March 17, 1999

Dear Colleague:

The General Accounting Office (GAO) recently reviewed the quality assurance policies and practices of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). Not surprisingly, GAO reported further improvement is needed in VA claims-processing accuracy. In addition, GAO reported VBA’s quality assurance activities do not meet generally accepted governmental standards for independence and internal control.

For years, veterans have known that VA claims processing has been both slow and inaccurate. Too many veterans have waited not days, not weeks and not even months, but years to have VA decide their claim. Adding insult to injury, many veterans have learned, after waiting years for a VA claims decision, that the decision made by VA was wrong. Untimely and inaccurate VA claims decisions have been twin problems which have plagued veterans, veteran service organizations and Members of Congress who have sought to assist their veteran constituents.

In fiscal year 2000, the VA will pay over $22 billion dollars in monetary benefits to veterans, but only nine employees are expected to oversee the quality of the claims adjudication process. In addition, there is no statutory requirement for a quality assurance division within VBA devoted to providing independent policy and program oversight to assure quality and accuracy in claims processing.

The Veterans’ Claims Adjudication Improvement Act of 1999 requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to have a program to review and evaluate initial decisions made by VBA on claims for compensation and pension, education, vocational rehabilitation and counseling, home loan and insurance benefits. By identifying the kinds of errors made by VBA regional office personnel, VBA managers can take action to prevent the same or similar problems from being made repeatedly. As a result, veterans will find VA making the right decision on claims with greater frequency the first time a claim is decided.

 I invite you to become an original cosponsor of the Veterans’ Claims Adjudication Improvement Act of 1999. Please contact Beth Kilker or Mary Ellen Mc Carthy at 225-9756 by noon on Tuesday, March 23, 1999 if you wish to be an original cosponsor or if you have any questions about this legislation.

Sincerely,

LANE EVANS
Member of Congress