Report: VA Mishandled Thousands of Claims Documents

VA Mishandled Thousands of Claim Documents

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This is either an inside shot of the VA Warehouse holding benefits applications or a scene from Indiana Jones. We can't tell.[/caption]Do you deal with the VA Regional Benefits Office in St. Petersburg, FLA? If you do, and you have submitted an application for benefits, it might be a while before you get a response.A new report by the VA Inspector General's Office details issues with the St. Petersburg office and, I know this will shock all of you reading this, but things are not being handled very well down there. If you have thought that there was a black hole where your issues have been sent to by the VA, you are not far off from the truth.From ABC Action News:

A scathing new report is now identifying major problems with how veterans' claims were handled at the VA Regional Benefits Office in St. Petersburg.The report by the VA Inspector General’s Office says the VA was slow, sloppy and didn't hold a contractor accountable in handling veterans' claims materials.That meant increased delays and raised the risk that sensitive information could have been compromised.The report, which was released Wednesday, identified problems with how the regional office handles and safeguards documents submitted by veterans.Investigators found boxes of disorganized veterans' paperwork, some containing sensitive information.When inspectors arrived at a scanning facility operated by government contractor CACI in Georgia, they found a backlog of nearly 42,000 packages of veterans claims materials.

42,000 backlogged claims found in a warehouse? The IG called the office sloppy. To say they are sloppy is pretty typical government understatement of a huge problem. It's been a while now since major problems at the VA were first uncovered. While there have been some improvements, it's clear that the VA has a long way to go to ensure Veterans are receiving the care and treatment that should be expected. Read the rest of the story at ABC Action News to see the VA's response. You can be assured, they are all over it.