POA Notes

[ala-yna]

Research questions

• Can you tell me a little bit about POA and how it is currently being used?
  • If someone is signing on behalf of another, we need to be able to document that and be able to attach that documentation.
• Are there any reasons (we need to be aware of) that made attaching POA documentation a top priority?
  • The online form is requiring the online signature name to match the Veteran name. We need a way to be able to indicate that someone is signing on behalf of the Veteran, and here is my authority to be doing that.
    • This is not a Caregiver-specific policy, this applies to all VA forms.
• When would a Veteran upload a POA document?
  • There is a definition of a representative on the form
• What do you know about what document formats a Veteran may want to upload?
  • It could be anything. We have a definition of representative, and applicable evidence. (Guardian order, Power of Attorney). Each state has their own version as well.
• How do you envision that adding POA documentation will change the online application process?
• What's the current paper process for attaching POA documentation?
  • Printing the PDF, annotating that someone signed on behalf of someone else, then it goes back into CARMA, then the obtain the information and upload it.
• Are there any situations when a Veteran would not upload POA documentation?
• What would the risks be with adding this feature?
  • The person doesn't realize that they have the ability to upload their POA. They get to the end and don't have the documentation on hand. Therefore they don't submit. Getting information that we're not requesting, issues with getting the document into CARMA.
• What would the risks be with not adding this feature?
  • The CSC may not know how to engage with the Veteran, if they are supposed to be going through a representative.
• Are there any dates/deadlines we have to be aware of?
  • No. This is our next needed improvement, it is an issue and a pain-point. It makes me uncomfortable because we're inviting Caregivers to use a workaround.
• What are you looking to achieve with this feature?
  • Skipped.
• How will we measure if this feature is successful?
  • We're asking Caregivers to do a workaround.
    • We have gotten many questions (5-10 facilities) ask about how we handle it when someone signs for someone else.
    • "That's a good question"
    • Eliminate the workaround for the field.
    • Possibly save some application processing time.
    • With the new population, I could see it significantly impacting the processing timelines because it saves the time needed to ask for and then get the information added.
    • Could effect adjudication of when the joint application was completed.
• How will we measure if this feature is unsuccessful?

Takeaways

• What problem are we trying to solve for Veterans?
  • If the Veteran cannot sign the form, they can appoint someone else to fill out and sign forms. We want that person to be able to sign the form as the Veteran, and to be able to upload the documentation needed to authorize the signature.
• What problem are we trying to solve for program team and CSCs?

Open questions

• Is this only for Veterans? (IE could a caregiver have a representative)

• Would they sign the Veteran signature field with the Veteran's name of the name of the representative?

  • Leaning towards signing with the representative name.

• Would we want to collect contact information, etc for the representative?

  • Just the signature, and then if it's a signature, evidence.

• What if the representative is the caregiver? Do we want to give that specific option?

• Would we want the representative to sign on the signature field also?

• Where does this fall on the CARMA roadmap? Are there file size limitations? Is there somewhere in CARMA where we track that a Veteran has a representative?

  • It could be anything; 8 to 15 pages long. 35 MB.

• Would attaching the documentation be required if a Veteran indicates they are represented?

  • TBD. We want to think about it. It sets a different standard than what's required of paper submissions. We would probably not require the upload, but we would need a clear way for the CSCs to see that the Veteran info was filled out by a representative.

• How would we indicate in CARMA/ on the PDF that the form was signed by a representative?

• If we can't tell who signed the form, we would contact the Veteran or the Caregiver and asked who signed the form. We might also compare the signature to what's on file. If there's no POA and we can't submit the application, we would ask that they submit a completed (new) joint application.

• What is the average file size currently? It's different because it's all documentation uploaded by the CSCs rather than by Veterans.

[ala-yna]

Things to consider:

• Other VFS teams are interested in this functionality

• A Veteran could provide POA documentation at a different time in the process

• What user outcomes would this impact?

• Would allowing signatures to not match address a need?

• very likely that poa's are already filling out forms across va.gov

• this should be a global component/capability

• does DEPO have legal guidance on this?

• if we develop this, does that assume that no POAs are filling out other forms?

• does anyone know the history of power of attorney and/or does depo have a legal resource we can talk to?

[ala-yna]

POA / eBenefits Crossover

• POA has a lot of different meanings at the VA

• You get POA authority at the task level

• Specifically assigned POA tasks around processing claim & appeals

• Appoint a representative (vast majority uses VSOs) - they will work with the VA to move your disability claim through the process

• Tasks: View who your POA is, search for a new POA (from a representative database), appoint a new representative (22a for VSO, 22 for a non-VSO person)

• The VA database includes attorneys and VSOs (and accredited by OGC - which has to be maintained)

• Right now: view representative, designs for search

• There is no central repository for information about what POA means at the VA. POAs will all have different scopes.

• How does a POA accept?

  • They'll log into SEP (Stakeholder Enterprise Platform) or their own VSO system

• Do they know each other?

  • The Veteran will not know the representative. They usually find the through a VSO, or through search. Often local. The VSO representative will sit down with them, fill out the application to be appointed, and then fill out claims.
  • The law says you have have multiple POAs per each contention.
  • Limited to moving claims through the system

• How do they sign?

  • The big VSOs will appoint the whole organization, not a specific person. They will log in as the Veteran, they will communicate as the Veteran, they will log into VA.gov and do things, but only things related to a claim. They are limited to what they can do by what's the scope of the form. They will use the Veteran's name to fill things out.

• How are relationships stored?

  • Relationships are stored in the "Corporate database" managed by VBA

• Where is the form to appoint a VSO currently?

  • On eBenefits.

• What is stored in BGS?

  • Wraps through the "Corporate Database."

• What is stored in MVI?

  • Caregiver designation and relationship
  • Fiduciary flag
  • Can we get a POA designation on the backlog?