Sen. Reid pleased with VA backlog reductions; says more work still needs to be done
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 06/20/2013 - 3:15pm
A backlog in disability claims for veterans has been reduced in Northern Nevada over the past two years, with more plans in the works to address the complex issue, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced recently.
In Northern Nevada, 785 veterans were provided decisions on their claims during the 2-year iniative. As of June 19, 2013, 49 of these two-year claims remain pending.
Nevada Sen. Harry Reid released the following statement on the newly announced reduction in disability claims:
“I’m so pleased that the Department of Veterans Affairs has significantly reduced the oldest disability claims in line to be processed, finally providing the benefits veterans deserve. In April I signed onto a letter with the Nevada Delegation to the VA to let them know that the backlog was unacceptable and that I was willing to do everything in my power to assist them in accomplishing this goal.
"Following up on this letter, I instructed my staff to set up a meeting between the staff of the Nevada delegation and the VA Deputy Under Secretary of Field Operations to see what we can do to help end the claims backlog at the Reno VA Regional Office. 97 percent of the ‘older than 2 years’ claims have now been completed by the VA, and they are now working to complete those older than 1 year, which is welcome news to Nevada veterans.
“That being said, there is still more work to do. I remain committed to ensuring the VA is properly funded so they have the capabilities to keep our nation’s promise to these men and women who have given so much to Nevada and our nation.”
The VA has admitted the backlog is unacceptable and is addressing the issue, announcing recently that nationwide 3 million claims have been addressed in the past three years. The VA is building a paperless, digital disability claims system – a lasting solution called the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) that has now been fielded at all 56 Regional Offices across the country, ahead of schedule.
This automated system will transform how VA operates and ensures they will complete their goal to end the disability claims backlog, meaning all claims completed in 125 days with 98 percent accuracy, by the end of 2015.
