Crisis at the VA as Benefits Claims Backlog Nearly Tops One Million

(Note from John: I have to laugh, or better yet, cry as it took me over 370 days, not 180 days! And I'm not done yet! I have one lung left after lung cancer, coronary artery disease, hypertension, gout, diabetes, COPD, various chemo and diabetic neuropathies, and who knows what else. All are traceable to Agent Orange exposure while a Marine in Vietnam.)

By Jason Leopold

During the past four months, the Department of Veterans Affairs backlog of unfinished disability claims grew by more than 100,000, adding to an already mountainous backlog that is now close to topping one million.

The VA's claims backlog, which includes all benefits claims and all appeals at the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Board of Veterans Appeals at VA, was 803,000 on Jan. 5, 2009. The backlog hit 915,000 on May 4, 2009, a staggering 14 percent increase in four months.

The issue has become so dire that veterans now wait an average of six months to receive disability benefits and as long as four years for their appeals to be heard in cases where their benefits were denied. (Note from John: I have to laugh, or better yet, cry as it took me over 370 days, not 180 days! And I'm not done yet! I have one lung left after lung cancer, coronary artery disease, hypertension, gout, diabetes, COPD, various chemo and diabetic neuropathies, and who knows what else. All are traceable to Agent Orange exposure while a Marine in Vietnam.)

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said during a hearing in March that the VA is “almost criminally behind in processing claims.”"

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