A package of Republican-led House bills seeks to streamline the process for reviewing and rendering a decision on veterans claims on appeal. The claims are for compensation for veterans, their families and caregivers. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Benefit claims on appeal that can take years for a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs would be delivered faster and with fewer errors under a package of Republican-led House bills, according to lawmakers.
The four bills for improving reviews of denied VA claims would update policies and automate tools for electronic processing to speed up the determinations for compensation to veterans, their families and caregivers, lawmakers said.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s subpanel on disability assistance and memorial affairs is expected to discuss these bills at a June 24 hearing, according to the office of Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., who is chairman of the committee.
“I’ve been through the VA disability benefits process myself, and I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to have to appeal VA’s decision,” said Bost, a former Marine Corps corporal who served from 1979 to 1982.
Bost and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., lead the House version of the Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act. Takano is the top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The bill would authorize the Board of Veterans’ Appeals to group similar appeals together to reduce the time that it takes to render decisions compared to when appeals are reviewed individually.
The bill also seeks to better track claims and appeals.
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the Senate version of the bill.
Blumenthal said the bill will streamline an appeals process that can be an “onerous and an uphill undertaking” for veterans and their families.
The Protecting Veterans Claim Options Act, also sponsored by Bost, seeks to smooth the process for filing supplemental claims for compensation. Supplemental claims provide new evidence on a claim or enable a second review after a relevant law change.
Under the legislation, veterans would no longer have to first prove that the additional evidence submitted is actually “new or relevant” to the case. The VA would be required to issue a decision on the merits of the supplemental claim itself, according to the legislation.
“The Protecting Veterans Claim Options Act would close a loophole in the law that prevents veterans from ever receiving a final decision on their claims for VA benefits,” Bost said.
The Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act would standardize software for processing claims and appeals. The bill also would automate a lot of the work to identify, obtain and extract information to support claims, according to lawmakers.
Critical information often is contained in veterans’ medical records that can be thousands of pages, said Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., the bill’s sponsor.
Valadao said his aim is to make online tools more available for the complex task of claims processing. The bill was first introduced in 2024 but did not advance to a final vote.
“I’m proud to reintroduce this bill which will expand the use of automation tools for processing VA claims to ensure veterans get the benefits they deserve in a more timely and efficient matter,” Valadao said.
The Veterans’ Caregiver Appeals Modernization Act seeks to shorten wait times for caregivers to qualify for and receive monthly stipends.
Sponsored by Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., the bill seeks to update the application process to the caregiver program.
Applications and supporting documents for the caregiver program are now uploaded to different computer systems, according to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The VA workers handling claims and appeals might not see all the information submitted.
The bill would also clarify that caregivers might be eligible for past stipends if the application in cases where the veteran died while an appeal was pending, according to the legislation.
“This legislation is a simple fix that will ensure applications for caregivers’ financial assistance are considered fairly and streamlined in a way that properly serves our veterans,” Barrett said.
