Inspection of VA Regional Office Waco, TX

The Benefits Inspection Division conducts onsite inspections at VA Regional Offices (VAROs) to review disability compensation claims processing and Veterans Service Center (VSC) operations. The VARO management team needed to improve the accuracy of disability claims processing for temporary 100 percent disability evaluations, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). VARO staff incorrectly processed rating decisions for 43 (36 percent) of 120 claims reviewed. In addition, management needed to improve controls over processing fiduciary claims as incompetent beneficiaries continued to receive benefit payments without a fiduciary appointed to manage their funds and some fiduciaries erroneously received veteran’s benefit payments they were not entitled to receive. Management also needed to improve controls over establishing correct dates of claims, establishing Notices of Disagreements (NOD) for appealed claims timely, completing Systematic Analysis of Operations (SAO) accurately and timely, safeguarding of veterans’ personally identifiable information (PII), handling mail appropriately. We recommended the VARO ensure staff establishes future medical examination dates correctly for temporary 100 percent evaluations and provide training to Rating Veterans Service Representatives (RVSRs) on the proper procedures for processing claims associated with PTSD and TBI. We also recommended the VARO provide training to Veterans Service Representatives on the proper procedures for claims establishment, improve oversight to ensure staff timely record NODs in the electronic system, and prepare timely and accurate SAOs. Finally, we recommended the VARO ensure the proper safeguarding of veterans’ PII, improving mail handling procedures, and improving timeliness in processing fiduciary adjustments. The Director of the Waco VARO concurred with all recommendations. Management’s planned actions are responsive and we will follow-up as required on all actions.