Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Testing Paperless Benefits Processing System

August 11, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has an incredible amount of backlogged disability claims requiring processing. Focusing on eliminating bureaucracy and therefore getting veterans their benefits much quicker by reducing unnecessary delays, the VA is testing paperless benefits processing. Providence, RI will be the first regional VA office testing the new Veterans Benefit Management System (VBMS).

The VBMS will do more than just process benefits in a paperless system. It will also supply veterans with significant services through 2 of the VA's programs:  

• The Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER); and
• The Veterans Relationship Management (VRM) System.

The information collected about veterans through the VBMS processing will be relayed back to the veterans through the VRM. Veterans will be updated as to their claim's status and have their electronic health records updated as their claim moves through the system. Faster processing and more communication with veterans will be a welcome relief to the VA's current, complicated system of benefits processing. Once the VA upgrades their IT systems, everything should work even smoother.

The VA's system has about 500,000 backlogged service-related disability claims. Of that number, approximately 40% have spent over 4 months waiting for a decision. The VA has made eliminating the backlog by 2015 a top priority. Paperless benefit claims processing is an integral part of reaching this goal.