Senators unveil bill to improve VA claims process
The Senate's VA Claims Backlog Working Group said this week that while the Department of Veterans Affairs has taken a number of steps to remedy its claims backlog, more changes are needed to create a system that can handle future surges in claims.
The Senate's VA Claims Backlog Working Group said this week that while the Department of Veterans Affairs has taken a number of steps to remedy its claims backlog, more changes are needed to create a system that can handle future surges in claims.
The nine-member working group, created in July 2014 and led by Sens. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa,), issued a report last year that contained a slate of recommendations for addressing the backlog, many of which have implemented by the department and through legislative action.
On May 6, the group released a new report that reviews the progress on those recommendations, and announced comprehensive legislation that lays out three areas of improvement to the claims process they say will drive more accurate and timely decisions.
One section of the bill, which is called the 21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act, includes measures to assist and educate veterans on the benefits of submitting a completed claim, and to encourage the use of available resources and services to drive that process.
Another section calls for reforming practices of VA regional offices, providing personnel and management with tools required for efficiency, and instituting improvements to Veterans Benefits Administration processes. This section of the bill also requires a Government Accountability Office assessment of management practices, implementation of a training program for certain managers, and the establishment of better communication between VA, veterans service organizations and Congress.
The final section of the bill includes measures that help hold the government more accountable, and that help to prioritize the claims process, require better cooperation from federal agencies in transferring information, and ensure VBA employees process that information in a timely fashion.
Along with Heller and Casey, other members of the working group include Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), David Vitter (R-La.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).