Senate legislation reintroduced to improve training for VA personnel handling PTSD claims

Through reintroduction of the VA Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Processing Claims Improvement Act, U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) seek to spur better training for staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) tasked with handling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claims.

“Our men and women in uniform have sacrificed so much to protect our freedom,” Rounds said. “Nearly 16 percent of veterans’ PTSD claims were incorrectly processed by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in fiscal year 2019. This kind of error rate is unacceptable. The quality of life of our veterans is seriously impacted when these claims are improperly processed. This bipartisan legislation would establish and require a national training program for VBA claims processors to eliminate costly processing errors so our veterans receive the quality, timely care they have earned.”

The bill would provide two overall mandates: updates at the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Compensation Service and creation of a formal process to annually analyze training needs and conduct studies on PTSD stressors and decision-making claims for processors. These were among recommendations urged by a December 2020 report from the Office of the Inspector General, which determined VA personnel inaccurately processed nearly 16 percent of PTSD disability claims in FY 2019.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country. We must repay this service and make sure they’re able to access quality benefits that meet their needs,” Klobuchar said. “The VA estimates that nearly 16 percent of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD, making it all the more essential that we process PTSD claims efficiently and connect veterans with the care they have earned and deserve.”

By improving training, the senators said, certain benefits could be correctly determined so those veterans struggling with PTSD could gain appropriate access to health care, treatment and compensation.