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AKAKA INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE VETERANS’ DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESSING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kawika Riley (Veterans’ Affairs)
June 22, 2010 (202) 224-9126
AKAKA INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE VETERANS’ DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESSING
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation today to make much-needed improvements to VA’s disability claims processing. VA provides disability compensation to approximately 3.1 million veterans across the nation.
“VA’s system to provide veterans with disability compensation is well intended, but it is broken. This bill will move the Department closer to fulfilling its obligation to provide every eligible veteran with timely and accurate disability compensation,” said Akaka.
As Chairman, Akaka has held a series of hearings on improving the veterans’ disability compensation system (to view the Committee’s hearings click here). The Committee will hold a hearing to review disability claims processing on July 1, at which time witnesses will testify about Akaka’s legislation.
The Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2010 (S.3517) would make various changes to the way VA processes disability compensation claims, including provisions to:
- Set up a process to fast-track claims that have been fully developed;
- Help veterans with multiple disability claims by allowing VA to provide partial disability ratings; and
- Provide that the Department give equal deference to the medical opinions of a veteran’s non-VA doctor.
The bill would also establish a test program at several Regional Offices replacing VA’s method for identifying musculoskeletal disabilities. Compensation under the pilot would be based on a functional assessment of limitations due to the disability, such as standing, walking or lifting, and would take into account the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms of the disability. To identify disabilities, the pilot would use the common language of the International Classification of Diseases, rather than VA’s current Rating Schedule.
To read Senator Akaka’s statement in the Congressional Record introducing the bill, click here: LINK
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=37340
Posted by Robert O'Dowd on Jun 23 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Vet News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Bob,
S- 3517, ” The Claims Processing Improvement Act ” sounds good. Now let’s see if this becomes law.
I was hoping that President Obama would make good on all his promises to Veterans. He made so many of them when he campaigned and so many after as well. Moreover, he doesn’t answer the many letters I have written to him. My claim is now 14 years and nine months old.
If S – 3517 is signed by the President, maybe I’ll receive my benefits in 15 plus years and not 16.
If S – 3517 becomes law
[...] AKAKA INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE VETERANS' DISABILITY … [...]
It seems to me that Mr.AKAKA,and his sweetheart Mr. WEBB are putting the cart in front of the horse when it comes to making changes in the V A System….
Insread of getting rid of the Free Ridding Air Heads that work at the V A’s local Offices, I’m excluding the Hospitals because they are pretty much at the bottom of the Crap Pit… It’s the ones in the Local Offices and on the Appeals Boards that need to be cleaned up FIRST!!!!!
Instead these two MEN want to take the easy way out for their own benifit and go after the Compansation Benifits of Real Veterans… They waste millions of dollars
each and everyday paying a lot of V A employees that don’t earn their Paychecks…
Where is the CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN when it come to the V A System?????
If Akaka and Webb really want to save the taxpayers some money the Los Angeles Office would be the first place to clean house… They’d actually would have to do some work to not have such a large amount of backlog of claims… What is needed is to have a mole or two planted in these offices taking good notes on how these people DON’T do their jobs, and report back to Mr. Shinseki, and these other two wannabee’s… Than they’s be doing something to clean up the V A System… STOP Screwing with our Benifits… The Veterans Administration was and is set up to be there to help the Veterans of these United States… NOT use them for some Political reasons of certin Politicans to get press exposer…
We Did Our Jobs In The Feild, We Fought Our Wars, So Why Do WE Have To Fight With The V A For Medical Care, And Compansation That We Veterans Have NOT ONLY BEEN PROMISED,BUT DAMN SURE EARNED AND ARE VERY MUCH DUE!!!!!!!!
I Know when I enlisted and took the oath in 1968 to defend this Country and the Constitution, there was nothing mentioned about having to fight a 10 year war with the Veterans Administration over my earned and over due Benifits too!!!!
And WHY does it take a year or more when a case is active and under review, for the Los Angeles Office to send my C-File to my Lawyers Office????? Great Job Your Doing for the Department of Veterans Affairs on 1100 Wilshire Blvd, In Los Angeles, Be proud People!!!!
I completely agree with your statement about the LA VA on WIlshire Blvd. They lost all the claims we sent for my Vietnam era disabled brother. Even the ones sent FED EX. So incompetent and worthless.. Get people in there that know what they are doing NOW.
Thank you,
ELizabeth Macaluso Lama
For Charles J. Macaluso Jr. Served in Navy in Viet Nam from 1970 to 73. Disabled from Brain aneurism, type 2 diabetes and blind in one eye from retina detachment caused by the diabetes. Also could no longer hold down a job as he has NO SHORT TERM MEMORY> Thank you Agent Orange!