Noteboom The Law Firm

Programs Not Helping Wounded Soldiers Transition

Many efforts have been made to help wounded soldiers transition from their time in the military to their civilian lives. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Pentagon have launched numerous programs designed to help these specific veterans.

Four years ago, the VA and the Pentagon combined to launch a pilot program designed to speed up disability claims processing. Theory is never the same as practice, however. The program will not be fully implemented until 2013. Even when it does come online, it will still take an average of 300 days to process every new disability claim.

When programs like these are launched, it does not demonstrate a high level of progress as far as advancing care for wounded troops. In theory, these programs were intended to eliminate bureaucracy and at the same time make the transition easier for everyone involved. Four years later, many are left wondering if the end result of this program is more bureaucracy.

The VA defends the program, however, and cites much better inter-agency cooperation between themselves and the Pentagon. According to the VA, both agencies have made progress in not only providing better healthcare, but also providing a much smoother transitional process. Officials cite the development of the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) as providing that path.

IDES is being implemented at almost every base, which will likely eventually help. Its goal processing time, however, will likely take years to achieve.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.