Watch: VFW Testifies on Disability Claims Process

This morning, the VFW appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations to testify on VA’s ongoing efforts to eliminate the veterans’ disability claims backlog.

The hearing started at 10 a.m., in room 2247 of the Rayburn House Office Building. To view a webcast of the hearing and to read the prepared remarks of each witness, click here.

VFW Deputy National Veterans Service Director Jerry Manar testified before the subcommittee, discussing how the disability claims backlog came about, shortfalls in efforts to rectify the situation, and current initiatives VA has undertaken in an effort to solve the problem – specifically the new Veterans Benefits Management System, or VBMS.

VFW testified that the new program should be fully tested to identify shortcomings, but that VA must walk a fine line between rolling out the program too soon and delaying too long while seeking to fix all the problems.

Manar reiterated that the working relationship between the VA and the VFW's cadre of claims service officers has been excellent, giving accolades to VA Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey for caring enough to listen to veterans service organizations' suggestions on what is best for disabled veterans and their loved ones.

However, Manar also criticized the VA's recent simplified notification letters to disability claimants, pointing out that the information included in the new letters were insufficient for veterans to determine why they received a certain rating.

Members of the committee expressed their frustration with the disability claims process, saying that too many veterans are still waiting for their claims to be adjudicated with little progress on the total number of claims in the backlog.

Manar recently testified on this issue before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, highlighting similar problems and potential solutions.

Your VFW will continue to follow the VA disability claims backlog closely, ensuring that VA initiatives to improve the situation yield results.

(Image: VFW Deputy Service Director Jerry Manar testifies before the House OGR Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations.)

Watch: VFW Testifies on Veterans’ Assistance Bills

*Update: The archived webcast of yesterday's hearing is now available online by clicking here. 

Yesterday afternoon the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs hosted a hearing on pending legislation, and VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley shared VFW’s thoughts with the subcommittee on each bill under consideration.

The hearing came to order at 2 p.m. in the committee’s chambers, room 334 of the Cannon House Office building on Capitol Hill. To view a full list of the bills under consideration, a full list of witnesses, and to read their prepared remarks, click here.

During his remarks, Kelley voiced the VFW’s support for bills ranging from properly honoring fragmented remains of our nation’s fallen heroes to extending critical benefit-delivery programs for veterans, such as the authority of VA to contract with non-VA doctors to perform examinations and the authority of VA to offer adaptive housing accommodations for veterans under the care of family members.

Kelley also expressed cautious support to a proposal that would allow congressional staffers and local government officials to access veteran-specific information on pending VA disability claims, calling for provisions in the bill to ensure information privacy and proper oversight on access.

Texas VFW District 4 Senior Vice Commander Jay Sanders also testified on the Houston VA Cemetery controversy and proposed legislation designed to clarify veterans’ burial rights. Sanders was on hand to offer his local perspective on the issue.

(Images: Top: House VA Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Chairman John Runyan, R-N.J., delivers his opening remarks during yesterday's legislative hearing. Bottom: VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley, left, shares the VFW's thoughts on each bill under consideration during yesterday's hearing. Photos by Chase Collram.)

Watch Live: VFW to Testify on VA Claims Process

Update: To view the archived webcast of the hearing, click here, and to read highlights from the hearing, check out Military Times' coverage here.

This morning the House Committee on Veterans Affairs will host a hearing to examine the role of veterans' representatives throughout the VA disability claims process. Assistant Director for Veterans Benefits Policy Jim Wear will testify on behalf the VFW.

The hearing is scheduled to come to order at 10 a.m. in the committee's chambers, room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building. To watch the hearing live, click here.

During his remarks, Wear plans to fully outline how the 1,300 claims service officers accredited by the VFW help veterans navigate the complex VA disability claims process. Wear plans to highlight not only the 80-plus hours of training required of VFW service officers, but also the specific tasks with which service officers may assist veterans and dependents seeking service-connected benefits.

Wear also plans to discuss how the VFW's relationship has evolved with VA under the direction of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, and how the VFW believes transparency from the agency will improve outcomes in the future, helping to alleviate the current VA disability claims backlog.

To view a full list of witnesses from this morning's hearing and to read their submitted remarks, click here, and check back later today with this blog for updates from the hearing.

In 2011, the VFW's service officers helped more than 97,000 veterans and survivors receive more than $2 billion in compensation and pension benefits. VFW claims assistance is offered to all veterans free of charge at VA regional offices around the country. Veterans represented by the VFW were also more likely to be granted service-connection for their disabilities upon appeal than veterans represented by attorneys or veterans with no representation. To find a VFW claims service officer near you, click here.

Field Report: Nevada VFW Joins Veterans' Congressional Town Hall

Members of Congress are in their home districts this week, and VFW advocates are once again taking the opportunity to meet directly with their elected leaders on veterans’ issues.

Members of the VFW Department of Nevada, including Nevada Legislative Chairman Gil Hernandez, joined a Congressional veterans' town tall meeting with Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., in Elko, Nevada, on Tuesday, April 3.

Amodei took the time to hear from dozens of area veterans and veterans' advocates, who focused primarily on the VA disability claims backlog. Veterans reported that the VA Regional Office in Reno can take up to 300 days to properly process a disability claim for a veteran; more than double the 125-day benchmark VA has set for reasonable claims-processing.

Hernandez said that he believes the VA Regional Office in Salt Lake City faces similar backlog issues, but  that Salt Lake City was in the process of converting to a paperless claims system and streamlining their ratings decisions, which could result in better service and shorter wait times for Nevada's disabled veterans.

Amodei later took to the local news to discuss why the veterans' town hall was important to him.

"It seems to me that Congressman Amodei stands ready to help veterans in any way he can," said Hernandez after the event.

To submit your Field Reports for consideration on the VFW’s Capitol Hill blog, simply fill out our online form here, or send photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org. Information for this story was provided by Nevada VFW Legislative Chairman Gil Hernandez.

(Image: Nevada VFW Legislative Chairman Gil Hernandez poses for a photo with Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., and a fellow Nevada veteran during last week's veterans' town hall meeting in Elko. Photo courtesy of Gil Hernandez.)