Navigation Unnecessary Compensation and Pension Examinations by the VA
I hear complaints, often, from Veterans about the frequency and redundancy of Compensation and Pension Examinations (C&P) that they have to attend. This is not an issue that is being ignored.
The House VA Disability Assistance and Memorial affairs Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, said recently that he has seen cases in which claims processors make the same mistakes over and over, resulting in deferrals and “months- or yearslong delays.” He also noted that a report last year by the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) found the department spent $1.4 million on unnecessary C&Ps from April through September 2023.
The DAV and other veterans groups have raised concerns about “claim overdevelopment” that leads to mistakes and delays in decisions for compensation. Claim overdevelopment is a term that refers to repeated and unnecessary requests by VA processors for medical exams to support a disability award. The OIG audit mentioned above is a specific concrete example of the cost of claim overdevelopment, not to mention the toll on Veterans.
