Veterans Will Have Disability Claims Answered Faster With New System

BOISE – The U.S. Secretary of Veteran Affairs was in Boise Wednesday for a big announcement for veterans looking to file for a disability claim. It surrounds processing claims faster.
The big announcement changes the way veterans will file a disability claim. Since the claims began, everything was done on paper. Now, claims will be digital, cutting the time it takes to get a decision in half.
It’s called Veterans Benefits Management System. It essentially takes the claims process from paper to digital.
U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said veterans in Idaho and across the country wait too long to receive the benefits they’ve earned.
“This has never been acceptable and that’s why we’re executing a robust plan that we’ve put in place over the last several years,” said Shinseki.
That plan is twofold, process the backlog of unprocessed claims and develop a new system to process claims faster.
In April, Shinseki said there were claims filed over two years ago, and that was unacceptable.
Josh Callihan is a veteran who was injured in the line of duty. He’s been through the claims process.
“When you leave the Department of Defense you’re really not sure how it’s going to work, they just tell you go to where ever you’re from and get in touch with the VA and file a claim, and that’s really about the most information they give you,” said Callihan.
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