VA Regional Office AFGE LOCAL 520 PO BOX 1778 COLUMBIA, SC 29202 August 18, 2013 Chairmen, Ranking Members,

Members of the US House and Senate Committees of Veterans Affairs Dear Committee Members:

Local 520, the exclusive representative of the bargaining unit of VARO Columbia, SC, wants to address the issue of claims that are not being counted. The Claims Processing Improvement (CPI) Task Force Report, dated November 30, 2001 states, "Measurable Expectations: Each and every specialized claims processing team need to have clearly defined expectations that are reasonable and will help the agency focus on reducing our tremendous workload. One of the expectations is to place all incoming claims under control in 2 days. Average Control Time (ACT) is measured from the date of claim (date stamped in as received in the VA Mailroom) to the date the claim is established in BDN (CEST)." In order to determine the number of claims pending, it is imperative that incoming mail is placed under control timely. However, over a decade has passed and VBA continues to only measure the ACT of C&P Bundle (010, 020, 140, 310, 320, 180, 120) end products. Moreover, in the age of technology and paperless claims processing, the ancient seven days rule is still being used to measure the C&P Bundle ACT. The ACT is not reported on the Monday Morning Workload Report (MMWR), but should be. Nationally, the ACT for C&P Bundle claims is 56% and the average days for claims establishment (CEST) is over 18 days. Therefore, VBA is losing 18 critical days of processing time on average 44% of the time. If there is to be a true measurement of how many claims are pending at the VBA, a review of CEST must be conducted. The major metropolitan areas, the large VAROs, and the station with the highest % of backlog claims should be first. In our previous letter we discussed the Benefits at Discharge Delivery and Quick Starts programs and how many of these claims have rolled over into the inventory and are backlogged. However, how many of these claims are not in the inventory and are they being worked since the focus has been the 1 year and 2 year claims initiatives? How many employees are dedicated to these programs? VBA has not mentioned these claims as priorities in any of its communications.

The Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on February 24, 2009 to examine the VA Benefits Delivery at Discharge and Quick Start Program. It is time for another examination of the effectiveness of these programs. Programs that were designed to help with the front end of claims processing now make up the back end. Resources are not currently available to process potential Veterans before Veterans. Then, there are the Integrated Discharge Evaluation System (IDES) claims. How many claims are pending? How many employees are dedicated to this DOD/VA joint effort? "Since 2008, annual average processing times for IDES cases have steadily climbed, while the percentage of cases meeting established timeliness goals declined. Average case processing times reached 394 and 420 days for active and reserve component members in fiscal year 2011 compared to goals of 295 and 305 days, respectively, just 19 percent of active duty and 18 percent of guard or reserve service members completed the process and received benefits within established goals." GAO 12-676, August 2012 We also previously mentioned the Agent Orange Fast Track Claims. The IBM built over 1 million dollars electronic paperless system that has proven to be ineffective and has been discontinued. How may claims are stuck in that system that is not being counted? Nehmer claims have not completely gone away. How many have been returned for readjudication because of errors and how are they counted? The HVAC has setup a website regarding the lack of responsiveness by the VA to provide timely information to the Committee so that you can perform your Constitutional responsibilities of oversight. Local 520 will continue to provide you with information so you can investigate and perform your Constitutional responsibilities of VBA oversight and exercise your Constitutional right of subpoena powers for documents and witnesses to ensure that there is a balance of power in our great Democracy. Local 520 wants to see the fulfillment of Abraham Lincoln's words - To care for him whom shall have borne the battle and his widow and orphan and to ensure that employees have the leadership, processes, people systems and work place culture that are conducive to providing accurate and timely decisions for them.

Keeping you informed because VA has proven they will not.

President (803) 647-2385 (Ofc) (803) 239-7682 (Cell) rbnsnrnld(g),vahoo.com www. seniorvsr. com Employees Putting Veterans 1st " Enclosure: Weekly Analysis of VBA Progress - MMWR
CF: President Obama VA Secretary Shinseki President AFGE President NVAC NY Times Center for Investigative Reporting The Washington Examiner VA Watchdog

Weekly Analvsis of VBA Progress - MMWR

C&P RATING BUNDLE (RB)

8/3/2013 60,720 199,255 8,241 453,816 1,984 1,519

307 165

8/10/2013 59,565 196,119 8,319 451,864 2,067 1,968

244 160
i 1

DIFF -1,155 -3,136 78 -1,952 83 449 -63 -5 541 32 -82 -5,210 -1,129 -6,339 -103

010 110 140 020 320 681 405 409 310 120 180

*190
930
* Death Pension claims

20,993 18,618 14,408 780,026 43,050 823,076 29,446

21,534 18,650 14,326 774,816 41,921 816,737 29,343

APPEALS C&PRB >125

010 110 140 020 320 681 405 409 310 120 180

8/3/2013 254,076 8/3/2013 39,240 137,526 1,653 297,736

829 162 298 134 8,412

8/10/2013 254,197

121
D|(=F

8/10/2013 38,708 133,418 1,731 292,194

876 217 236 130

8/3/2013
64.6% 69.0% 20.1% 65.6% 41 .8% 10.7% 97.1% 81.2% 40.1% 42.8% 42.4% 64.1% 63.4%

8/10/2013
65.0% 68.0% 20.8% 64.7% 42.4% 11.0% 96.7% 81.3% 38.8% 40.7% 41 .4% 63.2% 63.1%

DIFF
0.36% -0.99% 0.75% -0.94% 0.60% 0.36% -0.35% 0.04% -1.27% -2.11% -0.95%

7,966 6,106 500,062 27,299 527,361 25,403

8,355 7,587 5,935 489,387 26,462 515,849 25,206

-532 -4,108 78 -5,542 47 55 -62 -4 -57 -379 -171

TOTRB>125 *190

10,675 -837 11,512 -197

4

-0.90% -0.29%

930

86.3%

85.9%

-0.37%

Appeals Other Claims

130 290 600 *400 **137 **150 **297 **607 **160 **165

8/3/2013 254,076 203,139 87,245 51,266 41,472 8,961 44,111 14,251 20,062 52,636 14,574 537,717 791,793

8/10/2013 254,197 204,078 87,159 51,645 48,252 9,164 43,120 13,556 20,070 53,353 14,683 545,080 799,277

DIFF >125% 121

939 -86 379 6,780 203 -991 -695 8 717 109 7,363 7,484

72.7% 77.7% 51 .2% 32.3% 48.3% 68.5% 37.0% 26.7%

Totals

* Some associated with Provisional Ratings ** Pension Maintenance Centers (PMC) claims