This morning the VFW testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on the VA disability claims process transformation.
The hearing started at 10:30 a.m. in the committee’s chambers, room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building. To view a full list of witnesses and to read their prepared remarks, click here.
VFW Deputy National Veterans Service Director Jerry Manar presented the VFW’s thoughts on the transformation plan for the Veterans Benefits Administration, or VBA, which centers on the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), a program intended to digitize the disability claims process.
In his remarks, Manar commended current VA leadership for their initiative to improve the claims process, but he also told the committee that the veterans’ community should not expect too much from the initial VBMS roll-out. Manar compared the new program to a foundation for a new house, intended to replace an aging, ad-hoc infrastructure of computer systems incapable of interacting with one another.
Manar went on to say that VBA should not introduce VBMS until it has been fully stressed to identify short comings, but that VBA must walk a fine line between rolling out the program too soon and delaying too long while seeking to fix any and all problems.
During his testimony, Manar also discussed VA’s new Simplified Notification Letters for veteran claimants, which the VFW believes do not provide adequate information to properly inform a claimant on how VA arrived at its rating decision.
Your VFW and our cadre of claims service officers will continue to monitor progress and identify ways to improve the VA claims process to ensure timely delivery of benefits to our veterans.
He needs to focus on why there was so many cut backs that now even my claims package is taking so long. My claims package has been waiting for 1 year and a half already and they say it may take another 6 months to finish. Why is it taking so long when I have had friends of mine get theirs done in 6 months. I think it is just the Pittsburg office who handles overseas veterns that has a problem and can't do there jobs correctly. From a retired Marine!
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling I am going on 22 months and still have not received any information just that there is a backlog. when i submitted my claim they told me it would be about 8 months. The backlog is supposedly bad here in Texas too due to all the people retiring in this state
DeleteI've heard that various veterans organizations' service officers have the ability to expedite claims and their ability variates between different facilities. The key is to get the right one working for you.
ReplyDeleteNo I heard that. The difference is when I left San Diego I could have my claim done with in 6 months and the problem with Pittsburg is which is not there fault it is the people in the house and the senate that made those cuts to all those programs that hurt people. Pittsburg had 15 people working overseas vets with 1500 claims and they got cut down to 5 people. Which when you make that kind of cut backs people (VETS) pay the price for what our wonderful government is working on. Which I find funny cause they at the beginning of the year they them selves took a 3.2% pay raise. THANKS FOR THAT ONE!
ReplyDeletethey are not just draging their feet on claims but the va and govement are also screwing vets out of comp money and travel oney .
ReplyDeleteWell the process is lengthy and most of the files just sit on a desk and collect dust. I believe that if it was run as a business that had to be cost effective I do not think it would take so long. I wonder where all the supervisors are or what they do besides pick up a paycheck.
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