The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a new initiative it says could eliminate the requirement for an in-person medical examination for some veterans and reduce the time it takes to process veteran disability compensation claims.
The so-called acceptable clinical evidence initiative was developed jointly by the Veterans Health Administration and the Veterans Benefits Administration in order to provide a veteran-centric approach for disability examinations, the VA said.
It said the initiative opens the possibility of doing assessments without an in-person examination when there is sufficient information in the record, relying on a questionnaire and a telephone interview.
If VA can complete a DBQ by reviewing medical records already on file, it will use the ACE process which 38 percent of claims were eligible for in one 15-month pilot project.
