Overview

• The VA Office of Inspector General reported that a senior rater authorized about 85,300 claims from fiscal 2022 to 2024 at roughly 19 times the national volume.
• Investigators found the rater averaged 4.7 minutes per authorization versus about 21 minutes nationally and often failed to open required documents.
• A sample review of 32 decisions showed 27 contained errors, reflecting an error rate reported as 84% and resulting in both overpayments and underpayments.
• Senior leaders were aware of the unusually high authorization rate, with some regional supervisors defending the employee despite repeated warnings from district leadership.
• The probe began after a July 2024 hotline tip, and the report published Sept. 29 recommends error correction and stronger controls while noting the full financial impact remains under assessment.