Veterans for Common Sense Launches Fix VA Program, www.FixVA.org

WASHINGTON, April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Friday, Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) held a press conference in San Diego, announcing the launch of a new program: Fix VA. The program focuses attention on problems with claims processing at the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and seeks to work with the VA, the President, and Congress to implement a series of practical solutions.  

VCS announced the launch of a new www.FixVA.org website at the press conference.

VCS Executive Director Paul Sullivan spoke.  Congressman Bob Filner, Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, attended the press conference and made comments in support of the new program, VCS, and VBA reform.  

"Too many people think that VA means 'Veteran's Adversary'," said Congressman Filner.  "What we want is to make VA mean 'Veterans' Advocate'.  That's our aim in all this."

"More than one million veterans have a claim pending at VBA," said Paul Sullivan. "Veterans with a pending claim wait, on average, six months for an initial answer to a disability claim. When VBA denies a veteran's claim, then a veteran waits, on average, another four or five years for a decision. That's wrong.  That's absolutely unacceptable."

VCS presented nine VBA problems and nine solutions.  The problems included the 23-page claim form that wounded and disabled veterans must complete to access benefits, the lack of VBA representatives at VA health facilities, the outdated reliance on a paper processing system, and a culture that is adversarial towards our nation's veterans.  

Solutions included hiring more pro-veteran leaders, a new one-page claim form, implementing an automated system with more presumptive conditions, and instituting a joint VA/DOD electronic record.  

"Our solution is simple," said Sullivan.  "VCS urges Congress to work with VA Secretary Shinseki and veterans groups to pass a law creating a new VBA from the ground up. A new VBA that puts veterans first, that processes claims accurately within 30 days, one that makes both veterans and VBA employees proud."

VCS is a non-profit based in Washington, DC, founded in 2002 by Gulf War veterans, providing veteran advocacy.  More information on the new Fix VA program is at www.FixVA.org .  

SOURCE Veterans for Common Sense

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