VA benefits for disabled veterans

(Printable Version) VA/DoD Plan Physical Exam Pilot At Pentagon Clinic September 20, 2002

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) announced plans recently to use the Pentagon's DiLorenzo TRICARE Clinic to test the feasibility of an automated physical exam and claim process.

Building on the success of the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program established at the clinic in April 2002, VA and DoD are working to develop the automated tools and software to enhance the process.

A jointly-sponsored initiative, BDD is helping service members to file for and receive VA service-connected disability compensation benefits more quickly than in the past. The program was established to help military members transition back to civilian life and ensure the continuity of care to those members retiring or being medically separated from military service.

VA now develops claims and conducts physical examinations for military personnel prior to their discharge, thereby reducing the average number of days necessary to process a claim.

As VA and clinic staff worked to establish the BDD program at the Pentagon site, they also discussed the possibility of linking existing software applications to support an automated exam and claim process. This would allow data from the clinic's electronic physical exam tracking system (ePETS) to be transferred to VA, further streamlining the process and shortening the time it takes for veterans to receive their disability compensation.

"In addition to having their examinations conducted prior to discharge, we also wanted examinations conducted under VA protocols. This way, the servicemember is not lost between the two systems," said Daniel L.Cooper, VA's Under Secretary for Benefits. "When veterans filed claims for disability compensation after they left the service, it often took months to secure their clinical records from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis and then additional months to rate their claims."

A study of the Navy and Marine Corps separation exams in 1994 found 75 percent of the examination reports were insufficient for the purpose of VA disability ratings. VA needed

an examination process that followed the requirements of the Rating Schedule so veterans didn't need to be called back for another examination after their discharge from service. The BDD examinations are now conducted either by VA medical centers, contract medical examiners, or DoD examiners according to VA examination protocols.

Today there are 128 military installations actively participating in the BDD initiative. This includes 42 Air Force, 38 Navy, 30 Army, nine Coast Guard, eight Marine Corps sites, and one mixed command. Bases where the initiative is now active accounted for 72% of all separations in the USA in FY 2000.

During FY 2001, 22,524 BDD claims were finalized. Of that number, there were only 83 known 'Notices of Disagreement' (NODs). During the first quarter of FY 2002 6,202 BDD claims were finalized of which there were only 24 NODs. The VA Regional Office, Washington, D.C. has received 37 claims from the DiLorenzo Tricare Health Clinic at the Pentagon.

The VA regional offices involved in the program report veterans have been very satisfied with the improved service. VA and DoD believe the BDD program is one of the most successful examples of joint cooperation between VA and DoD.

Just got news of this release today, but it's dated 9/20/02.

I'm unsure who around here is up on these things; but an automated process sounds pretty scary to me! I'm a little familiar with the process. There's NO WAY it could be automated, in my opinion! JLO

My husband is 80% and trying to get into voc rehab. We started the process in January 2002. We're 'almost' at the point where he might actually start with actual voc. rehab. It's ridiculous that this process is taking this long. I can sympathize with the delays in your situation.

What you've just said - pretty much is what I hear from my partner (disabled vet), too. He won't go back. He already has his final VA rating and the visits to the doc are not related to his medical condition, if ya know what I mean ;-}

Hey NMFXSTC, I couldn't get a handle on where you might be from, but here in northern MN, a vet can get to attend a local clinic, that's connected to the VA, and not have to wait so so long, or travel so far. For instance, here's CBOC's in MN....http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=cboc+mn

I'm guessing you're in New Mexico, try here: http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=cboc+nm
Not the same info, for sure, but maybe you'll find something useful.

It's really shameful that you are a retired vet, disabled at 70% with a purple heart...and have to wait until December 31st for an appointment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

an automated process will enable the VA to turn vets down faster then the present system, "Denied" will be harded coded into the system so the process of getting rated will be automated to facilitate the denial process. (it's not the doc's ,nurses and tech / support folks in the trenches) it's those bloody paperpushers in Washington that are the problem

I rebutted the findings in my case and got the honor of explaining to the ajudicating officer why my knees had gotten so bad being a FMF corpsman (I had to explain what a corpsman was and the mission of the FMF)

then I got to wait 4 months for my claim to be denied... again.

SOS, Doc...(I was FMF/HM3 as ell...rifel platoon in Nam...WIA in that little party).

Record what the adudicator asks of you...tape it! These guys can hardly read medical terminology and have damn little experience (ask them id they ever humped 782 gear, a spare parts bag, for a limping grunt, etc.)

Some VROs are good and reasonable and some adudicators actully see and underatnd situations. Others are civil serpents at best.

Don't give up! Inundate them with reports from docs, PT, X-ray, ortho, shoe maufacturers, orthotic techs, etc.!!

Read the BVA case decisions (if you don't have that page or understand how to read those fly me a kite at the email here and I'll help...the page is difficult to find at times, but will give you a detailed look at how cases were win (and lost) so you can do likewise...even cite the case numbers to the VA loons.

A shame it has to be vet to vet to navigate the system, but...

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.