Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Claims Backlog Research Proposal

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Claims Backlog - Research Proposal Example The paper also highlights the possible solutions to what can strengthen the process of claims and reduce the claims backlogs experienced in the Department of Veterans Affairs (Dawns, 2013). This is because of the claims backlogs the veterans experience due to an inefficient claims process. In the study, it is proposed that a new working VA system should be installed to curb the claims backlog and speed up the claims process. It is recommended that new personnel to be hired and trained to use the systems that will be installed. Statement of the Problem In approving the claims, strong evidence is required for veterans to validate their claims and be compensated. The VA is supposed to assist the veterans in the process of validating their claims for them to be compensated. The VA does this by identifying and ascertaining two important things, which include; whether a veteran has been harmed and whether the veteran was injured in line of service. One of the prime reasons for backlog is t he problem of the complexity of tracking the records that would be used to prove the relationship between the harm a veteran has endured and if he/she was in line duty (Write, 2012). This study aims at establishing at how to intensify and strengthen the claims process and help the veterans be genuinely be compensated for genuine damages they may have underwent in line of their service. a. Nature of the Problem The process of claims has been weakened to extent that veterans with genuine claims are sometimes not compensated because the claims process fails to establish the connection between the injury the veteran incurred and whether the injury was incurred in line of service. In a report provided in the United States, there are a large number of veterans still waiting for their medical claims. The veterans wait for more than a year for them to be compensated their medical benefits using the VA systems. Pointed out by the United States Sen. Schumer Charles, the veterans have to wait for over a year, or more for their claims to be processed and they are compensated. This is because the federal computer systems are compatible and hence making the claims procedure to be long and inefficient. This process of claims affected the Central New York where more than 2000 veterans to wait for a considerable period for the long claims process to end (North, 2012). This claims backlog is basically because of the incompatibility of the Defense Department computer system with that of the Department of Veterans Affairs. b. Duration of the Problem A long claims process has been of disservice to the veterans who dedicate their life for the nation to stand. This problem has been in existence for quite a considerable time, and the veterans have endured the pain of the long waiting periods for compensation. On average, a veteran with genuine compensation claims should not wait for over a period of 30days for the claims process to be completed and his claims approved for compensatio n (Herring, 2013). c. Estimated Cost to Fix the Problem The estimated cost for an average veteran was $1,100 each. The backlogs have led to the loss of over $31,000 to be compensated to a veteran. The estimated cost of installing the system is 500 billion dollars (Downs, 2013). Solution to the Problem a. Proposed Solution In a bid to solve the increased backlog of claims, U.S Sen. Schumer, saw the need to organize and pilot the push of new legislation aimed at addressing the slow claims