In 2013, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported that it had a staggering 600,000 veteran benefits claims backlogged, waiting to be seen and reviewed. The shocking number, attributed to a surge in new claims from Vietnam veterans' Agent Orange claims, grabbed headlines and spurned the agency into setting a lofty goal in 2015: to work through its entire backlog of claims and make sure that the veterans who have applied get the assistance they need.
A new report from the Houston Chronicle details the renewed efforts by the VA to improve its efficiency and eliminate waiting times for veteran applicants. They have reported:
- They currently has approximately 235,700 back logged claims
- The VA has processed more than a million claims a year for four years
- The Houston VA office (serving all of Texas), has reduced its total number of standing claims by 64% since 2013
Still politicians and experts are skeptical that the VA will be able to hit its 2015 goal. As Jim Richman, Director of Claims Representation & Counseling for the Texas Veterans Commission told the Houston Chronicle, achieving the proposed efficiency under the current processing system is "science fiction."
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