VA Claims-Processing Delays Hit 20-Year High

VA Claims-Processing Delays Hit 20-Year High
Nov 30, 2012
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
by Chris Adams

WASHINGTON -- The time needed to process veterans' disability claims shot up by nearly 40 percent last year despite years of effort by federal officials to streamline and shorten the process, records show.

The times necessary to process education benefits and burial benefits, as well as the time needed to wind through the Department of Veterans Affairs appeals process, also increased in fiscal 2012.

The disability-processing time is closely watched by Congress and veterans' advocates as a measure of VA efficiency. In fiscal 2012, the average days to complete a VA disability compensation or pension claim rose to 262 days, up from 188 days in fiscal 2011, according to a recently completely VA performance report.

The 262-day average is the highest that measure has been in at least the past 20 years for which numbers were available.

The VA's long-term goal is to get the processing time to an average of 90 days.

"The entire system is a mess," said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and chief executive of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a support and advocacy group. "They've been saying now for 10 years that it'll get better, and it still doesn't get better, and we've seen tremendous frustration from our members in the last few months. It's reached a breaking point."

The department has seen a massive increase in claims from veterans in recent years, both younger ones from Iraq and Afghanistan and older ones who have recently been able to file claims on new conditions. Claims the past four years have topped 1 million a year.

While some decisions might be straightforward -- a soldier loses a limb in battle -- others are more complicated, requiring extensive medical reviews and research to tie a disability to the veteran's time in the military.

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The truth is while the Obama Administration has made it easier for older veterans to file claims for what they had been unable to do before, the number of VA employees was not increased enough to or fast enough to meet the number of veterans filing claims.

VA has experienced unprecedented growth in the medical system workload over the past few years. The number of patients treated increased by 29 percent from 4.2 million in 2001 to nearly 5.5 million in 2008.

As of September 30, 2008, VA had 278,565 employees on the rolls. Among all departments and agencies of the federal government, only the Department of Defense has a larger work force. Of the total number of VA employees, 247,113 were in the Veterans Health Administration, 16,135 in the Veterans Benefits Administration, 1,549 in the National Cemetery System, 3,412 in the Veterans Canteen Service and 437 in the Revolving Supply Fund. The rest, 9,919 employees, are in various staff and facilities offices.

As of September 30, 2010 VA’s workforce (excluding Manila residents and non-US residents) totaled 305,847 permanent and temporary employees,

The White House’s budget plan released in February showed federal employment levels growing in 2013 by 2,400 employees, about 0.1 percent. It projected increases at the Veterans Affairs department to meet increased demand for veterans’ services; the Department of Homeland Security for airport and border security; the Justice Department for staffing new prisons; and the Treasury Department for increased tax enforcement. That plan further projected a decrease of about 7,500 Defense Department civilian employee jobs, largely offsetting those increases. Employment at most other agencies would be essentially flat.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Plan Refresh