VBA Seeks Faster Claims With Day-One Access to Military Records

The Department of Veterans Affairs is working to eliminate a major administrative hurdle in disability claims processing by obtaining service members’ personnel and medical records as soon as they transition to civilian life, a move that could help the Veterans Benefits Administration adjudicate claims faster.

Derek Herbert, VBA’s chief production officer, said historically they’ve had to request veterans’ personnel and treatment records after they filed a disability claim, relying on a process that involved retrieving paper documents from the National Archives and digitizing them for claims processors. A new partnership between VA and the War Department aims to reverse that sequence, making those records available when service members transition out of the military rather than waiting until a claim is filed.   

“Whether the veteran files a claim day one, day two or a year down the road, whenever they need VA, we’re there and we have the records immediately,” Herbert said Friday at the GovCIO Media & Research AI Summit. “I think from a operation standpoint, it may be one of the most significant changes that will have happened.”

Having those documents available earlier could significantly reduce the time claims processors spend gathering evidence, allowing them to focus more directly on reviewing claims and making decisions. However, receiving records on day one does not necessarily mean a disability claim will be adjudicated that same day. Each veteran’s circumstances, medical history and benefit needs are different, Herbert said, and require individual consideration.

At a minimum, the modernization effort would eliminate the administrative time currently spent requesting military records, making the overall process shorter than it is today.  

White House Push to Improve Veteran Benefits

The effort is part of a broader Trump administration push to speed access to veterans’ benefits through data sharing. In September, the White House released an executive order aimed at reducing veterans’ wait times for benefits by requiring the departments of Veterans Affairs and War to improve how they share service members’ personnel and medical records.

The “Accelerating Access to Veterans’ Benefits and Employment Opportunities” executive order called on the departments to establish ongoing sharing of Official Military Personnel Files and Service Treatment Records, beginning when an individual enters military service and continuing as long as the individual requires VA benefits.  

Digital records, accompanied by underlying metadata, could give the VA new opportunities to organize information and surface relevant details more efficiently, Herbert said. The next challenge will be determining how to structure, maintain and secure the incoming data while ensuring that authorized employees can access accurate, authoritative information when needed.

He stressed that new technology should support, rather than replace, experienced claims processors.   

“We don’t need them ordering records from the National Archives or the Department of War,” Herbert said. “We need them adjudicating claims.”