Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)

See the following -

DoD Electronic Health Records Help VA Disability Claims

Press Release | Department of Defense (DoD) | February 6, 2014

The Defense Department has made troops’ health records electronically available to the Veterans Affairs Department to speed up the adjudication of disability claims, a DoD health information technology official said. Read More »

Another Day, Another Shutdown For The VA Claims System

Bob Brewin | Nextgov | February 10, 2014

I have received reports from Veterans Benefits Administration offices that the paperless Veterans Benefits Management System once again experienced a nationwide shutdown, an occurrence so routine it soon will not fit the definition of news. Read More »

Boehner Says US Veterans' Claims System Is Broken

Lisa Cornwell | Yahoo! News | February 22, 2013

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said the system for handling veterans' disability claims is broken and he wants the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs to explain what is being done to fix it. Read More »

Budget Plan Gives VA Big Funding Boost For Veterans Care

Patricia Kime | Marine Corps Times | April 10, 2013

The Veterans Affairs Department does not appear to be feeling the pinch of fiscal austerity in President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal: The White House has proposed a 10.2 percent boost in funding for VA next year, totaling $66.5 billion in discretionary spending. Read More »

Cernering the Market

Mike Farahbakshian | Fed Health IT | July 10, 2017

After years of speculation and rumors, in a move that surprised absolutely no one, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs is moving to Cerner Millenium to replace its home-grown VistA electronic health record. On the surface this makes sense, because of DoD’s move to Cerner in 2015 and an overarching VA desire to move from custom software to COTS software. However, SecVA’s decision is only the beginning of an extremely long path, as DHA is finding with its MHS GENESIS project. Moreover, VA has a broader scope than DHA. Unlike DHA, whose primary goal is to provide a medically ready fighting force, VA handles a slew of additional tasks, including...

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Defense-VA Medical Records Scanning System Not Ready For Prime Time

Bob Brewin | Nextgov | April 18, 2013

The Defense Department plans to deploy by Dec. 31 a bulk scanning system to turn paper medical records into electronic files for transfer to the Veterans Affairs Department, but the system remains “far from ready for prime time,” knowledgeable sources told Nextgov. Read More »

Department Of Veterans Affairs: "They Are Rearranging The Deck Chairs On A Sinking Ship"

James Dao | The Legal Examiner | September 27, 2012

Veterans Wait for Benefits as Claims Pile Up
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Disability Claims Overwhelming VA

Steve Vogel | The Washington Post | January 31, 2012

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is facing a growing backlog of disability claims, fueled by veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and a policy change making it easier for Vietnam War veterans to file Agent Orange-related claims. The number of pending claims before VA stood at 853,831 on Friday, an increase of nearly 100,000 from last year and nearly 500,000 from three years ago.

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DOD Announces EHR Interoperability Progress, Requests Input

Jennifer Bresnick | EHR Intelligence | February 7, 2014

The Department of Defense isn’t taking its spate of Congressional spankings lying down.  After more than a year of continuous criticism over its lack of progress on EHR interoperability during its will-they-won’t-they romance with the Department of Veterans Affairs, a series of optimistic press releases show the DOD’s commitment to rehabbing its image while it seems to finally be getting the project on track. Read More »

DOD Cooperation Accelerating VA Claims Handling

Karen Parrish | My San Antonio | July 16, 2013

Senior officials from the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs assured Congress July 10 that they are closing in on solutions that will alleviate the backlog of veterans' health benefit claims and streamline processing of current and future claims. Read More »

DOD Electronic Health Records Help VA Disability Claims

Press Release | Department of Defense (DoD) | February 6, 2014

The Defense Department has made troops’ health records electronically available to the Veterans Affairs Department to speed up the adjudication of disability claims, a DOD health information technology official said. Read More »

DOD, VA Collaborate To Serve Nation’s Veterans

Staff Writer | The Dolphin | December 5, 2013

The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs reaffirmed their commitment to serve and care for the nation’s military veterans in a joint message issued by Acting Undersecretary of Defense Jessica L. Wright and Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. Read More »

DOD, VA Collaborate To Serve Nation’s Veterans

Staff Writer | U.S. Air Force | November 8, 2013

The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs reaffirmed their commitment to serve and care for the nation’s military veterans in a joint message issued by Acting Undersecretary of Defense Jessica L. Wright and Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. Read More »

DOD, VA Officials Defend Progress In Rare Joint Hearing

Amber Corrin | FCW | July 11, 2013

Amid criticism of deficient leadership, officials from the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs on July 10 reiterated their commitment to an electronic health records-sharing program during a joint hearing between the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees in Washington. Read More »

Fresh Start At The VA

Alvin Powell | Harvard Gazette | November 25, 2014

U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert McDonald says the troubled agency is making slow progress in getting its house in order, citing more — and more timely — appointments and authorizations to see private doctors for veterans who live far from VA hospitals...

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