Northwoods veterans are likely facing delays in their medical claims.
Oneida County Veterans Service Officer Tammy Walters says a decision to transfer the processing of disability claims at VA facilities in other states to Wisconsin to eliminate a backlog means recent claims by Northwoods veterans will have to wait...
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"....because they had been sitting in L.A. and Houston for a year, untouched, Milwaukee was told 'these are your priorities'. Well, if you take 5,000 claims from other states and make them priorities then that means there are 5,000 claims from Wisconsin that have to wait..."
She says Wisconsin's recent claims are also being farmed out to other states, again slowing claims for Wisconsin veterans. Walters says they assist the veteran locally with the paperwork and it speeds a decision by VA officials. She says routinely it takes about one to three months before a decision is made. She says the delays are tough on veterans looking for help...
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"....veterans that can't work because of their service-connected disabilities, or limited to what kind of work they can do because of the service-connected disabilities, it's a huge bust to their morale..."
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Walters says because of the imposed backlog, it might take up to a year before a veteran hears a decision.
Walters recommends veterans contact their federal officials to let them know about this concern.
