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VA Begins new Pilot Program to speed Disability Claims

VA Begins new Pilot Program to speed Disability Claims
Posted by Tom Tarantino [1] on February 25 [2] 2009

Responding to efforts by IAVA and many other Veterans Organizations, the VA has begun to take more proactive measures to help reduce the back log of disability claims.  I received the following release this morning and I was very pleased that the VA is looking at solutions that are more creative than simply hiring more claims processors.  While the hiring of 4000 new processors was a huge victory for the VA and veterans in general, it is only step one in the process.  IAVA has included measures in its 2009 Legislative Agenda [3] that focus on rapid processing of fully developed claims, enforcing and targeting training requirements, and revising the work credit system.  With this pilot program in place it looks like yet another of IAVA's 2009 Legislative Priorities [4] are being knocked down.  If this keeps up, we may have to release a supplemental to cover the rest of the legislative session. Information and evidence gathering often takes the most time in processing a veteran’s compensation or pension claim. VBA is starting a new pilot program at 10 of its regional offices to reduce that time by placing certified, fully developed claims into a separate process that will deliver results no later than 90 days after the claim is submitted. To be considered “fully developed,” the veteran must submit a certified statement that he or she does not intend to submit any additional information or evidence in support of the claim, and does not require additional assistance with it. Additional development may not be needed, other than scheduling a VA examination or obtaining records from other federal agencies. The claimant must agree, however, that if a VA examination is necessary, the claimant will report as requested. The 10 regional offices selected for the one-year pilot are: Montgomery, Ala.; Columbia, SC; Boston, Mass.; Manchester, NH; Providence, RI; Chicago, Ill.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Boise, Idaho; Denver Colo.; and Portland, Ore. In FY2008, more than half ($49 billion) of VA’s budget was paid directly to veterans in the form of statutory benefits, with approximately $40.5 billion of that for compensation, pension and burial payments.
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