Veterans' disability benefits : further evaluation of ongoing initiatives could help identify effective approaches for improving claims processing : report to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

United States. Government Accountability Office

Contributor:

Bertoni, Daniel

United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Department of Veterans Affairs--Rules and practice--Evaluation.

United States.

United States. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Disability evaluation--United States.

Disability evaluation.

Disabilities--United States.

Disabilities.

Disabled veterans--Services for--United States.

Disabled veterans.

Disabled veterans--Services for.

Genre:

Rules and practice.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ii, 38 pages) : illustrations

Other Title:

Further evaluation of ongoing initiatives could help identify effective approaches for improving claims processing

Place of Publication:

[Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, [2010]

Summary:

For years, the disability compensation claims process has been the subject of concern and attention by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Congress, and veteran service organizations (VSO), due in part to long waits for decisions and the large number of claims pending a decision. As GAO and other organizations have reported over the last decade, VA has also faced challenges in improving the accuracy and consistency of disability decisions. GAO was asked to examine (1) trends in VA's disability compensation claims processing at the initial claims and appeals levels and (2) actions that VA has taken to improve its disability claims process. To do this, GAO reviewed and analyzed VA performance data, budget submissions, program documents, and external studies and interviewed VA officials and VSO representatives. GAO recommends that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs direct (1) VBA to collect data on redistributed claims to help assess the effect of workload redistribution, (2) VBA and the Board of Veterans' Appeals to establish a plan with criteria for assessing whether ECA should be widely implemented, and (3) VBA to develop a plan with criteria for assessing whether its pilot reorganization of claims processors should be expanded. VA agreed with the recommendations, and noted plans to address them.

Notes:

Title from cover screen (GAO, viewed Feb. 11, 2010).

"January 2010."

Includes bibliographical references.

"GAO-10-213."

OCLC:

506000644