Are you ready for some positive news about the VA and their commitment to fixing the Enrollment Issue?

2015-09-05T14:07:26-04:00

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

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Sep 5 at 2015 2:08 PM

2015-09-05T14:08:39-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs this subject is near and dear to me. I am fighting the system. This sure does helps!

Response by CSM Jennifer Dehorty made Sep 5 at 2015 2:13 PM

2015-09-05T14:13:31-04:00

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!

Response by Cpl James Waycasie made Sep 5 at 2015 2:21 PM

2015-09-05T14:21:40-04:00

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.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 5 at 2015 3:05 PM

2015-09-05T15:05:33-04:00

Thanks for sharing COL Mikel J. Burroughs

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 5 at 2015 3:06 PM

2015-09-05T15:06:08-04:00

All history is fascinating but I like war history

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 5 at 2015 3:23 PM

2015-09-05T15:23:27-04:00

I work for the VA now, and was a patient long before becoming an employee. The VA hospital where I work, at least in my opinion is second to none. From the Director on down the chain, Veteran care is top priority and is refreshing to see.

Response by SPC(P) Jay Heenan made Sep 5 at 2015 3:23 PM

2015-09-05T15:23:55-04:00

It is good to hear positive stories out the VA. They sent me a letter walking me through the steps to enroll in VA health care and I have already heard back confirming my enrollment. I just need to make an appointment and I will be good to go!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 5 at 2015 3:29 PM

2015-09-05T15:29:38-04:00

When you are approached by an NCO or Officer, regardless of how they start the conversation (true professionals do not yell or scream) let them know that you have a shaving profile and ask if they need to see it. A bit of advice to any new member of the military is that you will always have a few NCOs or Officers that feel like they have to flex their rank from time to time. Don't let a few goofballs ruin your perception of a true leader. There are many great NCOs and Officers our there! Hooah!

Response by SGT Michael Glenn made Sep 5 at 2015 4:41 PM

2015-09-05T16:41:03-04:00

Hold on !!! Hold on!!! Let me get my Popcorn and Diet Soda all situated !!!! Ok...Go ahead!!!!

Response by Sgt Spencer Sikder made Sep 5 at 2015 5:16 PM

2015-09-05T17:16:29-04:00

For me the fussing is not necessarily about the employee who tries to do their job correctly, it's more about the mismanagement and lack of well informed and competent leadership. For example as I have indicated in the past here on RP, VA has hired many newly discharged veterans and when we go to obtain services we are angry to get the runaround from these new employees. I place blame on the system and leadership. Much of the training has been by watching videos or completing an online test. If someone is really lucky, they may spend a small amount of time with a supervisor but most likely a peer. In some cases the peer's competence hasn't been adequately assessed so who is teaching the new employee? No one really. Maybe it's us the veteran teaching the staff.

Don't get me wrong, there are many existing employees, some civilian and some vets who are skating through by the skin of their teeth. The fault while theirs, it is also the fault of the supervisor or manager who fails to take appropriate action. Then the fault lies with HR who fails to handle the matter either timely or competently. Once again a leadership issue.

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Sep 5 at 2015 6:56 PM

2015-09-05T18:56:48-04:00

I am always happy to hear good news about the VA or anything else.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Sep 10 at 2015 1:54 AM

2015-09-10T01:54:59-04:00

I'm glad that the VA is starting to improve (or at least they appear to be). I'm just sad that it has taken what it has to make these improvements.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Mar 26 at 2016 4:49 PM

2016-03-26T16:49:53-04:00

I encourage all Vets to utilize all resources available as you have earned them. The VA has leadership and management issues, however, I will say that the hospitals and clinics I have delt with serve their service members well and with respect and dignity. Hold them to a standard and complain when appropriate.

Response by SFC Andrew Miller made May 2 at 2016 3:01 PM

2016-05-02T15:01:14-04:00

As a CVSO, I assist veterans or their dependents with obtaining VA health care, filing compensation and/or pension claims, and funeral/burial/survivor benefits. I have contact with 1 regional office, multiple VAMCs, and numerous VSOs (Legion, VFW, etc.) on a daily basis. For the most part, they are always courteous, responsive, and helpful. They do their best to maintain the attitude of "no wrong door". It is like any other large organization and has those who are better or worse than others. They have made great strides in fixing some processes, but still have a long way to go in others.

In defense of Eligibility specifically, I have had the Enrollment office call me before asking for either additional information or a form or document or something because the veteran is not responding to their inquiries. We as veterans are notorious for not changing our address with the VA until we are actually there trying to get some type of care. Each case like that shows up as a "veteran who died while awaiting care". Sometimes, even after talking with them, they still don't send in the required information. While I'm sure there have been plenty who didn't receive care through no fault of there own, there are more that just haven't finished the application process.

They just made it legal in March for enrollment to accept applications wholly over the phone, so this can actually help limit some of those pending applications if the veteran at least talks to them. Any veteran who I assist in my office is also given a half sheet of paper with important phone numbers, and I tell them not to wait on hearing from the VA, two weeks after submitting the application give them a call and set up that first appointment.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made May 3 at 2016 10:30 PM

2016-05-03T22:30:53-04:00

Thanks for informing us COL Mikel J. Burroughs. I recognize that there are 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."
I am glad that there is improvement in the area of enrollment. Hopefully that will continue to improve and spread into others areas especially timely assessment and adjudication of claims.