FOR RELEASE: May 17, 2001

VA Claims Decision Making Quality Emphasized
Evans Submits Recommendations to Processing Task Force  

Washington, DC – Congressman Lane Evans (D-IL), the Democratic Ranking Member on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs has called on members of the recently appointed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Claims Processing Task Force to continue efforts to improve the quality of claims adjudication decision-making.  Noting that only recently has VA acknowledged problems in the quality of its decisions, Evans said, “Efforts being made to improve the quality of decisions need to be continued and enhanced.”  He recommended that data from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the Board of Veterans Appeals be analyzed and used in evaluating the quality of work performed by VA regional benefits offices. 

During fiscal year 2000, Evans noted, over 50% of the decisions made by regional offices were either reversed by the Board of Veterans Appeals or sent back (remanded) to the regional offices for further work.  Evans believes an analysis of the reasons for remands which include failure to obtain relevant military and medical records will help VA to improve the quality of decisions made by regional benefits offices.  Evans expects that with implementation of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 restoring VA’s duty to assist, better development of claims at the regional office will improve the quality of decisions and result in fewer reversals and remands by the Board.

Evans also urged the task force to evaluate claims processing from the point of view of the veteran.  If a veteran’s average retroactive payment on an original claim includes more than a year’s worth of retroactive benefits, that usually means that it took more than a year for VA to decide the claim.  VA currently rates its timelines by measuring “End Product Code” data which may not reflect the actual amount of time taken to adjudicate the claim.  Evans is concerned that reliance on End Product Code data may encourage VA to prematurely deny claims before the one-year period allowed by law for a veteran to submit evidence in support of the claim.  Premature claim denial could give the appearance of more timely processing, but result in lower quality decisions. 

Evans also raised questions concerning the inconsistencies between regional office decisions.  According to VA, a service-connected disabled veteran living in Illinois receives an average of $5,430 per year, while a service-connected disabled veteran in Maine receives an average of $8,782 per year.  Evans asks “Are Illinois service-disabled veterans really that much less disabled than Maine veterans?”  Given the 514,443 claims, pending at VA regional offices, Evans hopes that improvements can be made in improving the timeliness of decisions without further impairing the quality of the decisions.   

-30-

To view report, click here.

Back to Press Releases