The VA only works to protect itself. Not only does the VA look the other way, it is willing and eager to coverup employee misconduct.
Compare the VA with when people apply for public assistance, the HHS workers bend over backwards telling the applicant about food stamps, public housing, WIC payments, pre-school meals, subsidized lunches, MEDICAID and the list goes on and on. Then the HHS makes sure the paperwork is done right and approved.
Veterans have served this country and suffered wounds and they deserve better. They are met with a great big "no" at the VA and nobody, but nobody in that organization cares. They delay and delay in the hopes the Veteran will die.
The VA simply can't be fixed, every president since Lincoln has tried to do so and none will ever reform the VA. It's too well entrenched w/ generation after generation of workers taught to simply say "no" and unwilling to do their jobs in assisting veterans with their claims.
v/r
phil lindley
Phil Lindley 08/04/09 10:45 am ET
The VA should also look into the Medicare Appeals System at CMS. This systems has dramtically reduced the appeal cycle time and has received praise from just about everyone. As stated in some other posts, VA should not re-invent the wheel when excellent case management solutions already have been implemented and can be replicated.
Gary 08/04/09 10:32 am ET
The VA Secretary and SubSecretary should look deeply into the technological transformation the Social Security Administration accomplished in the last 1-2 years. The electronic files (e-files or paperless files) started with the initial adjudication level and all adjudications thereafter. We're seen mostly (about 90%) of the e-files claims now at the Judge's hearing level and mainly the only paper files are the old claims that went to Federal Court and are back on Remand. The VA does not have to reinvent the wheel when it can learn the whole process from another Federal Agency that has been implementing such technology for the last couple of years. In addition to adjudication staff increase, the techonology processing system of e-files has resulted in a continuing decrease in the SSA huge backlog that was so disturbing and criticized by the American people, Congress and the media. So, VA, get yourself to work now!
ET 08/04/09 08:37 am ET
the hole system needs a big overhaul. Just changing the paper work to digital records does not change the step by step process the va has for grading claims.
king kong 08/04/09 12:37 am ET
My husband and I have been waiting 30 years for a final adjudication!
Diane 08/03/09 10:44 am ET
I am so frustrated with excuses. We have been in the system since Feb 2008 and have been in appeal since January 2009. By this artical me might as well expect to wait even longer. The paper trail is not the only problem with this process. There may be a serious question as to the competency of the medical force. (A Phys. Ass't gave the Disability and Pension physical) The VA determined 50% on my husband and completely ignored two of the most serious disableing health conditions that are a part of, or related to, his record while in active service. He could have been drawing benefits for the last 30 years but chose to wait until his conditions prevented him from being gainfully employed. Thank goodness I have been able to keep us above water financially or we would have drowned waiting for entitlements. It is pathetic that men and women risk their lives and give up their health for this country and then have to feel humility when seeking compensation to survive.
Al 08/03/09 10:09 am ET
The long time span between filing for disability claim and actually receiving beneits is totally unacceptable. The VA Office here in St. Louis, Missouri need to move all of its people in one building. There is good space at 4300 Goodfellow Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri (GSA runs this facility). Next VA need to hire more people to handle these claims. Next VA need to setup teams to handle a certain amount of claims per day. Next hire college students and high school students throughout the year to help with the overall VA process. What ever happened to the "STAY IN SCHOOL PROGRAM",.SUMMER PROGRAM" etc? HIRING VETERANS etc. Stop talking and get the work done, buy more computers, update how you do business, update computer skills, hire computer technicians and managers who can work with adults and get a job done.
Jones 08/03/09 10:07 am ET
Your commentary is rather shallow, and shows a bit of journalistic laziness. First off, it's "Booz, Allen and Hamilton Inc." -- not "Booze Allen Hamilton."
Second, what VBA does is extremely large, extremely complex. Sort of passing off the sort of effort it will take to completely transform this huge organization in a sort of smirky way doesn't lend you much credibility. You don't know enough about the subject matter to be so cavalier.
Jack Ryan 08/03/09 06:48 am ET
"I think VBA needs fewer buzz words and more action to fix its broken claims processing system."
It's Booz Allen the mega govt contractor , so, they do understand how these things work; they probably get paid by the character.....
"...business process re-engineering, organizational change management, workforce planning and organizational learning strategies to ensure that VBA positions itself to take best advantage of the technology solutions being developed,"
zz ziled 07/31/09 06:54 pm ET