The VA Disability Claim Process #2

Here is where Part 1 of this series is located

This post talks about how the VA could modernize its system for veterans

So, hear me out on this, we spent $2 billion on the Obama Care website in 2013-2014. But we can’t spend a few million on a website for veterans that show them step-by-step how to submit and a place to upload their records and paperwork. This is just plain old ridiculous. Think about it, a web portal, which ties into the DoD Manpower Data Center which first verifies your identity to see if you are a veteran and what your discharge status is.

Now we implement 2FA (2 Factor Authentication), and we use a username and password, along with a code sent to your mobile device. Now they do a one-way pull (one-way is very important to establish a level of trust) from the DMV and pull in your vital information (DOB, Photo, Signature, address, and so on). Now they have been able to validate that you are a veteran, and they have the basic vital information from you, and it is all confirmed (thank you DHS for the Real ID Act of 2005).

Now they reach out to the National Archives, National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis and pull in a copy of your DD-214 (so they have that on file). Now with that information, your information is sent to DMDC to validate your RAPIDS information and enroll you if you are not enrolled. This will also produce a CAC (Common Access Card) type VA Veterans ID Card. Now we have a real ID card that is validated and proven as opposed to the cheap ass plastic card.

You will use this new card for all your VA visits, and to access the VA web site. You will be sent the card and links to where you can purchase a smart reader from, or better yet, at $10 a device wholesale we could just supply one. The veteran is sent a package, that contains their new Smart Card ID, a Smart Card reader, and a link that includes all the drivers and middle-ware required to operate the device. The good thing is that with Windows 7 and above the smart card reader is all plug and play, so only the middle-ware (if required) is all that is needed, and there are ways to validate without the middle-ware.

Now the veteran, all 19 million of us have a VA-approved veterans ID card, which is a smart card, so it can be used to securely login into the VA system when needed. A few days later, the Veteran will receive a PIN in the U.S. Mail so they can have both parts of the 2FA.

Now the user has a way to log in, they can now submit their medical records to the VA, they can submit their claims to the VA and some of it can now be automated. Since the EMR Mandate requires doctors to convert all medical charts to a digital format, then having the doctors upload copies of the requested records digitally to the VA when requested. With all this, some parts of the VA claim process can now be automated. As a Veteran with a login to the VA system, I will out my claim form online, I can digitally sign with my smart card, and records can be transferred electronically.

So I fill out my form and let’s say that my records in question are from Doctor Smith. I will in the blanks to include the address and phone number for Doctor Smith and the backend of the web site can automatically send a request for my records in question. On the doctor’s end, they upload them in the requested format and tie my claim number to the upload, and bingo, the records are tied to my account.

We just automated a huge part of the process. I can’t really say how to automate the next part of the process since I can’t tell you what the next step is as I haven’t gotten to that part myself.

I do understand that there will be a portion of the veteran community that are unable to use this system and setup, but this would take care of a huge chunk of the 19 million.

It is time we started to take care of our veterans and stop treating them like, Thank you for doing your time, now piss off. Treating veterans medically and mentally needs to be a priority.

I will follow-up when I have more to report.