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Federal Daily News

Senator takes action to address VA claims backlog

A Texas lawmaker thinks the Department of Veterans Affairs can learn a thing or two from his state’s efforts in addressing VA’s claims backlog.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn on Nov. 28 filed an amendment to the defense authorization bill that would require the VA to adopt Texas’s model of streamlining the claims process, which calls for ensuring that new claims are fully developed before they are submitted.

According to a press release from his office,  in the last two years alone the number of backlogged veterans’ claims nationwide has more than doubled.

“This is a national disgrace, and veterans with pending claims deserve more than just rhetoric from VA headquarters in Washington,” Cornyn said. “The massive backlog of VA disability claims reminds us that far too many veterans are being underserved."

In Cornyn’s state, the Texas Veterans Commission partnered with the VA to assist with the claims to ensure completion and accuracy to shorten the processing time; during the first two months of the partnership more than 2,500 backlogged claims were processed and more than 800 fully developed claims were completed.

Cornyn’s amendment would require VA to adopt a similar partnership with outside entities.

In testimony before a House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee, VA officials reported that the department has experienced positive outcomes through their cooperation with the TVC, according to the release.

VA, which has attracted taken criticism for its claims backlog, already cultivates partnerships with veterans service organizations to help vets put together these “fully developed claims”—claims that contain all the available supporting evidence vets need to launch a claim that will make it through processing faster.  As part of that effort,  VA hosted a workshop in July for 10 VSOs with the aim of ramping up the groups’ role in VA’s effort to eliminate that claims backlog.


 

Reader comments

Fri, Jan 18, 2013 Scott Hines, IL.

I agree 100% with LA's comment. I have been a DAV SO for 8 years and I have applied for the VSR job before and while I'm in training they want to down grade me to a GS-7 from a GS-11. I can not afford to lose anymore pay. To Mr. Copper-sorry to hear about your father and the delay in benefits to your mother. If your father's death was related to a service-conneted disability your mother would be Eligible Survivor. See below. DIC is a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of the following: Military service member who died while on active duty, OR Veteran whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease, OR Veteran whose death resulted from a non service-related injury or disease, and who was receiving, or was entitled to receive, VA Compensation for service-connected disability that was rated as totally disabling for at least 10 years immediately before death, OR since the veteran's release from active duty and for at least five years immediately preceding death, OR for at least one year before death if the veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999.DIC Eligibility The surviving spouse is eligible if he or she: validly married the veteran before January 1, 1957, OR was married to a service member who died on active duty, OR married the veteran within 15 years of discharge from the period of military service in which the disease or injury that caused the veteran's death began or was aggravated, OR was married to the veteran for at least one year, OR had a child with the veteran, AND cohabited with the veteran continuously until the veteran's death or, if separated, was not at fault for the separation, AND is not currently remarried. Note: A surviving spouse who remarries on or after December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, is entitled to continue to receive DIC.

Wed, Dec 26, 2012 LA Nashville

They completed 800 claims in 2 months? I'm not sure that's really much of an impact. VA's main problem in claim processing is in its staffing and hiring practices. Many years ago, claims were handled by doctors and lawyers who had the intellectual ability to understand what they were looking at and to make judgment calls. Now, VA hires uneducated people as Claims Assistants (CAs), the promotes them to Veterans Service Representatives (VSRs). So VA winds up with clerks doing a job that used to be done by doctors and attorneys. Another issue is the additional claims filed by veterans who are already receiving benefits. Veterans are constantly sending in new claims in an effort to increase their compensation. Some veterans file an additional claim each year. VSRs can't process the claims of Iraq and Afghanistan campaign veterans because they're tied up handling claims for older veterans. VA needs to set up separate processing systems -- one for initial claims and another for subsequent claims. VA needs to reclassify the VSR positions at the GS-11 level -- or at least at the GS-9 level -- and it needs to add a positive educational requirement. VSRs need to have Bachelor's degrees, at a minimum.

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 Anthony Cooper Columbus, Georgia

My mother is 85 years of age and a surviving spouse. My dad served during WWII and passed away in 2010. In June 2011 my mother entered a retirement community that was partially funded by VA and applied for benefits to assist in the monthly payments. After hearing nothing from the VA, we resubmitted the application in early July 2012 and to date have not heard anything. We are now getting statements from Holiday Retirement that my mother owes over $20,000 to Holiday Retirement. What is taking the VA so long to process these claims?

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