Monterey, CA Veterans Administration Computer System Needs Updating

Monterey, CA  Veterans Administration Computer System Needs Updating : View From A Nonprofit Serving Seniors In Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

It has been sad to read about how badly people have been treated by our own government who have served valiantly in the many wars that we are fighting around the world.   I served in the military and, although paperwork has always been a big thing with the government, it seems to be exponentially worse now than it was when I was in the Army.  USA Today carried a sad story today about Vietnam veteran Charles Skipper who applied for disability benefits six years ago and still hasn't heard a peep from the government about the status of the claim.  The government has gotten more than its share of bad publicity recently, but Skipper told USA Today, "If you really want to know what Obamacare is going to be like, just look at the VA system."  Although I am not as bearish as Mr. Skipper, my for-profit company, Family inHome Caregiving, does take VA Insurance and I can tell you from personal experience that it can be a slow and painful process trying to collect what you are due from the government.  Simply put, the problem is one of resources.  There are currently 700,000 people who have applied for VA Disability insurance and are currently in limbo because there are not enough people at the VA to process the claims.  Of the claims, more than a half of a million have been pending for 125 days or more.  Imagine coming home from a war, being disabled, and waiting six months or a year to get benefits.  It's unconscionable.  One of the biggest problems, in my opinion, is that most of the claims are still filed by paper.  Family inHome Caregiving (of which I am the CEO) takes VA benefit insurance, and I can tell you the processing is erratic.  We will often send in a dozen or so claims, some are approved, some are not, and others disappear.  There needs to be a better system, particularly when people like Charles Skipper are waiting on the sidelines for six months to a year with no benefits.  He served his country, let's make sure that the insurance benefits that we promised to him are paid promptly.

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.