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| (NBC News photo) |
It’s been called a “bureaucratic nightmare” and a “national
disgrace,” but the staggering backlog of nearly 1 million veterans benefit
claims at the VA should be called a scandal.
disgrace,” but the staggering backlog of nearly 1 million veterans benefit
claims at the VA should be called a scandal.
And President Obama and the VA administrator, retired
Gen. Eric Shinseki, squarely deserve the blame.
Gen. Eric Shinseki, squarely deserve the blame.
As this story picks up steam, it’s been reported that the
wait for vets to have a disability claim processed now exceeds 600 days in big
cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. NBC News found one disabled vet whose
wait was 963 days.
wait for vets to have a disability claim processed now exceeds 600 days in big
cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. NBC News found one disabled vet whose
wait was 963 days.
Perhaps the most astounding aspect of this disturbing
story is that 97 percent of disability claims are still handled on paper, not
electronically. Some disability claim files amount to a 3-inch stack of paper –
mostly medical records. Worse yet, after years of wrangling between the Defense
Department and the VA over a digitized, integrated system, the Pentagon has
simply abandoned its role in creating a new, paperless process.
story is that 97 percent of disability claims are still handled on paper, not
electronically. Some disability claim files amount to a 3-inch stack of paper –
mostly medical records. Worse yet, after years of wrangling between the Defense
Department and the VA over a digitized, integrated system, the Pentagon has
simply abandoned its role in creating a new, paperless process.
Some vets die waiting for the benefits that they earned in service to the country. Some become so frustrated with VA red tape that they commit suicide.
The president is calling for additional VA funding in his
new budget but it’s too little, too late.
new budget but it’s too little, too late.
According to The Washington Post, Shinseki acknowledged
that the VA has already seen large increases in its funding — 41 percent during
the Obama administration — even as the backlog, which stood at 391,000 when the
president took office in January 2009, has skyrocketed.
that the VA has already seen large increases in its funding — 41 percent during
the Obama administration — even as the backlog, which stood at 391,000 when the
president took office in January 2009, has skyrocketed.
Beyond the number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan,
major reasons for the growth in the backlog include Shinseki’s decisions to
ease rules for making claims related to post-traumatic stress disorder and the
toxic herbicide Agent Orange.
major reasons for the growth in the backlog include Shinseki’s decisions to
ease rules for making claims related to post-traumatic stress disorder and the
toxic herbicide Agent Orange.
The Agent Orange decision, which added 260,000
Vietnam-era cases to the system, represented “unfinished business that we
wanted to pay attention to,” Shinseki said recently.
Vietnam-era cases to the system, represented “unfinished business that we
wanted to pay attention to,” Shinseki said recently.
The VA says the problem was “decades
in the making,” but the IAVA, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, has
said the agency was woefully unprepared for the flood of veterans coming back
from the nation’s two wars.
in the making,” but the IAVA, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, has
said the agency was woefully unprepared for the flood of veterans coming back
from the nation’s two wars.
Obama has embraced electronic record
keeping since the day he was elected. In 2009 he announced a plan to create a
seamless system for the military. That plan has failed miserably.
keeping since the day he was elected. In 2009 he announced a plan to create a
seamless system for the military. That plan has failed miserably.
At Time magazine, columnist Joe
Klein ratcheted up the discussion recently by calling for Shinseki’s resignation.
Klein ratcheted up the discussion recently by calling for Shinseki’s resignation.
Here’s how Klein summed up the
situation:
situation:
“We have now spent $1 billion on
developing (a digitized) system, and in February the two departments announced
that they had failed to come up with one. This was not Shinseki’s fault. The VA
has an excellent record-keeping system called Vista. The Defense Department
wasn’t sold, however. It hasn’t decided what sort of system it wants. If the president
were on top of things — if he were as good as his word about taking care of
the troops — he would step in and force the decision to be made. Yesterday.
developing (a digitized) system, and in February the two departments announced
that they had failed to come up with one. This was not Shinseki’s fault. The VA
has an excellent record-keeping system called Vista. The Defense Department
wasn’t sold, however. It hasn’t decided what sort of system it wants. If the president
were on top of things — if he were as good as his word about taking care of
the troops — he would step in and force the decision to be made. Yesterday.
“Shinseki should, however, take the
fall for the infamous 900,000 unprocessed cases. Yes, the backlog doubled when
the Obama administration, rightly, enabled Vietnam veterans to make Agent
Orange claims. But the VA hasn’t set the right priorities. A Marine who was
blinded and lost two limbs last year in Helmand province goes into the same
queue as a Vietnam veteran who wants increased payments because his back is
deteriorating with age. First-time claims need to be handled before second-,
third- and fourth-time claims.”
fall for the infamous 900,000 unprocessed cases. Yes, the backlog doubled when
the Obama administration, rightly, enabled Vietnam veterans to make Agent
Orange claims. But the VA hasn’t set the right priorities. A Marine who was
blinded and lost two limbs last year in Helmand province goes into the same
queue as a Vietnam veteran who wants increased payments because his back is
deteriorating with age. First-time claims need to be handled before second-,
third- and fourth-time claims.”
