Progress Cited on Veterans Benefits Claims Processing Reform

VBA Under Secretary Allison Hickey yesterday said that, “training initiatives and a new paperless system being introduced are yielding faster and more accurate decisions on pending claims” for veterans benefits, according to a story in the Washington Post. At a House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee hearing examining the backlog of claims for veterans benefits, DAV’s National Legislative Director Joe Violante testified that, “the number of claims filed each year is growing; the complexity of claims filed is increasing; the backlog of claims pending is staggering; and the quality of the claims decisions remains far too low”, however since VBA is just beginning to roll out new reforms and IT systems, “it is far too soon to make judgments about whether they are or will be successful.”