Rep. Foster Stands Up for Disabled Veterans
Co-Sponsors Bill to Modernize Disability Benefits Claims

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Washington, Jul 28 - Rep. Bill Foster demonstrated his continued commitment to our veterans today by co-sponsoring legislation that would improve the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) claims processing.  The bill is scheduled to come to the House floor for a vote tomorrow.

“In 2007, the average processing time for disability benefits claims for veterans was 183 days,” Foster said.  “There is simply no reason that the brave men and women who proudly served our country should have to wait six months to begin receiving the benefits that they deserve.”

H.R. 5892, the Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act, would require immediate compensation for an undisputed service connected injury and would also require implementation within one year of comprehensive information technology upgrades, including web-portals, rule-based expert systems and decision support software to enhance VA claims processing capabilities.  In addition, if a veteran dies before his or her claim is processed, the bill allows an eligible survivor to take the veteran’s place in line instead of being sent back to the beginning of the claims line.

“The VA must modernize the claims processing system so that our veterans can more quickly receive the benefits that they have earned,” Foster said.  “I am proud to stand up for our veterans by supporting legislation that will streamline the claims process so that our veterans are not burdened with the bureaucratic red tape that has delayed the claims process in the past.”