**GAO-11-812**                      Published: Sep 29, 2011. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2011.                  

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## Highlights

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has struggled to provide timely reviews for veterans who appeal decisions on their disability compensation claims. A veteran appeals to the VA regional office that made the initial decision, and if still dissatisfied, to the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board). An appeal to the Board adds more than 2 years, on average, to the wait for a decision on the appeal. To resolve more appeals at the regional level and avoid waits at the Board, VA, in 2001, established the Decision Review Officer (DRO) review as an alternative to the traditional regional office appeal review. A DRO is given authority to grant additional benefits after reviewing an appeal based on a difference of opinion with the original decision. In contrast, under the traditional review, new evidence is generally required for a grant of additional benefits. GAO examined (1) the extent to which veterans choose a DRO review, (2) outcomes for DRO reviews, and (3) VA's challenges in managing DROs. GAO analyzed Board data, surveyed managers in all 57 regional offices, visited 4 offices, and interviewed veterans.

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## Topics

Veterans

Appeals processClaims processingClaims settlementComparative analysisCompensation claimsDisability benefitsEmployee trainingEmployeesInformation accessInformation disclosureMilitary benefits claimsPerformance measuresVeterans benefitsVeterans disability compensationVeterans education