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According to a news release issued April 24, 2015, the VA now will determine eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program based on the distance between a Veteran’s residence and the nearest VA medical facility using driving distance instead of straight line distance. This change is effective immediately.
What do you think? Will this help you and the people you know? Let me know in the comments!
So what’s the news this week? Well, there are both ups and downs in this week’s report.
First the down numbers:
The number of claims pending is down from 886,345 the prior week to 882,023 as of April 27, 2013. Also good is that the number pending over 125 days is down from 613,469 to 610,150 for the same time frame. The percentage of claims pending over 125 days, however, holds steady at 69.2%.
Now the up numbers:
Pending award adjustment cases are up slightly from 334,939 to 338,251. Pending over 125 days, however, dropped from 69.7% to 69.5%.
And where do the pending appeals fall in this up and down week? They are up, too. Last week the number of pending appeals cases was down to 247,792. This week, it’s back up to 248,012. That’s an increase of 220. While that doesn’t sound all that bad, for those waiting for a decision on their appeal, it’s certainly not the best of news.
Want to view the report in full? Check it out on the VA’s website here.
Be sure to check out my analysis of prior VA working reports on this website, comment below, and join the conversation on Twitter. Follow me @AttorneyAlissa and use #EndtheVAbacklog.
Need help with your denied VA claim? Contact me via http://www.tennesseefirm.com.
Check back next week to see what a difference a week makes!
The Monday Morning Working Report is now posted for April 20, 2013, and I must say the numbers are still declining. Overall, there are 886,345 claims pending for compensation and pension entitlements. Of that, 613,469 have been pending over 125 days. That’s 69.2% for those who like percentages. This is down slightly from last week, which you may recall was down slightly from the week before.
What will be of great interest to those veterans with appeals pending is that 412 appeals were cleared from the books last week. The number of appeals pending is now down to 247,792.
Based on the last few weeks, it does seem that the number of claims pending both under and over the 125 day mark, are slowly decreasing. What do you think about this? Is the VA doing enough to clear the backlog quickly? Or will it take too long to process most claims in under 125 days? Let us know what you think! Comment below, or join the conversation on Twitter. Follow @AttorneyAlissa, and use #EndtheVAbacklog.
Check out this week’s report at http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/mmwr/index.asp
Check out my analysis of last week’s report below.
If you have a VA claim pending, you are already well aware of the waiting game to hear back from the VA. If you are in the Nashville, TN district, be happy because your wait is actually shorter, on average, than some of the other areas of the country. According to the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Nashville office has approximately 11,915 Veterans waiting for their claims to be approved. Of that, 5,619 have been waiting more than 125 days, and 697 have been waiting over one year. The average wait time is 178 days. Compare that to other cities that have average wait times of 510 days (Philadeliphia) or 642 days (New York).
What is the wait in your area? Check out this interactive map to find out: http://cironline.org/reports/map-where-veterans-backlog-worst-3792
Have you been denied benefits by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs? Are you still waiting just to get a decision on your VA claim? If so, you are not alone. In 2012, over 4 million claims were processed by VA. The national average is around 273 days for VA to complete a claim. In larger cities, however, the time can be substantially longer. According to the VA’s Monday Morning Working Report for March 23, 2013, there were 903,286 total claims pending for compensation and pension entitlements. Of those, 633,589 have been pending over 125 days. That’s 70.1% pending over 125 days. There were also 249,031 claims that were pending in the appeals process.
The VA recently announced an initiative to decrease the claims backlog by processing claims within their goal of 125 days with 98 percent accuracy, by 2015. The VA is also moving from paper based to paperless claims to try to achieve this goal. Veterans can now file their initial applications online using eBenefits. This process allows the veteran to submit their claim and supporting documents electronically, check the status of their claim, and retrieve copies of their own electronic records.
The key to a successful claim, according to local Veterans Service Officers, is knowing what to send and when to send it. I had the opportunity to sit down with two local VSO’s in Jackson, Alex Jones and Larry Simmons, to get their view of the VA claims process. Alex is a veteran of the Marines and has been helping other veterans for a few years and is responsible for most of West Tennessee as part of the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs. His clients are mostly widows seeking their widows benefits. Larry is an Army veteran and has been assisting clients for several years. He recently took on the role of Madison County VA representative, representing clients from Madison County specifically. Both of them suggest that you keep copies of all of your service and medical records, document everything while you are in active duty, ensure that your records are complete when you discharge, and if you are married to a veteran, you should know where your spouse’s records are kept. In order to prove your case, you must have records to substantiate your claims. Your local VSO office is a great place to get your claim started, or they can help guide you through the eBenefits process. Larry Simmons can be reached at 660-5221 ext. 3825, and Alex Jones can be reached at 421-5026.
Many claims are denied for any number of reasons. Denials may be for reasons as simple as failure to submit the documents necessary to prove your claim. Once you are denied, however, you have a limited period of time within which you can appeal your decision. This is the point in the process that the assistance of an attorney may prove beneficial. An attorney must be accredited by the VA to represent you in front of the VA. Hiring an accredited attorney will ensure that you have someone on your side fighting for the compensation you deserve. Your attorney can help you decide if you should have a hearing on your appeal, and can represent you at the hearing. An attorney can help you understand the complicated and often confusing process of appealing your claim decision. One of our attorneys, Alissa Gay, is accredited by the VA to handle your appeal. Alissa will be happy to meet with you if you have had a claim denied and help guide you through the appeals process. Remember, you only have a limited time within which to appeal your claim once you are denied. Contact Alissa for more information at 424-3315 or alissagay@tennesseefirm.com.
Attorney Alissa Gay 