“The Department of Veterans Affairs is deploying new automation and data sharing capacities to get ahead of the agency’s claims and benefits backlog.”
“Noting the combination of pandemic-related delays and VA’s inclusion of new compensation for agent orange and other forms of toxic exposure, VA Secretary McDonough outlined how the agency has attempted to keep pace with the overall goals of backlog reduction…”
“However, despite the backlog increase, VA’s modernization efforts and hiring push through the Veterans Benefits Administration has already shown promise for more efficient claims processing, with the agency looking to continue these endeavors throughout 2022…”
“These reforms will take advantage of increased data sharing between the Veterans Health Administration and claims offices, using a veteran’s health history to automatically confirm the validity of claims.”
“’Historically, our administrative processes have taken a long time. So we developed rules and algorithms to enhance and translate data into automated, actionable outcomes and processes. With this enhanced process, it will allow us to determine the sufficiency of medical evidence for rating purposes, and if sufficient, will prepopulate the rating calculator while drafting a proposed rating decision. And if not sufficient, automatically request a necessary exam to obtain the medical evidence needed,’ Reynolds said…”
“VA has already begun exploring the applicability of this sort of automation to additional conditions, including those related to toxic exposure…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA Moves to Further Automate Benefits Claims – By Adam Patterson, February 18, 2022. GovCIO.
