I have received numerous queries over that last several months as the news of the vA backlog increasingly dominates the airwaves. I googled backlog and a number of sites pop up including my ruminations on this one. Jim Strickland’s VA Watchdog also has an informative article that goes into it in depth.

What I fail to see in all of them is a true retrospective of how bad it was from 1989 and the inception of the VJRA. I am limited in what information I can excavate but feel my own is as good an example as any.

I filed for my back and tinnitus claims July 1989. All was well and fine and a denial promptly popped up in the mail in October with no C&P for my back. I filed for a RO hearing and that occurred in July of 1990. A new denial was mailed in October of that year. I filed with new and material evidence and received a SSOC in February of 1991. I immediately file my Form 1-9 and my BVA decision was announced on March 5th, 1992.

Focusing entirely on the time from the initial filing to first denial was approximately 100 days which is remarkable unless you consider how a major insurance company might have handled it.

The next foray in March of 1994 for the big apple (HCV and PCT) was a bit more prolonged. Eight months and seven days (247 days) later on November 7th, 1994 I received my denial. I had no C&P and vA did nothing but view my evidence and ignore it as nearly as I can tell. I filed the NOD with new and material evidence on December 7th, 1994 and the SOC arrived on January 5th, 1995. A promised new decision base on the N&M evidence never materialized and hasn’t to this day.

My last filing in February 2007 to clean up this mess was granted in stages. The tinnitus was granted rapidly (120 days) because they had done the decision in 1995 but neglected to send it to me. The hepatitis claim was granted July 1, 2008. That was a whopping sixteen months and seven days.  When they accomplished the tinnitus claim they dropped the hepatitis and PCT claims which were ostensibly being developed. I discovered this on October 17th, 2007. When they finished the hep claim in July 2008, they promptly dropped the PCT claim. I discovered this on September 29th, 2008. Amazingly, they had a decision (and a win) in my hands on October 3rd, 2008 thanks to Sen. “Sneakers” Murray, the head of the Senate VA committee. In summary 120 days, 492 days, and 554 days respectively for tinnitus, HCV and PCT.

Mind you, this was in 2007-2008. Things are infinitely worse in terms of the number of claims filed. To assume that vA can magically turn this around in the space of the the next two years and arrive at decisions in 125 days with a negligible error rate is the height of hypocrisy. I wish them all the luck in the world but I honestly believe the Humpty Dumpty project had a higher success probability that what the vA is promising.

The burning question on everyone’s (Veterans and some congressmen) lips is what will happen when Uncle Eric is off in his continuing prognostications? Undersecretary Allison Hickey swears up and down that this will all be an unpleasant memory soon. Congressman Filner feels otherwise and was willing to put his money where his mouth is. Can it be done? Can vA reinvent the wheel and come up with a streamlined system that actually does what they promise? We certainly hope so. Some Veterans’ sites advocate we all settle down and allow this to happen. I would point out that it took us twenty three years to go from a ninety day denial (1989)to a 554 day win in 2008.

What probably concerns most of us is the creative math vA so frequently employs in claims remuneration to show us it (the backlog)really isn’t nearly as bad as is painted. I would say that when 60 percent  is added to 80 percent and vA determines  that equals 92 percent, we need a new math teacher.  vA continues to maintain that most claims are resolved in less than 240 days. Helloooooooo?  With the claims process becoming mired ever-deeper in new filings, we can resort to prayer and little else to speed up the process.

Our Mentor, who art in 810 Vermont Ave. NW

Hallowed be thy Administration

Give us this year our filed claims

at the VARO or in DC.

Lead us not into Backlogs but deliver us from delays

for Thee hath the BVA, the M-21 and the ROs

Forever and Ever

Amen