'Improper denials, poor service to vets'

VA claims pace lagging: 'Improper denials, poor service to vets'
Spokesman says radiation claims slowed all claims, but that the numbers are improving
Sid Salter • ssalter@clarionledger.com • June 1, 2008


Complaints that claims for Mississippi's 233,888 military veterans - including Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans - aren't being processed in a timely manner have led to calls for a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigation

Documents obtained by The Clarion-Ledger show that in April of this year, claims at the U.S. Veterans Affairs' Jackson Regional Office were being processed 53 percent slower than the national and regional average. That includes claims from combat veterans seeking help for combat-related post traumatic stress disorder.

The records show that on April 30, the national average "days pending" on veterans' claims ratings were 127.4 days while the Southern Area average was 127.5 days. But the average "days pending" for claims ratings in the VA's Jackson Regional Office was 194.8 days - a difference of 67 days.

In a May 1 letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake, interim U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Tupelo, called for the VA's Office of Inspector General to investigate the findings of a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee counsel who uncovered "lapses in procedure" and "complaints from senior staff regarding the work environment" at the Jackson office.
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