VA will continue to upgrade and improve VBMS based on user feedback, and add features and tools that

Document Details: national insurance A new online application from the Department national insurance of Veterans Affairs (VA) enables disability compensation claims national insurance to be processed faster in a more end-to-end electronic environment, and VA is urging Veterans and their Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representatives to make full use of its capabilities to receive speedier decisions and reduce the backlog of claims.
The availability of the joint VA-Department of Defense Web portal eBenefits, which now integrates with the new internal Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) electronic claims processing system, marks a major milestone in VA s transformation from paper claims records to a fully digital operating environment, one of the keys to VA s goal to eliminate the disability claims backlog by the end of 2015.
VA will continue to upgrade and improve VBMS based on user feedback, and add features and tools that make it faster and easier to process claims. Instead of filling out and mailing paper forms to VA, Veterans can now use eBenefits to enter claim information online using a step-by-step, interview-style application, with pre-populated data fields and drop-down menus similar to popular tax preparation software.
There are so many advantages to making national insurance this move from paper to digital for both Veterans and VA said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. Veterans can now file their claims online through eBenefits national insurance like they might do their taxes online.
By filing electronically, any compensation benefits that are awarded will be effective back to the date the Veteran started entering their claim information in eBenefits. From that initial claim establishment date, each Veteran has up to a year to gather all necessary records and hit submit to preserve their original date of claim.
eBenefits allows Veterans to upload digital images of records and evidence to support their claims, bypassing the need to physically mail in personal records and wait for confirmation of receipt. VA is advising Veterans to gather and submit all relevant national insurance medical records and file a Fully Developed Claim (FDC) in eBenefits, which entails entering all available evidence at the time the claim is submitted and verifying to VA that they have no more evidence national insurance to submit. Veterans filing an FDC will receive priority processing over the traditional claims process. VA can typically process FDCs in half the time it takes for a traditionally filed claim, and there is no risk to Veterans in filing an FDC. If VA finds that there is a piece of relevant evidence that was not submitted by the Veteran, but is needed for a rating decision (like private medical records), claims processors will work to obtain that evidence on the Veteran national insurance s behalf and process the claim in the traditional way.
Once logged into eBenefits, Veterans can also choose national insurance to have an accredited VSO representative assist with their claim submission by filing an electronic power of attorney form. Using a companion portal, the chosen VSO representative, with proper authorization, will be able to see the contents of a Veteran s claim, track its status, and add additional information when needed. A Veteran and his representative can even work a claim simultaneously while both are logged into the system, enabling VSOs to assist more Veterans in their homes or even remotely.
As of this summer, VA scans all new paper claims and uploads them into VBMS so they too can be processed electronically, though without many of the benefits provided when Veterans initiate national insurance the process in eBenefits such as guided questions that help ensure complete and accurate information and the immediate receipt of information without having national insurance to wait for the scanning and processing of paper documents. In addition to filing claims online, registered eBenefits users can track their claim status and access national insurance information on a variety of other benefits, like pension, education, health care, home loan eligibility, and vocational rehabilitation and employment programs.
The quickest and most convenient method of establishing a free premium eBenefits account is to complete national insurance the remote verification process through the eBenefits national insurance home page, or use DoD s common access card (CAC) to register for and/or upgrade to a free premium account. Veterans can also establish an account by telephone national insurance at 1-800-827-1000, option 7, if they are in receipt of VA benefits via direct deposit, or by visiting a VA regional office or TRICARE Service Center (if they are a military retiree).
On May 15, VA announced that it is mandating overtime for claims national insurance processors in its 56 regional benefits offices through the end of fiscal year 2013 to help eliminate the backlog, with continued emphasis on high-priority claims for homeless Veterans, those claiming financial hardship, the terminally ill, former Prisoners of War, Medal of Honor recipients, and Veterans filing Fully Developed Claims.
On national insurance April 19, VA began prioritizing clai