Report on Virginia VA center finds problems

Report on Virginia VA center finds problems

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 20, 2010 10:08:20 EST

A new report from the Veterans Affairs Department inspector general will help fuel complaints about an error-filled disability claims process in need of a complete overhaul.

Investigators looking at claims processing at the VA regional office in Roanoke, Va., found that 25 percent of the case files they closely studied had serious mistakes. Some veterans were denied benefits they deserved, and disability compensation was given to others who were not eligible.

Many errors involved Vietnam veterans with disability claims related to exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange.

In one case, a veteran was underpaid $21,857 because the claims staff did not properly consider a physician’s opinion that coronary artery disease was a complication of service-connected diabetes.

In another, a veteran was overpaid $15,640 for a diabetes-related amputation below the knee that he said was related to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. His claims folder contained no evidence that he had served in Vietnam, the IG report says.
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Report on Virginia VA center finds problems