Summarization of events written by the Veteran X Team.

Veterans Affairs officials have announced that they will continue to review direct compensation and pensions at 20 medical centers in the department in the coming weeks in an effort to reduce the backlog of benefits cases. ,, The news comes just a day after lawmakers and veterans advocates laid out expressed concern that management was not doing enough to inform veterans of its plan to handle benefit cases that had stalled in recent months, with in-person exams having been banned for most of the year. In early April, in light of coronavirus concerns, VA officials halted exams and many other in-person appointments without rushing. Department heads have promised that veterans’ requests will not be punished by delays and that cases requiring medical screening will be handled at a later date. “There is a significant backlog leading to all of this, and the department says it added 25,000 cases in April alone.” In a separate appearance before Congress on Thursday, Virginia Secretary for the State’s Interests Paul Lawrence said the delay in the review “is pushing us back because we can’t handle it.” handle all requests”. . Luria said she fears officials will rush to organize too many exams in an attempt to clear the backlog, leading to more appeals for benefits and frustration among the public. The head of the Bureau said it plans to expand the list of exam locations “when possible, with consultation from multiple agencies to guide decision-making.” , Currently, 121 different VA facilities are still treating at least one active coronavirus case.

Summarization of events written by the Veteran X Team.

Original article:

Veterans disability exams to resume at some sites as backlog hits 114,000, nearly doubling in six months

By Leo Shane III

Veterans Affairs officials announced they will resume in-person compensation and pension exams at 20 department medical centers in coming weeks in an effort to bring down a backlog of benefits cases which has grown substantially since November due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The exams backlog currently sits at 114,000 cases, up from 65,000 in November 2019.

The news came just a day after lawmakers and veterans advocates expressed concern that department leadership hasn’t done enough to inform veterans about their plans to handle benefits cases stalled in recent months, as in-person exams were banned in almost all cases.

The 20 sites are the same ones that earlier this month began offering non-emergency services to patients as part of the department implementing their first phase of re-opening hospitals.

In a statement, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said the move is an important step forward for the department following weeks of restrictions due to the fast-spreading coronavirus, which has killed more than 100,000 Americans, including 1,200 VA patients.

“We’re keeping the safety of veterans and our medical providers as our highest priority and have put a robust set of measures in place to ensure medical providers can safely conduct these examinations,” he said.

Compensation and pension exams are often required after veterans file disability claims to verify their medical conditions and help evaluators set individuals’ disability rating.

In early April, in response to concerns about coronavirus, VA officials halted the exams along with numerous other face-to-face non-emergency appointments. Department leaders promised veterans benefits claims would not be penalized by the delays, and cases needing the medical reviews would be handled at a later date.

But this week, members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee questioned why more information hadn’t been released about how and when those exams would return.

Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va. and head of the committee’s Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs panel, said outside advocates have reported cases of veterans receiving letters about appointments that have already been cancelled and missing paperwork which cannot be completed without VA reopening facilities.

“It’s clear there is going to be a lot of catching up,” she said in an interview with Military Times on Thursday. “There was a substantial backlog even before all of this, and the department said they added 25,000 more cases in April alone.”

During a separate congressional appearance on Thursday, VA Under Secretary for Benefits Paul Lawrence said the delay in exams “sets us back, because we can’t process all the claims.”

Lawrence asked lawmakers to approve new regulations allowing doctors to conduct online appointments across state lines and allowing nurse practitioners to conduct some of the exams, in an effort to reduce that number.

Luria said she worries officials may rush through too many exams in an effort to clear the backlog, resulting in more benefits appeals and veteran frustration in coming months.

Sourced from:  https://www.navytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/05/29/veterans-disability-exams-to-resume-at-some-sites-as-backlog-hits-114000-nearly-doubling-in-six-months/

Information vetted by the Veteran X Team.