End the VA Backlog

IAVA's Policy Agenda for the 117th Congress

Current Policy Priorities

IAVA has recommended specific policy priorities to address the issues that matter most to post-9/11 veterans.

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Modernize Government to Support Today’s Veterans

GET UP TO SPEED ON MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT TODAY’S VETERANS

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WHAT IS IAVA’S PLAN?

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Modernize Government to Support Today’s Veterans

In recent years, VA has made incredible strides to modernize its internal and external operating systems. The implementation of new interoperable electronic health records is underway, allowing VA and DoD clinicians to share health data, ensuring continuity of care for transitioning servicemembers. Additionally, VA has updated its website to be more interactive and intuitive, allowing veterans to quickly find the information they need. These are major accomplishments and a system slowly but surely moving to the 21st century is a win for all veterans.

Each generation of veterans, including the post-9/11 generation, rely on VA for both health care and benefits, and an agile system capable of accommodating them is critical. About 49% of all veterans are enrolled in VA health care. Among IAVA member survey respondents, 84% are enrolled in VA health care, of whom, 85% rated their experience at VA as average or above average. IAVA members have been clear that access to VA care can be challenging, but once in the system, they are satisfied with their treatment. Further independent reviews of VA health care show that the quality often exceeds the private sector.

Providing today’s veterans with a system willing to adapt to them will take the full coordination of the executive branch, Congress, state and local government, and stakeholders in the private and nonprofit sectors. We need a system that leverages the use of new technologies to streamline processes and enables the VA to take a more dynamic approach to respond to the needs of today’s veterans. Even so, the best technology will not save a system if it is built upon outdated structures. The VA must connect its internal departments and work with DoD to streamline services.

IAVA's Approach

End the VA Backlog

GET UP TO SPEED ON ENDING THE VA BACKLOG

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WHAT IS IAVA’S PLAN?

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End the VA Backlog

In the past few years, significant reforms have been put in place at the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) to ease and hasten the claims process. A focused effort by VA, Congress and the VSO community has led to a number of reforms to help better streamline the process. In just the past two years, the VA Appeals Modernization Act and other systemic reforms have sought to make the process more accessible and easier for veterans.

However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the backlog is once again on the rise. There are currently over 450,000 claims still working through the system, with over 200,000 of those pending for 125 days or more. While many of these are due to the cancellation of in-person exams, they must be high priority for VA. Additionally, veterans often face significant financial and emotional stress while waiting for the benefits and care that they have earned. We must ensure that these men and women who feel unsafe completing their in-person exams are given proper extensions until it is safe to do so.

As long as there is a backlog, it will be imperative that Congress, the Administration, the VSO community, and all stakeholders monitor the process and continue to improve the system. Ensuring VBA has the technology, infrastructure, and resources necessary to implement any necessary changes is key.

IAVA's Recommendations

  • Complete the VBA transformation to create a pro-veteran culture, integrating best practices from industry and leveraging modern technology to deliver a system of customer satisfaction that rivals the best in the private sector
  • Provide VBA with sufficient resources to modernize Board of Appeals IT system and ensure full implementation and employee buy-in
  • Ensure the appeals backlog is reduced as quickly as possible without harming or exposing veterans to COVID-19

IAVA's Policy Priorities

Select a topic from the list below to learn about IAVA’s policy recommendations for the 117th Congress.