It was announced new legislation has passed the House and expected to pass the Senate: The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. This new legislation will overhaul the current appeals process at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA’s current appeals process is in desperate need of updating, and nearly half a million veterans are in limbo because of the VA’s existing backlog. Between fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2017, the number of pending appeals increased from approximately 380,000 to 470,000 – a more than 20 percent increase.
By overhauling the VA appeals process, this bipartisan legislation would dramatically shorten the average wait time for an appeal from five years to 125 days. This streamlined process would provide veterans with timely, accurate answers on their appeals so they can access the benefits they need and deserve.
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