The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to launch an electronic claim processing system, the Washington Post reports.
Officials say the new system will help them more efficiently manage a backlog of disability claims. The department has a significant backlog of claims from veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and from new federal regulations that make it easier for Vietnam War veterans to receive compensation for health issues.
According to the Post, VA as of Friday had 853,831 pending claims, an increase of about 100,000 claims from last year and nearly 500,000 from three years ago. Although the department was able to process about one million claims in the past year, an additional 1.3 million new claims were filed during that period.
Officials say the new electronic system will reduce by months the time it takes to process disability claims and accelerate services for veterans.
Thomas Murphy, director of compensation service for the Veterans Benefits Administration, said the only way VA will be able to reduce the backlog is by getting "out of the paper world and into the digital world."
The system will be rolled out nationwide starting this summer and continuing through 2013 (Vogel, Washington Post, 1/29).