The chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, has introduced legislation designed to improve VA disability claims processing.
The Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2010, S-3517, would set up a process to fast-track claims that have been fully developed; help veterans with multiple disability claims by allowing VA to provide partial disability ratings; and provide that the department give equal deference to the medical opinions of a veteran’s non-VA doctor.
"VA’s system to provide veterans with disability compensation is well intended, but it is broken," said Akaka. “This bill will move the department closer to fulfilling its obligation to provide every eligible veteran with timely and accurate disability compensation."
