2016 DEPARTMENT REVIEW OF THE VETERANS SERVICE AGENCY

During this past there have been 5,023 original claims sent into the Regional Office for adjudication. There is currently a backlog of 873 claims at the Regional Office (R.O.) and over 352,302 nationwide 112,000 are pending over 125 days. The average case pending at the Buffalo R.O. is currently about 104.7 days. They met their goal for 2016 was to decrease that wait time less than 75 days. Since the beginning of May, 135 claims were processed that were pending for more than a year the lowest level since 2009. 

     Also have numerous claims in the process of appeals and we are still waiting for their results. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reduced that number by approximately 53 percent to 254,000 claims – a reduction of more than 267,000 – while at the same time improving the accuracy of the decisions being made on Veterans’ disability claims. Additionally, on average, Veterans are waiting 100 days less for a decision than they were at this time last year. The Buffalo R.O. has plans to hire more individuals to speed up the appeal claims that are backlogged. 

      We have had 5798 contacts and have provided 6737 client services.  We have completed 246 Veterans’ property tax exemptions. This number will increase due to the returning Active Duty Reservist/Guardsman.  

      We have an established and continue to have a contractual relationship with DSS.  This is assisting more and more veterans and their families.  The veteran is applying to DSS for benefits and DSS is referring them to our agency to establish eligibility for federal benefits first.  This is a substantial cost savings to the county.  We have had 72 referrals and 42 veterans and/or widows who have qualified for federal benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  This results in a greater reduction in the cost of local Medicare benefits. 

     Continue the submitting of a fully-developed claim to the Regional Office in order to achieve rapid returns of adjudicated claims to the county veterans. Since I have been in this position of Director Claims submitted time period have been shortened and numbers of veterans coming into the office have increased. The shortest time for a service connected claim to be adjudicated was 4.0 hrs. down from last year’s 7 ½ hrs. 

     “Outreach” visits have increased dramatically during the past year for veterans or the surviving spouses of veterans that are unable to make office visits, a service they appreciate due to their transportation problems. 

     The site of the new National Cemetery will be located on the corner of Indian Falls road and NY Route 77 in the Town of Pembroke by the VA National Cemetery Administration. The official name of the cemetery has been selected as the Western New York National Cemetery. The Veterans Administration is now in the process of receiving bids for the design and construction. The site may be ready to accept the remains/cremains of veterans in 2019-20 being that the construction funding was approved in the 2017 Federal budget. This office will continue to stay in contact with the VA National Cemetery Administration throughout the process of development to the National Cemetery in Genesee County.

     The Board of School Districts in Genesee County that have Approved the Alternative Tax exemption thus far are: Batavia, Byron-Bergen, Elba, Pembroke.The Board of School Districts in the Genesee County that has Disapproved the exemption thus far was the Oakfield-Alabama District.

     Continue and improve the Veterans Mentorship Program by increasing the number of Mentors. A relationship has been developed between this office and the County jail in order to get assistance to veterans upon their arrest and possible entry into the County Veterans Treatment Court. This has been in existence since 2009. The program has graduated 38 veterans to date with no repeat offenders. 

      Recently was selected to be a team member of the VA Medical Facility Task Force. This team visits the Buffalo VAMC and two CBOC’s, one in Niagara County and one in Chautauqua County and prior to these visits a Town Hall Meeting is scheduled to get any input from veteran’s in the area.