Posted on Sep 5, 2015
Are you ready for some positive news about the VA and their commitment to fixing the Enrollment Issue?
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RP Community we have been posting a lot of bad news about the VA on RallyPoint for as long as I've been a member. I just received some positive news and letter anonymously that I wanted to share with the RP Community.
I get it! They have a long ways to go!
We have a lot of VA Employees on RallyPoint that do truly care about our veterans and it’s tough for them to see negative information everyday posted here on RP. This is a positive letter to the VA Employees of the Health Eligibility Center in Atlanta, GA on what they are doing to clean up the enrollment process.
For all those RP Members that are employees of the VA that are working hard to fix the problems in your own specific areas I salute you for your individual efforts.
Here is the letter:
USH All Employee Message
Health Eligibility Center OIG Report
September 4, 2015
Last month, I visited our Health Eligibility Center (HEC) in Atlanta to learn more about the process for enrolling Veterans in VA health care. While there, I had the opportunity to meet employees, answer their questions, and discuss their concerns at an employee roundtable. I know they share my commitment to providing timely access to the health care and benefits our Veterans have earned and deserve. This is our top priority in VA, and meeting it is a responsibility I do not take lightly.
Yesterday, after a lengthy review of the HEC, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued its report, Review of Alleged Mismanagement at the Health Eligibility Center. We appreciate the work of the OIG and we are taking immediate actions to address the issues raised in the report.
The report highlights several issues concerning the management of our enrollment system, data integrity and quality that we have previously acknowledged are in need of significant improvement. We know the issues that have been raised about the enrollment process are confusing to Veterans and our stakeholders.
We will continue the efforts outlined in previous blog posts and public responses to contact Veterans with a record in pending status to determine if they would like to apply for enrollment. We have been informing Veterans of the additional information needed to complete their application.
As of July 31, 2015, we have contacted 310,818 Veterans asking them to submit the required documents. We have received 36,749 responses to our requests for more information. Based on those responses, we have been able to successfully enroll 25,784 Veterans and have notified a total of 34,517 Veterans of our decision on their eligibility to enroll. As we continue our efforts to contact Veterans, our focus remains on improving the enrollment system to better serve Veterans.
If we determine that any of the issues raised in the report require additional review and accountability actions, we will act swiftly, while affording affected employees the appropriate due process.
Caring for our nation’s Veterans is the highest honor and privilege for all of us who serve them at VA.
David J. Shulkin, M.D.
Under Secretary for Health
I get it! They have a long ways to go!
We have a lot of VA Employees on RallyPoint that do truly care about our veterans and it’s tough for them to see negative information everyday posted here on RP. This is a positive letter to the VA Employees of the Health Eligibility Center in Atlanta, GA on what they are doing to clean up the enrollment process.
For all those RP Members that are employees of the VA that are working hard to fix the problems in your own specific areas I salute you for your individual efforts.
Here is the letter:
USH All Employee Message
Health Eligibility Center OIG Report
September 4, 2015
Last month, I visited our Health Eligibility Center (HEC) in Atlanta to learn more about the process for enrolling Veterans in VA health care. While there, I had the opportunity to meet employees, answer their questions, and discuss their concerns at an employee roundtable. I know they share my commitment to providing timely access to the health care and benefits our Veterans have earned and deserve. This is our top priority in VA, and meeting it is a responsibility I do not take lightly.
Yesterday, after a lengthy review of the HEC, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued its report, Review of Alleged Mismanagement at the Health Eligibility Center. We appreciate the work of the OIG and we are taking immediate actions to address the issues raised in the report.
The report highlights several issues concerning the management of our enrollment system, data integrity and quality that we have previously acknowledged are in need of significant improvement. We know the issues that have been raised about the enrollment process are confusing to Veterans and our stakeholders.
We will continue the efforts outlined in previous blog posts and public responses to contact Veterans with a record in pending status to determine if they would like to apply for enrollment. We have been informing Veterans of the additional information needed to complete their application.
As of July 31, 2015, we have contacted 310,818 Veterans asking them to submit the required documents. We have received 36,749 responses to our requests for more information. Based on those responses, we have been able to successfully enroll 25,784 Veterans and have notified a total of 34,517 Veterans of our decision on their eligibility to enroll. As we continue our efforts to contact Veterans, our focus remains on improving the enrollment system to better serve Veterans.
If we determine that any of the issues raised in the report require additional review and accountability actions, we will act swiftly, while affording affected employees the appropriate due process.
Caring for our nation’s Veterans is the highest honor and privilege for all of us who serve them at VA.
David J. Shulkin, M.D.
Under Secretary for Health
Posted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Virginia Department of Veterans Services
Health
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Virginia Department of Veterans Services Health
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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Sir, I am more than ready for all items positive! I was actually considering leave RP because of the negativity, especially towards the VA. As a 100% committed VA employee (VBA), all the negative and unchecked comments and posts have started to take a toll. So, yes! Let's do hear/see something positive! HOOAH!
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
CSM Jennifer Dehorty Thank you for sticking it out and for your service. Thanks for what you are doing to make the VA a better institution for the veterans. We will never be able to stop the bad press until we get all the issue resolved, but you are a veteran and we owe you the common decency of recognizing that you are only one person and in thousands of employees working for the VA. I hope you will stay on RP for the other content and discussions. Thanks
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CSM Jennifer Dehorty
COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Copy that Sir. The bad press doesn't help, for sure. The other (untold) part is that as an organization we can't 'fight' back. When a veteran goes to the media, but fails to provide all the facts of the denial of their benefits (what, there is a dishonorable discharge bars benefits) we are prohibited by numerous laws from disputing the erroneous facts.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
CSM Jennifer Dehorty Understood. You are in a very tough position. Thanks for what you do and continue to do the very best you can!
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Cpl James Waycasie
All you personally can do is your best. If you are doing that then the issue as a whole does not rest on your shoulders. Thank you Ma'am for your service and your continued efforts towards service personnel. I often find myself disillusioned with the company I now work for, but pride in myself and my team keeps me from throwing my hands up and saying what's the use. We do what we can to better the company, and we do what we can to better the environment in which we work. Don't ever give up Ma'am. Today or tomorrow may be the day that the solutions to the problems presents themselves to you. Anything worth while improving takes effort and you show the right attitude. Educate those around you, whether superiors or subordinates, with any knowledge you may have or come up with to help correct the issues. The only failure in my book is not trying. I tell my team it is better to try and perhaps make a mistake than to do nothing at all Ma'am.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs this subject is near and dear to me. I am fighting the system. This sure does helps!
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
COL Mikel J. Burroughs I am using this link to help me navigate thru the system with my second claim around.
http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/index.html
http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/index.html
Military Disability | VA Disability | Info for Disabled American Veterans
Disabled American Veterans: this is the one-stop shop for all your Military Disability and VA Disability needs.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL At least you know it a large and momumental task, but they are working it hard to get it fixed. That is a postive step in the right direction.
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At least there is finally some visible effort being made. About time Sir. I saw ( don't know if it's true or not) that over 300,000 Vets died while waiting on treatment. We can treat illegal aliens, put resources into other countries well being but we cannot take care of our Vets? There is a big problem with that. I think we need to cut back all politicians salaries from the President down and re direct that money to support this issue. Also mandatory drug test anyone wanting government aid, evaluate and give people physicals, if capable of working, educate them and get them off benefits and into the work force. There are many opportunities to turning around the American budget that would not only insure help in this area, but with the right management even become a profitable Nation again Sir.
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