washingtonscene

In 2014, the VA processed over 1.3 mil- lion claims, an increase of 150,000 over 2013. Even as demand rises, progress to- ward eliminating the backlog by the end of the year appeared to be within reach. The progress is a result of a compre-

Children’s hospitals are in a position to identify issues that impact military family health and readiness,

“ — Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret) ”

hensive, integrated strategy for improving the claims-management system. Leading the transformation is the conversion of an antiquated paper-intensive management system to a paperless environment called the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS). Most claims have been scanned into the system, with only 24,000 paper claims remaining. Better training of disability raters and the use of online guidelines also have resulted in greater consistency in decisions. But sustaining the momentum might be difficult. The VA has relied on mandatory overtime for claims workers to reduce the backlog. MOAA calls on the VA to develop a long-term manpower and administrative requirement plan. Delivering this plan to Congress will ensure the claims system can keep pace with the demand over the next decade as veterans from the nation’s longest sustained conflict enter the system. A related challenge is the backlog of ap- pealed claims. When an initial claim is de- nied, veterans have the right to appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. These claims take an average of 1,000 days — almost three years — to adjudicate. MOAA and several service groups have endorsed the concept of a “fully developed appeal,” where a veteran could waive cer- tain procedural steps in order to fast-track a final decision by the board. At any time in the process, the veteran could opt back into the traditional appeal process. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) and

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) introduced legisla- tion to direct the VA to carry out a five-year program to provide an alternative process

40 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2016

to determine appeals for disability claims more quickly. MOAA is pleased to see Miller and

O’Rourke are leading creative efforts to re- duce the appealed claims backlog.

Health Care and

Military Kids Improving family health care remains a top priority.

I

n November 2015, MOAA joined the Military Kids Matter Coalition, a group of children’s hospitals caring for mili- tary families, to establish a framework for the advancement of access and quality-of- care improvements for pediatric beneficia- ries in TRICARE. The Military Kids Matter Coalition is the

only provider advocacy group committed to protecting, preserving, and optimizing pro- vider and children’s hospital relationships within the TRICARE program. The objective of advocacy efforts is to

improve DoD’s understanding of military children’s unique health care needs and en- hance the experiences of military families seeking care in children’s hospitals. “Children’s hospitals are in a position to identify issues that impact military family health and readiness,” says Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret), a MOAA deputy direc- tor of Government Relations. “Our advocacy efforts have made a difference on many issues that are unique to our military chil- dren, but we still have a long way to go.” MO

— Contributors are Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret), director; Col. Mike Barron, USA (Ret); Col. Bob Norton, USA (Ret); Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret); Col. Phil Odom, USAF (Ret); Cmdr. René Campos, USN (Ret); Brooke Goldberg; Jamie Naughton; and Trina Fitzgerald, MOAA’s Govern- ment Relations Department. Visit www.moaa.org/ email to subscribe to MOAA’s Legislative Update.