I would like to thank Chairman Dent and Ranking Member Bishop for holding this important hearing. I would also like to welcome Secretary McDonald and all of our distinguished guests this afternoon.
As the subcommittee reviews the FY2016 President’s Budget request, we have the tough mission and responsibility to ensure the funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs adequately addresses some very serious issues. The number of current veterans and those transitioning into the VA healthcare system is staggering. We must ensure that we have the right programs and services these men and women deserve for their service to our nation. We made certain promises to our veterans and we are obligated to deliver.
In your short time as the Secretary, your efforts have led to reductions in the claims backlog, accountability in your workforce, and initiation of several new programs to meet the growing demand and concerns of all veterans. Specifically, I applaud the use of technology in the VA to further automate the claim’s submission and approval process, which I understand has reduced the overall wait time by 138 days for a decision.
However, there is still more work to be done. I want to express how important it is, to this committee, to ensure the claims backlog is eliminated by year’s end as previously determined. At last count the claims backlog was still around 214,000 with more claims continuously added into the system. Also, I am concerned about the amounts of qualified medical personnel necessary to address the increasing number of veterans and serious issues like mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and suicide prevention; especially in remote areas where there are limited or no VA facilities.
I know we are in a fiscally uncertain environment and if the Budget Control Act remains, there may be some impact to certain services and programs. But veterans are a top priority and while there is cause to celebrate some successes, we can and must do better. We are committed to working with you going forward.
Mr. Secretary, again welcome. I look forward to hearing your testimony and thank you again for your service to our nation.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
