Inspection of the VA Regional Office Louisville, Kentucky

The Benefits Inspection Division conducts onsite inspections at VA Regional Offices (VAROs) to review disability compensation claims processing and Veterans Service Center operations. We found the Louisville VARO management ensured the staff followed Veterans Benefits Administration’s policy for correctly establishing dates of claims and processing incoming mail. Further, the average time for the VARO to complete claims was 114.8 days, 60.2 days better than the national target of 175 days. VARO performance was generally effective in processing post-traumatic stress disorder and herbicide exposure-related disability claims, establishing correct effective dates, timely completing Systematic Analyses of Operations, and correcting errors identified by the Systematic Technical Accuracy Review program. VARO management lacked effective controls and accuracy in processing temporary 100 percent disability evaluations and traumatic brain injury claims. Overall, VARO staff did not accurately process 34 (31 percent) of the 110 disability claims reviewed. Further, in the Triage Team mail management was not fully effective. Also, although VARO staff were not timely in recording Notices of Disagreement for appealed claims, they were better than the national average for appeals processing timeliness. Further, processing of competency determinations was not always accurate; however, VARO management’s recent training of Veterans Service Center staff is a positive step toward addressing this deficiency. We recommended Louisville VARO management implement controls to ensure the Veterans Service Center staff establishes suspense diaries to request the medical reexaminations for temporary 100 percent disability reevaluations as required. Management should also provide refresher training and implement a plan to improve quality review of traumatic brain injury claims. In addition, VARO management needs to implement a plan to ensure oversight and control of mail handling. Finally, VARO management needs to implement a plan to monitor effectiveness and adequacy of the training on proper processing of competency determinations. The Louisville VARO Director concurred with all recommendations. Management’s planned actions are responsive and we will follow up as required on all actions.