Legacy systems and paper-based processes have been the foundation of federal case management, but agencies are looking to modernize these frameworks to move to a new, digital model to improve efficiency, reduce errors and quickly deliver services to citizens…
VBA’s Joshua Jacobs, senior advisor and acting under secretary for benefits, noted that the recently signed PACT Act will cause claims backlogs to rise as veterans become eligible for new benefits from their time in service. VBA is focusing on workload management to balance both new and existing claims to optimize the speed at which veterans receive care.
“We will likely see challenges with timeliness because of just the sheer size of the volume. What we’re going to do is work to prioritize the claims that are most timely,” Jacobs said in August during a seminar at DAV’s National Convention in Orlando. “I think it’s probably going to take several years for us to try to get back to normal once we expect all these claims coming in.” …
As VA continues to modernize its claims management processes, Jacobs said his unit will rely on a “people, process, technology” approach to reduce workforce burden and streamline claims following the PACT Act’s passing.
The agency is also looking to optimize processes, focusing on unnecessary evidence gathering and ways to cut down the amount of time that it takes for the evidence cycle, as well as integrating automation to improve technology and data use to drive a more efficient process that delivers benefits to the veteran more quickly…
