Posted on Jun 4, 2017
VA: Disability Claim Appeals Process Broken
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VA DISABILITY CLAIM APPEALS READ OF THE DAY
The VA acknowledged recently that its claims appeal process is broken and they are working to address the issues involved. Currently, many thousands of veterans are waiting more than 5 years for their claims to be settled. From 2012 to 2015, pending appeals cases increased by 35%, to more than 450,000 today. Of those, more than 80,000 veterans have been waiting longer than 5 years and 5,000 veterans have been waiting for more than 10 years for their cases to be settled.
Steps currently being taken include updating the computer and IT systems used to process claims appeals, streamlining the appeals process by making it possible for veterans to submit additional information without triggering another set of reviews, hiring additional personnel, and digitizing archived inactive claims records to allow for quicker processing times.
A year ago, the VA launched Caseflow Certification, a web-app which verifies whether the required documentation needed for an appeals claim is present and automatically identifies if new information is added, reducing errors and delays caused by manual claims processing.
Earlier this year, the Veterans Benefit Administration began collecting archived claims records from regional repositories east of the Mississippi and digitizing them to be uploaded into the Veterans Benefits Management System. Previously, the VBA only digitized an archived claim records if the veteran or family members submitted new disability or Dependency Indemnity Compensation claims. When these claims were submitted, the records had to be located and retrieved, boxed up and shipped to the office handling the claim. This added several days to the claims process. By digitizing archived inactive claims records and uploading them into one system, this information will be instantly available to claims processors anywhere in the country. The VBA expects to complete this work by the end of 2018.
The VA pledges to continue its efforts to improve the appeals claims process for veterans. Because of the fact that many of its procedures and policies are mandated by Congress, the VA has reached out to both the House and Senate for help in passing legislation that will make it possible for the VA to make significant changes to the process. In recent months, several bills have been introduced in both houses of Congress to address these issues. Hopefully, legislators will recognize the urgency of acting quickly to help our veterans get the benefits they deserve.
Posted by Dr. George P. Johnson at 10:29 AM
TSgt Joe C. SFC William Farrell PO1 William "Chip" Nagel LTC Stephen F.] SGT Robert George SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas Maj Marty Hogan LTC (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SGT (Join to see) SFC Dave Beran SP5 Robert Ruck SGT Philip Roncari SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SFC Shirley Whitfield MSgt George Cater SP5 Michael Rathbun CW5 (Join to see) SGT Michael Thorin SSgt (Join to see)
The VA acknowledged recently that its claims appeal process is broken and they are working to address the issues involved. Currently, many thousands of veterans are waiting more than 5 years for their claims to be settled. From 2012 to 2015, pending appeals cases increased by 35%, to more than 450,000 today. Of those, more than 80,000 veterans have been waiting longer than 5 years and 5,000 veterans have been waiting for more than 10 years for their cases to be settled.
Steps currently being taken include updating the computer and IT systems used to process claims appeals, streamlining the appeals process by making it possible for veterans to submit additional information without triggering another set of reviews, hiring additional personnel, and digitizing archived inactive claims records to allow for quicker processing times.
A year ago, the VA launched Caseflow Certification, a web-app which verifies whether the required documentation needed for an appeals claim is present and automatically identifies if new information is added, reducing errors and delays caused by manual claims processing.
Earlier this year, the Veterans Benefit Administration began collecting archived claims records from regional repositories east of the Mississippi and digitizing them to be uploaded into the Veterans Benefits Management System. Previously, the VBA only digitized an archived claim records if the veteran or family members submitted new disability or Dependency Indemnity Compensation claims. When these claims were submitted, the records had to be located and retrieved, boxed up and shipped to the office handling the claim. This added several days to the claims process. By digitizing archived inactive claims records and uploading them into one system, this information will be instantly available to claims processors anywhere in the country. The VBA expects to complete this work by the end of 2018.
The VA pledges to continue its efforts to improve the appeals claims process for veterans. Because of the fact that many of its procedures and policies are mandated by Congress, the VA has reached out to both the House and Senate for help in passing legislation that will make it possible for the VA to make significant changes to the process. In recent months, several bills have been introduced in both houses of Congress to address these issues. Hopefully, legislators will recognize the urgency of acting quickly to help our veterans get the benefits they deserve.
Posted by Dr. George P. Johnson at 10:29 AM
TSgt Joe C. SFC William Farrell PO1 William "Chip" Nagel LTC Stephen F.] SGT Robert George SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas Maj Marty Hogan LTC (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SGT (Join to see) SFC Dave Beran SP5 Robert Ruck SGT Philip Roncari SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SFC Shirley Whitfield MSgt George Cater SP5 Michael Rathbun CW5 (Join to see) SGT Michael Thorin SSgt (Join to see)
VA: Disability Claim Appeals Process Broken
Posted from news.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.comPosted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Disability
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Disability
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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Thanks for sharing SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL that the VA has acknowledged recently that its claims appeal process is broken and they are working to address the issues involved.
I am still waiting on my own claim from 2015 to be resolved.
I am still waiting on my own claim from 2015 to be resolved.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
LTC Stephen F. thanks for sharing my friend, and know you are always in my prayers. Much prosperity, grace and mercy in his Name Father God, Amen!
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SGT Anna Kleinschmidt
LTC Stephen F. Thanks for the article, I hope your situation is resolved soon. It took my husband 3 years and they finally transferred his paperwork to another va system and it was done in a month. I recommend that you get the DAV involved that is what we did with his and my increase to 100%. They give you an attorney (you never meet them) but they will hand carry your paperwork through the system. For my husband it stopped them from saying that they didn't have the information that he submitted 20 times. Good luck to you and I hope you it resolved soon and enjoy that big check you are going to get from the back pay! My husband got 90% and I can say it was huge!
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How has the process changed since it was first implemented? The illustration shows most of the issue, a stack of filled folders necessary for an appeal. However, there has been so many inclusions to the system for eligibility over the years, that may not be so simple to eliminate.
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