Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Retraining Mental Health Claims Processors

A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) internal investigation revealed a high number of errors being made on disability claims evaluations filed by veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In response to those results, the VA is implementing new training for both their health care workers and their benefits processors.

The results of the investigation were somewhat shocking. The VA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) found 8% of veterans claims filed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) contained errors. For those claims filed for TBIs, however, the error rate jumped to 19%. More than 50% of the TBI claims directly affected veterans' benefits.

There was an overall 23% error rate in all the OIG-reviewed cases. Most of the errors were technical, meaning they did not affect benefits. More than 80% of the claims, however, involved 100% disability ratings, and were made based on a need for surgery or other treatment stemming from a service-related disability.

The OIG examined 16,000 disability files based solely on PTSD claims. Investigators found there was no way the claims processors could be accurate with the limited training and experience they possessed. The VA noted the largest number of mistakes were made verifying specific events qualifying for PTSD benefits. The VA, however, has made that verification process much easier, and has therefore eliminated this issue.

Exactly like PTSD claims, the OIG found inexperienced and undertrained processors caused most problematic errors in TBI claims. The errors themselves ranged in cause, and retraining should be completed by the end of June.

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.