“The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an effort to digitally scan all paper-based military personnel files, an initiative the agency said should help resolve its current backlog and better prepare VA for future challenges that may disrupt disability claims processing.”
“The initiative is part of a partnership VA has with the National Archives and Records Administration to proactively scan millions of military personnel records, which the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) stores on behalf of the federal government in more than a dozen warehouses in St. Louis.”
“Veterans need those documents to access certain burial services, medical treatment, home loans and other benefits from VA, and the Veterans Benefits Administration needs those records to begin processing disability claims.”
“But some veterans have struggled to access their records during the pandemic, delaying an already complex disability claims process for many.”
“’Getting these federal records faster allows us to advance to the next stage [of the disability claims process],’ Ken Smith, deputy assistant secretary for field operations, told reporters last week…”
“NARA and VA are answering new requests for these records today within three-to-four days, a faster response time than before the pandemic, he added.”
“Smith said VBA’s efforts to help NARA expand its pandemic operations has obvious short-term benefits, but the records scanning initiative should have a bigger, long-term impact on both agencies.”
“The department received $150 million through the American Rescue Plan earlier this year to handle the scanning, which VA outsourced to a contractor…” Read the full article here.
Source: Scanning military records now will improve disability claims process later, VBA says – By Nicole Ogrysko, June 14, 2021. Federal News Network.
