Noteboom The Law Firm

Veterans’ Disability Compensation Process Still Needs Work

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been attempting to improve the disability compensation application process for 3 years. Despite their efforts, injured and sick veterans are still not close to being satisfied with the system.

In an attempt to secure disability ratings and compensation, veterans continue to suffer through lengthy and intricate processes in attempts to navigate an evaluation system most veterans describe as "contentious."

The VA and the Department of Defense (DoD) jointly launched a pilot program, the integrated disability evaluation system (IDES), which successfully shortened the overall processing time by approximately 6-8 months by increasing convenience; however, it still stands at approximately 300 days. At the same time, however, IDES has disappointed both the DoD's Personnel Chief as well as the Army's Surgeon General.

The adjudication system to which veterans and soldiers are subjected while attempting to secure compensation continues to present substantial challenges to our nation's vets. The military is charged with evaluating solely "unfitting conditions," whereas the VA is responsible for rating all conditions and disabilities deemed to be service-related. In the end, this dual system ends up causing nothing but confusion in all involved parties.

Ideally, one evaluation would produce one medical record. It has been suggested the VA completely take over disability ratings and take the DoD out of the process. The concern is no longer subjecting veterans to an inefficient system.