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Paul Lawrence answering a question at the round table discussion. Photo courtesy of Damian McGee.
On Sept. 16, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Secretary Paul R. Lawrence visited the University of Alaska Anchorage to host a roundtable discussion with former military students and staff.
Lawrence emphasized the importance of understanding veterans’ needs, listening to concerns and finding what’s important to them.
The VA is working to improve reimbursement for veterans who must travel for medical care.
During the discussion, most questions focused on VA disability claim concerns, including Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD), Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Rudisill v. McDonough.
Lawrence said that in the past, all disability claims were handled manually, which made the claims process difficult to manage.
“We promise something to veterans and our inability to respond causes frustration,” said Lawrence.
Lawrence began efforts to implement an automated system that would speed up the process while ensuring veteran’s claims are not lost in the system.
According to the VA’s website, the reimbursement system has reduced the percentage of veterans awaiting benefits from 74 percent to under 24 percent, in addition to minimizing claims pending for more than 125 days from 70 percent to 11.6 percent.
Executive Order 14426 requires the Department of War to share all of a veterans’ health records with the VA when they are discharged or released from service. This order is intended to assist the VA in processing claims more quickly.
Lawrence said he aims to improve existing VA systems to help veterans access services as quickly as possible.
He reaffirmed the importance of VA benefits, and said, “The biggest thing is getting veterans connected.”
Lawrence advocated for the addition of an information line where veterans can call to check their eligibility for VA Benefits. “VA benefits are earned benefits,” he said.
Those who served in the armed forces may be eligible for benefits.
Those who wish to learn more can call the MyVA411 main information line at 800-698-2411.
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