Hagan Takes Additional Action to Clear VA Backlog

Last week U.S. Senator Kay Hagan announced that she has sent letters to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki and on the backlog of veterans disability claims following her meeting with VA Undersecretary of Benefits Allison Hickey. Hickey visited the Winston-Salem VA Regional Office after Hagan requested Secretary Shinseki send senior personnel to the office to address the backlog.

“While I was pleased to hear that has been some progress in clearing the backlog of disability claims at the Winston-Salem VA Office, we can all agree that there is still work to be done,” said Senator Hagan, a member of the Armed Services Committee. “I have asked Secretary Hagel to report to me on the implementation of a plan to streamline the transfer of veterans medical records from the Department of Defense to the VA. Better communication between these two departments is a commonsense solution that would go a long way toward ensuring we live up to our commitment to America’s veterans and their families." 

Currently, as much as 70 percent of the time it takes to process a veterans disability claim is time spent waiting for DoD to transfer their medical records to the VA. Because the VA and each of the military service branches operate on different data systems, medical records cannot be shared electronically and must instead be delivered to the VA on paper. In 2004, Congress created a Joint Executive Committee to increase information sharing and establish a system for the transfer of medical records by 2015 to avoid the type of backlogs now facing the VA. To view Hagan’s full letter to Secretary Hagel, click here.

“Recent initiatives by the VA have reduced the backlog of initial disability claims at Winston-Salem, but I am very concerned that no similar plans are in place to handle the backlog of appeals that is growing by the day,” said Hagan. “I have asked Secretary Shinseki to update me on the VA’s plan to help veterans currently stuck in the appeals process and address the influx of appeals the VA will most certainly see as we wind down a decade of war.”

Recent initiatives implemented by the VA, including the online eBenefits system, have reduced the number of initial disability claims pending. The backlog of 2-year old claims at the Winston-Salem office has been completely eliminated, and there has been a 48 percent reduction in the number of veterans who have been waiting over a year for a decision on their claim. However, there is currently a backlog of nearly 11,000 appeals at the Winston-Salem Regional Office, and some veterans are waiting up to four years or longer to receive a decision. To view Senator Hagan’s full letter to Secretary Shinseki, click here.

“I am proud that almost one million veterans call North Carolina home, and I am deeply committed to keeping our promises to our veterans,” added Hagan. “I will continue monitoring the situation at Winston-Salem and will not be satisfied until the VA eliminates the backlog and refines procedures to prevent future backlogs from developing.”

Over the summer, Hagan’s office held events in Jacksonville and Jamestown with VA personnel to help veterans sign up for online eBenefits and get help with questions about new or existing claims or appeals.

Hagan comes from a strong military family. Her father-in-law was a two-star Marine General; her brother and father served in the Navy; her husband, Chip, is a Vietnam veteran who used the GI Bill to help pay for law school; and she has two nephews who are on active duty.