Veterans advocacy groups and watchdogs in the government have been complaining that the VA is “playing games” with the number of claims on backlog for a while, and as time goes on, evidence mounts that seems to prove this case. Even though the number of backlogged cases has gone down significantly from historic highs last year, appeals continue to rise; suggesting that all the Department of Veterans Affairs is really doing is denying help to deserving people in order to make their progress look better.
One of the most telling ongoing accounts of this can be found in the VA’s weekly report, where recently the number of appeals went up by more than 2500 from one week to the next. Now, this isn’t the only problem. I’ve spoken before about how claims from family members and others are simply not being counted under the VA’s new rules. This may make their number appear better, but it has the unfortunate consequence of creating an invisible group of claimants who will be even easier to ignore since they don’t show up in any of the statistics.
But the rise in appeals is important for a different reason.
Bad Processing is Worse than Slow Processing
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Going through a slow va claims process is a horrible experience that can be disheartening to even the heartiest of disabled Vets. However, receiving a quick, incorrect denial is often worse. Despite all the problems with the organization, most Vets still believe in the VA and want to work with the people there so that they can get the help they need. But a fast denial that they know is wrong can change that opinion in an instant. It sets up an antagonistic relationship between the VA and Vets because people start to believe that they’re just viewed as statistics and that the VA’s only goal is to make their numbers look good.
Beyond this, a fast denial followed by a lengthy appeal most often ends up taking far longer – during which time disabled Vets continue to suffer. Is that really what we want? The VA was set up so that Veterans Disability claims would be given the care and attention that they deserve. Changing that now sends a clear message that the bottom line is more important than the men and women who protect this country. If you’d like to learn more, contact us today or download our free Veterans Disability eBook now.
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