Veterans' Disability Benefits: Opportunities Remain for Improving Accountability for and Access to Benefits Delivery at Discharge Program
Published: 2010-02-24T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: Through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) collaborates with the Department of Defense (DOD) to streamline access to veterans' disability benefits by allowing some servicemembers to file a claim and undergo a single collaborative exam process prior to discharge. BDD is designed for servicemembers with conditions that, while disabling, do not generally prevent them from performing their military duties. This program can shorten the time it takes for veterans to receive benefits by several months. GAO was asked to discuss issues surrounding VA's and DOD's BDD program and related Quick Start program, and identify ways VA and DOD could improve these programs for transitioning servicemembers. This statement is based on GAO's September 2008 report (GAO-08-901) that examined (1) VA efforts to manage the BDD program and (2) how VA and DOD are addressing challenges servicemembers face in accessing the BDD program. GAO updated some information to reflect the current status of claims processing and improvement initiatives in the BDD program.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: Although VA awards disability benefits more quickly under BDD than through its traditional disability claims process, gaps in program management and accountability remain. For example, VA does not separately measure the total time its personnel spend developing BDD claims. As a result, VA has limited information on potential problems and improvement opportunities regarding BDD claims. GAO continues to believe that VA should measure BDD development time; however, VA told GAO it has no plans to capture this information. GAO also found that VA implemented two initiatives to improve the BDD program--i.e., consolidating BDD processing in two offices and instituting paperless processing of BDD claims to increase efficiencies and improve security of information--but did not evaluate whether or the extent to which desired improvements resulted. Finally, GAO found that VA was not completely or consistently monitoring BDD operations at all locations. VA has since taken steps to review BDD operations at more sites and has revised its protocols to ensure more consistent reviews of BDD operations. VA and DOD have taken steps to improve servicemembers' access to the BDD program; however, opportunities remain for further improvement. For servicemembers such as National Guard and Reservists who are generally unable to complete the BDD claims process within the required time frame, VA established an alternative predischarge program called Quick Start. Under this program, servicemembers may still initiate a disability application prior to discharge, but can complete the claims process, including medical exams, at another location after discharge. In response to GAO's recommendation, VA has taken steps to collect additional data to determine the extent to which the Quick Start program is helping those with limited or no access to the BDD program. However, as with BDD claims, VA told GAO it has no plans to measure time spent developing these particular claims, and GAO continues to believe it should. VA and DOD have coordinated to increase BDD program awareness through VA benefits briefings for servicemembers, and DOD established a goal that 85 percent of servicemembers attend these non-mandatory briefings. GAO continues to believe that DOD should establish a plan with a specific time frame for meeting this goal, but DOD has not developed such a plan. Finally, GAO found that some bases faced difficulties maintaining local agreements intended to prevent redundancy and inconvenience for servicemembers in obtaining required medical exams. In response to GAO's recommendation, DOD reported that it is working with VA to identify best practices to address local challenges to implementing their cooperative exam process.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: I am pleased to have the opportunity to comment on the Benefits Delivery  at Discharge (BDD) program and related Quick Start program, which are  administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in collaboration  with the Department of Defense (DOD). Both programs are intended to  help servicemembers transition from military service to life as civilians  and veterans by allowing them to initiate their VA disability benefits  applications while they are still in the military. The BDD program further  allows servicemembers to go through one collaborative examination  process that satisfies DOD’s requirement to determine their general health  and VA’s requirement to assess any claimed disabilities, instead of  separate exam processes for both DOD and VA. Under BDD and Quick  Start, veterans should begin receiving benefits sooner than the 6 to 7  months it would typically take if they had applied after discharge under  the traditional disability claims process. Both programs are designed for  servicemembers with conditions that, while disabling, do not generally  prevent them from performing their military duties.
You asked us to discuss issues surrounding VA’s and DOD’s BDD program  and related Quick Start program, and identify ways VA and DOD could  improve these programs for transitioning servicemembers. My statement  draws on our prior work, which examined (1) VA efforts to manage the  BDD program and (2) how VA and DOD are addressing challenges that  servicemembers face accessing the BDD program, and was conducted in  accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. We  have updated some information to reflect the current status of VA claims  processing and improvement initiatives in the BDD program.
In summary, we found that although VA awards compensation more  quickly under BDD than through its traditional disability claims process,  there are gaps in program management, accountability, and access. For  example, VA does not track time spent developing a BDD claim prior to  the servicemember’s discharge and therefore lacks information on how  efficiently its personnel are developing BDD claims. In addition, although  VA and DOD have made efforts to improve all servicemembers’ access to  the BDD program, we identified additional opportunities to help improve  access. For example, VA established the Quick Start program whereby  servicemembers unable to complete exams within BDD’s required time  frames—such as National Guard and Reserves—may at least initiate a  disability application prior to discharge. However, VA lacked sufficient  data to determine whether the Quick Start program was helping those with  no or limited access to the BDD program. In response to our  recommendation, VA has updated its data system to track participation by  National Guard/Reserves. We also found that efforts to raise awareness  about the BDD program may not reach all those who are eligible. DOD has  set a goal that 85 percent of servicemembers attend Transition Assistance  Program (TAP) sessions, but it has not implemented our recommendation  to establish a plan with a specific time frame to meet this goal, and we  continue to believe that it should.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: Through its disability compensation program, VA pays monthly benefits to  veterans with service-connected disabilities. Under VA’s BDD program,  any member of the armed forces who has seen active duty—including  those in the National Guard or Reserves—may apply for VA disability  benefits prior to discharge. The program allows veterans to file for and  potentially receive benefits earlier and faster than under the traditional  claim process because medical records are more readily accessible and  key forms needed to process the claim can be signed immediately.  Establishing that the claim is related to the member’s military service may  also be easier under the BDD program because the member is still on  active duty status. In 2008, VA and DOD offered the program at 142 bases,  providing access to over 70 percent of servicemembers who were  discharged in fiscal year 2007. In July 2008, VA issued policy guidance  allowing servicemembers being discharged from any military base to  initiate BDD claims at other locations where VA personnel were located,  such as at all of its 57 regional offices. VA also established an alternative  predischarge program, now called Quick Start, to provide members who  cannot participate in the BDD program an opportunity to initiate claims  before discharge. Last year, over 51,000 claims were filed through the BDD  and Quick Start programs.
To participate in the BDD program, servicemembers generally must meet  six requirements: (1) be in the process of being honorably discharged from  military service, (2) initiate their application for VA disability benefits  between 60 and 180 days prior to their discharge date, (3) sign a Veterans  Claims Assistance Act (VCAA) form, (4) obtain and provide copies of  their service medical records to local VA personnel, (5) complete a VA  medical exam, and (6) remain near the base until the exam process is  done. The 60- to 180-day time frame is intended to provide sufficient time  prior to discharge for local VA personnel at BDD intake sites to assist  members with their disability applications, including scheduling exams.
While VA has examination requirements for those applying for disability  compensation, DOD also has examination requirements for those leaving  military service. For all servicemembers leaving the military, the military  services generally require health assessments that consist of a  questionnaire about the member’s general health and medical history,  among other topics. In some cases, members who are separating from the  military may receive a physical exam to obtain evidence for a particular  medical problem or problems that might exist. The purpose of the exam is  to obtain information on the individual’s medical history, and includes  diagnostic and clinical tests, depending on the types of disabilities being  claimed. VA’s exam for disability compensation is more comprehensive  and detailed than the military services’ separation exams, which are  intended to document continued fitness for duty, whereas the purpose of  the VA exam is to document disability or loss of function.
Under the BDD program, DOD and VA coordinate efforts to perform  exams for servicemembers being discharged that satisfy requirements of  both the military and VA. Because of variation in the availability of local  resources, such as physicians trained to use VA’s exam protocols, DOD  and VA agreed that local military bases should have flexibility to  determine whether VA or military physicians or some combination of both  will conduct the exam. In 2004, the agencies signed a memorandum of  agreement (MOA) delineating their roles and responsibilities. The national  agreement delegates authority to VA regional offices and individual  military bases to create memorandums of understanding (MOU) that detail  how the exam process will be implemented at the local level.
VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is responsible for  administering and monitoring the BDD program. VBA personnel assemble  claims-related information and send the claims to be processed at one of  two regional offices. VBA is also responsible for the paperless BDD  claims process, an initiative intended to improve efficiency by converting  claims-related information stored in paper folders into electronic format,  as part of VA’s effort to have all claims processed electronically by the end  of 2012.
VA has established a performance goal to increase the percentage of first- time disability claims filed through the BDD program. Servicemembers  generally learn of the BDD program through VA-sponsored benefits  briefings conducted at military bases as part of TAP sessions. Led  primarily by the Department of Labor, TAP consists of about 3 to 4 days of  briefings on a variety of topics related to benefits and services available to  servicemembers as they are discharged and begin life as veterans.  Generally, servicemembers are required to attend a short introductory  briefing, while all other sessions—including the VA benefits segment in  which members learn about BDD—are optional.
In addition to its participation goal for the BDD program, VA has three  general goals for the timeliness and accuracy of all disability claims:  average days pending (i.e., waiting for a final decision), average days to  complete all work to reach a final decision, and average accuracy rate  (percentage of claims with no processing errors). In 2009, VA reached its  performance goal for one measure, i.e., average days to complete claims  was 161 days compared with a goal of 168 days. However VA fell short of  two goals last year: Average days pending was 117 days compared with a  goal of 116 days, and national accuracy rates were 83 percent compared  with a goal of 90 percent.
section_title: VA’s Management of the BDD Program Provides Limited Accountability for Results, although Recent Improvements Have Been Made
subsections: section_title: VA Has a Performance Measure for BDD Participation, but Lacks Adequate Measures for Timeliness of BDD Claims
paragraphs: VA has established one performance measure for the BDD program that  tracks participation in the program. Since fiscal year 2005, VA has tracked  the percentage of all disability claims filed through the BDD program  within 1 year of discharge. VA’s most recent data for fiscal year 2008  indicate that 59 percent of claims filed within 1 year of discharge were  filed through the BDD program—9 percentage points higher than its fiscal  year 2008 goal of 50 percent. VA recently revised this measure so that it  accounts only for claims filed by members who are discharging from bases  covered by the BDD program.
Although VA fine-tuned its measure for BDD program participation, VA  does not adequately measure timeliness of BDD claims. VA tracks the days  it takes to process traditional claims starting with the date a veteran first  files a claim, whereas it tracks days to process BDD claims starting with  the date a servicemember is discharged. This approach highlights a key  advantage of the BDD program—that it takes less time for the veteran to  receive benefits after discharge. However, the time VA spends developing  a claim before a servicemember’s discharge—at least 60 days according to  VA—is not included in its measures of timeliness for processing BDD  claims, even though claims development is included in VA’s timeliness  measures for traditional disability claims.
VA officials told us the agency does not measure the timeliness of BDD  claims development for three reasons: (1) VA lacks legal authority to  provide compensation until a servicemember is discharged and becomes a  veteran; (2) VA officials perceive most development activities, such as  obtaining the separation exam and medical records, to be outside of their  control; and (3) VA officials said that a primary objective of the program  was to shorten the time from which the member was entitled to benefits— by definition, after discharge—to the time he or she actually received  them.
While it is useful to know how soon after discharge servicemembers begin  receiving benefits, excluding the time VA personnel spend on developing  BDD claims limits VA’s information on challenges in this stage of the  process and may inhibit VA from taking action to address them. Personnel  in 12 of the 14 BDD intake bases we reviewed indicated significant  challenges with claims development activities, such as scheduling and  completing sometimes multiple exams for servicemembers who leave an  area. Challenges such as these may delay the development of  servicemembers’ claims, putting them at risk of having to drop out of the  BDD program. The fact that the servicemember is not yet a veteran does  not absolve VA from tracking the time and resources spent developing  BDD claims, which could ultimately help VA identify and mitigate program  challenges. As for lack of control over the claims development process, VA  also faces similar limitations with traditional disability claims, because VA  must rely on veterans to submit their applications and on other agencies  or medical providers for records associated with the claim. Nevertheless,  VA tracks time spent developing these claims and could also do this for  BDD claims.
section_title: VA Has Not Fully Evaluated Initiatives to Improve the BDD Program
paragraphs: VA implemented two initiatives to improve the BDD program but did not  fully evaluate either. In 2006, VA finished consolidating claims processing  activities for BDD into two regional offices—Salt Lake City, Utah, and  Winston-Salem, North Carolina—to improve the consistency and  timeliness of BDD ratings. In fiscal year 2007, each office completed  about 11,000 BDD claims. Although VA reported to us that it monitors  claims workloads between these offices and, in one case, sent claims from  one office to the other so that claims could be processed more quickly, VA  had not conducted an evaluation to determine whether consistency  improved compared with prior practices.
VA also has not evaluated a second BDD initiative, known as the paperless  claims processing initiative, which is intended to increase the timeliness of  claims processing and security of BDD claims information. Since our  report, VA told us that all BDD claims have been processed in the  paperless environment since August 2008, and that it continues to monitor  the BDD paperless initiative by hosting monthly teleconference calls with  all 57 regional offices, intake sites, and area offices to provide ongoing  guidance and training, as well as address any issues or problems the field  may be experiencing. However, VA has not evaluated the extent to which  this initiative improved overall timeliness or security.
section_title: VA’s Review of BDD Operations Has Been Inconsistent, although VA Has Recently Taken Steps to Improve Monitoring
paragraphs: We identified gaps related to VA’s monitoring of the BDD program, but VA  has since taken some steps to address those gaps. For example, we found  that between September 2002 and May 2008, VA conducted reviews of  BDD operations in only 16 of the 40 offices it visited. Further, in 10 of the  offices that were reviewed, VA personnel did not document the extent to  which BDD claims were fully developed before being passed on to the  processing office, pursuant to VA policy. We also found that the review  protocol did not prompt reviewers to verify the extent to which claims  were being fully developed before being sent to the processing office. In  addition, for 14 offices, reviewers did not address whether agreements  related to processing BDD claims existed between the processing office  and relevant regional office, even though VA’s BDD operations review  protocol specifically prompts reviewers to check for such agreements. In  response to our recommendations, VA officials reported that they have  increased the number of BDD oversight visits, including visits to sites that  had not been reviewed in several years, such as Honolulu, Hawaii, and  Louisville, Kentucky. Furthermore, VA revised its protocol to require a  review of BDD operations as part of its site visits to monitor regional  offices.
section_title: VA and DOD Took Steps to Increase Access to the BDD Program, but Some Servicemembers May Still Face Barriers to Participation
subsections: section_title: Some Servicemembers Have Limited Access to the BDD Program, but May Participate in the Alternative Quick Start Program
paragraphs: Although the BDD program is designed to provide most servicemembers  with access, some members may be unable to initiate a claim 60 to 180  days prior to discharge or remain within the vicinity of the base long  enough to complete their exams. According to VA officials, this is a  challenge particularly for demobilizing servicemembers of the National  Guard and Reserves, who typically remain at a base for only 2 to 5 days  before returning home, and are generally unable in this brief time to  complete requisite exams or obtain required copies of their service  medical records. Servicemembers located in remote locations until just a  few days prior to discharge may also be unable to participate. Finally, we  were told that servicemembers going through the DOD Medical Board  process are ineligible for the BDD program because they typically are not  given a firm discharge date in advance of the 60- to 180-day discharge  window, and a firm date is required to avoid servicemembers returning to  active duty after completing the claims process.
In April 2007, VA established an alternative predischarge program, now  known as Quick Start, to provide members who cannot participate in the  BDD program an opportunity to initiate disability claims before they are  discharged. Under this program, local VA personnel typically develop  servicemembers’ claims as much as possible prior to discharge and then  send the claims to the San Diego or Winston-Salem regional offices, which  were designated as consolidated processing sites for Quick Start claims in  August 2009. In addition, in 2009, VA also created a predischarge Web  site, which allows servicemembers to initiate either a BDD or Quick Start  claim electronically, although exams must still be completed in person.
We found VA lacked data to assess the extent to which servicemembers  benefit from the alternative predischarge program. Specifically, we found  that VA was unable to assess participation in the Quick Start program by  National Guard and Reserve servicemembers because they could not be  distinguished from other servicemembers. In response to our  recommendation, the agency reported that it has updated its data system  to distinguish between National Guard/Reserves and full-time active duty  servicemembers who file such claims.
We also found that, like BDD claims, timeliness measures for Quick Start  claims do not include days spent developing the claim prior to discharge.  According to VA officials, the timeliness of Quick Start claims may vary  substantially from both BDD and traditional claims. For example,  servicemembers who are on base only a few days prior to discharge, such  as members of the National Guard and Reserves, may have enough time  only to fill out the application before returning home and may need to  schedule the VA exam necessary to fully develop their claim after  discharge. Overall, this will most likely result in less timely receipt of VA  disability compensation than through the BDD program, but more timely  than traditional claims. On the other hand, servicemembers with more  time before discharge may be able to complete more or all of the claim  development process, including the VA exam. Because VA does not  adequately track timeliness of Quick Start, it may be unable to identify  trends and potential challenges associated with developing and processing  these claims. However, as with BDD claims, VA told us it has no plans to  measure time spent developing these particular claims, and we continue to  believe it should.
section_title: VA and DOD Have Coordinated to Provide Briefings with Information about BDD, but Military Duties and Other Factors May Hinder Attendance
paragraphs: VA and DOD have coordinated to provide servicemembers with  information about the BDD program through VA benefits briefings and  other initiatives, but attending these briefings is optional for most  servicemembers. According to DOD and VA personnel, most  servicemembers learn about the program through VA benefits briefings  conducted as part of TAP sessions, although some may also learn about  BDD through base television spots, papers, and word of mouth. However,  the Marine Corps is the only service branch to require servicemembers to  attend VA benefits briefings. For the other service branches, participation  requirements may vary by base and command.
We found that commanders’ and supervisors’ support for transition  services, such as VA-sponsored benefits briefings, can vary by base. Even  though DOD policy requires commanders to allow servicemembers to  attend TAP sessions upon the member’s request, we were told at one base  that servicemembers have on occasion not been released from their duties  to attend the briefings, resulting in VA personnel going up the chain of  command to obtain permission for the members to attend. At two bases,  VA officials considered outreach to be difficult—because of conflicting  missions between VA and DOD and lack of support from some base  commanders—resulting often in servicemembers being called away from  the briefings.
Although some military officials recommended that servicemembers be  required to attend TAP sessions, rather than mandate attendance, DOD  decided in August 2007 to establish a goal that 85 percent of separating  servicemembers and demobilizing National Guard and Reserve members  participate in TAP sessions, including VA benefits briefings. We  recommended that DOD establish a plan with a specific time frame for  meeting this goal, but DOD has not developed such a plan. We continue to  believe that DOD should establish a plan for meeting its goal. In the course  of our review, we also learned that TAP participation data may be  inaccurate or overstated because unique identifiers were not used to  document servicemembers’ attendance and servicemembers who attend  more than one briefing could be double-counted. Currently, the  Department of Labor (DOL), VA, and DOD track participation in their  respective TAP sessions separately. We recommended that DOD establish  an accurate measure of servicemembers’ participation in TAP, including  VA benefits briefings. DOD recently reported it is working in collaboration  with DOL and VA to determine what improvements can be made in  measuring servicemembers’ participation in all components of TAP.
section_title: Most BDD Sites Have Local Memorandums of Understanding to Provide a Cooperative Exam Process, but Maintaining Them Has Been a Challenge for Some Bases
paragraphs: Most BDD sites employ local MOUs to establish a cooperative exam  process, and implementation of the exam process varies significantly.  According to data provided by VA during our review, more than 60 percent  of bases offering the BDD program had local MOUs that called for the  exclusive use of VA physicians, 30 percent used VA contractors to conduct  exams, and 7 percent used a sequential process involving resources and  exams from both VA and DOD. At bases offering the BDD program  overseas, VA exams were conducted by physicians under contract with  DOD because VA does not have physicians at these bases.
At several bases we visited, we identified resource constraints and  communication challenges that have affected servicemenbers’ access to  the program. Resource challenges we identified at five bases included no  designated VA exam provider for more than 7 months, difficulties hiring  physicians, and displaced staff because of construction. At seven bases,  we identified communication challenges or a lack of awareness of the  local cooperative exam MOU caused by uncertainties generally resulting  from deployment of a key DOD local official or changes in command  leadership. In one case, communication between DOD and VA personnel  was conducted on an inconsistent basis, if at all. Such constraints and  challenges have caused delays in servicemembers’ exams or otherwise  made it difficult to meet time frames required by the BDD program.
At the time of our review, DOD and VA had provided some guidance on  implementing and maintaining local MOUs; however, personnel in some  sites we visited were interested in learning about promising practices at  other bases. We recommended that VA and DOD identify and disseminate  information on promising practices that address challenges local officials  commonly face in ensuring servicemembers have full access to a  cooperative exam. DOD officials recently reported collaborating with VA  on a September 2009 conference focusing on seamless transition. DOD  officials planned to work with conference sponsors to identify best  practices for dealing with the cooperative exam process as it relates to the  challenges local personnel commonly face.
section_title: Conclusion
paragraphs: The BDD program appears to be an effective means for thousands of  separating servicemembers to receive their disability benefits faster than if  they had filed a claim under VA’s traditional process. Despite BDD’s  inherent advantages, VA has not followed through on opportunities to  ensure accountability and to optimize results. Similarly, although DOD and  VA have made significant progress in increasing servicemembers’ access  to the BDD and Quick Start programs, opportunities to further ensure or  improve access remain. At a time when so many servicemembers are being  discharged with injuries, it is more important than ever to process benefits  as efficiently and effectively as possible. BDD and Quick Start programs  have great potential to achieve these goals, as long as VA maintains a  sharp focus on accountability, and both DOD and VA follow through on  recommended actions.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be pleased  to answer any questions that you or other Members of the Subcommittee  may have.
section_title: Related Products
paragraphs: Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Further Evaluation of Ongoing Initiatives  Could Help Identify Effective Approaches for Improving Claims  Processing. GAO-10-213. Washington, D.C.: January 29, 2010.
Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Preliminary Findings on Claims  Processing Trends and Improvement Efforts. GAO-09-910T. Washington,  D.C.: July 29, 2009.
Military Disability System: Increased Supports for Servicemembers and  Better Pilot Planning Could Improve the Disability Evaluation Process.  GAO-08-1137. Washington, D.C.: September 24, 2008.
Veterans’ Benefits: Increased Focus on Evaluation and Accountability  Would Enhance Training and Performance Management for Claims  Processors. GAO-08-561. Washington, D.C.: May 27, 2008.
Federal Disability Programs: More Strategic Coordination Could Help  Overcome Challenges to Needed Transformation. GAO-08-635.  Washington, D.C.: May 20, 2008.
VA and DOD Health Care: Progress Made on Implementation of 2003  President’s Task Force Recommendations on Collaboration and  Coordination, but More Remains to Be Done. GAO-08-495R. Washington,  D.C.: April 30, 2008.
VA Health Care: Additional Efforts to Better Assess Joint Ventures  Needed. GAO-08-399. Washington, D.C.: March 28, 2008.
DOD and VA: Preliminary Observations on Efforts to Improve Care  Management and Disability Evaluations for Servicemembers.  GAO-08-514T. Washington, D.C.: February 27, 2008.
Information Technology: VA and DOD Continue to Expand Sharing of  Medical Information, but Still Lack Comprehensive Electronic Medical  Records. GAO-08-207T. Washington, D.C.: October 24, 2007.
DOD and VA: Preliminary Observations on Efforts to Improve Health  Care and Disability Evaluations for Returning Servicemembers.  GAO-07-1256T. Washington, D.C.: September 26, 2007.
GAO Findings and Recommendations Regarding DOD and VA  Disability Systems. GAO-07-906R. Washington, D.C.: May 25, 2007.
Information Technology: VA and DOD Are Making Progress in Sharing  Medical Information, but Are Far from Comprehensive Electronic  Medical Records. GAO-07-852T. Washington, D.C.: May 8, 2007.
Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Processing of Claims Continues to Present  Challenges. GAO-07-562T. Washington, D.C.: March 13, 2007.
Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Long-Standing Claims Processing  Challenges Persist. GAO-07-512T. Washington, D.C.: March 7, 2007.
High Risk Series: An Update. GAO-07-310. Washington, D.C.: January 31,  2007.
Veterans’ Disability Benefits: VA Can Improve Its Procedures for  Obtaining Military Service Records. GAO-07-98. Washington, D.C.:  December 12, 2006.
Military Disability Evaluation: Ensuring Consistent and Timely  Outcomes for Reserve and Active Duty Service Members. GAO-06-561T.  Washington, D.C.: April 6, 2006.
Military Disability System: Improved Oversight Needed to Ensure  Consistent and Timely Outcomes for Reserve and Active Duty Service  Members. GAO-06-362. Washington, D.C.: March 31, 2006.
VA and DOD Health Care: Opportunities to Maximize Resource Sharing  Remain. GAO-06-315. Washington, D.C.: March 20, 2006.
Veterans’ Benefits: Further Changes in VBA’s Field Office Structure  Could Help Improve Disability Claims Processing. GAO-06-149.  Washington, D.C.: December 9, 2005.
Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Claims Processing Challenges and  Opportunities for Improvements. GAO-06-283T. Washington, D.C.:  December 7, 2005.
Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Claims Processing Problems Persist and  Major Performance Improvements May Be Difficult. GAO-05-749T.  Washington, D.C.: May 26, 2005.
Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve  Transition Assistance for Reserves and National Guard. GAO-05-544.  Washington, D.C.: May 20, 2005.
VA and DOD Health Care: Efforts to Coordinate a Single Physical Exam  Process for Servicemembers Leaving the Military. GAO-05-64.  Washington, D.C.: November 12, 2004.
Veterans’ Benefits: Improvements Needed in the Reporting and Use of  Data on the Accuracy of Disability Claims Decisions. GAO-03-1045.  Washington, D.C.: September 30, 2003.
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