Veterans deserve better service from VA
A new report on the handling of veterans' claims filed through a St. Petersburg regional office reveals a shockingly inefficient operation with thousands of claims from veterans waiting for processing. This would be horrible customer service in any circumstance, but it is inexcusable when the wronged are veterans in need. The Department of Veterans Affairs should move quickly to fix this systemic problem and ensure that veterans' claims are processed promptly.
A report released last week by the VA's Office of the Inspector General found the VA regional office in St. Petersburg had more than 41,900 pieces of mail from veterans around the state that were unprocessed. Another 1,600 boxes of claims materials awaited processing at a contractor's processing facility.
Investigators visited the St. Petersburg facility in December 2014 after a tip from a whistleblower who said veterans' claims were piling up. In January 2015, investigators also visited a contractor's processing facility in Newnan, Ga., where forms are scanned into an electronic system to be made available for claims evaluations. Investigators found it took an average of 30 days to scan veterans' forms, far longer than the five calendar days agreed upon by the VA and the contractor.
The report says the backlog was a result of "inadequate preparation of hard copy" the contractor received from the St. Petersburg office. The office often sent veterans' information in a manner that was unorganized and commingled loose papers with sensitive information for multiple veterans. Those items could not be scanned and would have to be returned to St. Petersburg for correction, the report said. Investigators also traced the massive backlog to a large increase in shipments from St. Petersburg to the contractor in late 2014 as the agency shifted to an electronic claims process.
The VA's revelations about this unacceptable backlog in claims is the latest in a long line of unacceptable service issues with the agency. For years, veterans have complained about long wait times to get claims processed, secure appointments with doctors or get equipment. More recently, complaints have surfaced about the mishandling of veterans' private health records and attempts to punish whistleblowers, some who say they have been targeted and had their medical records viewed by VA personnel without their permission.
After each accusation of wrongdoing, the VA has repeatedly said it is committed to making improvements. But the changes occur at a ridiculously slow pace -- if at all. In addressing the backlog of claims, the VA said St. Petersburg officials had reduced the unprocessed claims to 6,421 as of October. That is progress, but not nearly enough.
In its report, the inspector general's office recommended that the undersecretary for benefits ensure the St. Petersburg regional office consistently organizes and mails veterans' claims to contractor scanning facilities by holding the regional office director accountable. Investigators also suggested the undersecretary conduct the same due diligence at contractor facilities to ensure that veterans' documents are being scanned promptly and that sensitive records are stored properly. The VA should follow through.
The unprocessed claims are more than pieces of paper. They represent the lives and struggles of veterans who are in need of care. The VA dishonors veterans' sacrifices by treating their claims with such callous disrespect.
This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Veterans deserve better service from VA ."