Foster meets with Shinseki in D.C.

American Legion National Commander Jimmie L. Foster met with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki in Washington on Jan. 18, receiving a progress report on several vital VA issues. Foster said the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, was “relaxed, informal, warm and friendly.”

The state of VA’s disability claims process was a chief item of discussion. More than a million benefits claims are reportedly awaiting VA approval. Compounding the backlog is a significant increase in the frequency of claims filing. This is due to an influx of Iraq and Afghanistan campaign servicemembers now coming home, and the recent addition of several medical conditions related to Vietnam-era exposure to toxic chemicals.

“It’s a great challenge,” Foster said. “Secretary Shinseki says VA processed about 900,000 claims this past year, but received 1.1 million more – with 1.45 million expected this year.”

But Foster reported that VA is attacking the problem aggressively. “The Secretary says they’ve instituted a ‘training the trainer’ program – as the Legion encouraged some time ago – and is adopting the VA regional offices (ROs) that process claims right the first time as models of efficiency for the remaining ROs.”

Electronic medical records that facilitate “instant” and secure transfer of patients’ medical data from the military to civilian world (and from one facility to another) are cutting-edge health-care technology being pioneered by VA. Foster said that Shinseki sounded a little disappointed with progress in this area.

“He’d like the technology to be perfected a bit faster, but says VA and the Department of Defense are working together diligently to make a seamless, universal electronics records system fully operational,” Foster said.

During The American Legion’s 2009 National Convention in Louisville, Shinseki announced his department’s vow to end homelessness among veterans within five years. As to the state of this ambitious project, Foster reported, “Secretary Shinseki eagerly accepted the Legion’s offer of support in this area. I told him that, for instance, a local Legion post can be of great aid in identifying and tracking a homeless veteran, getting him or her the health care they need and leading them, literally, home. The secretary indicated that the Legion’s involvement in helping end the homeless veteran crisis could be invaluable.”

Matters of Post 9-11 GI Bill education for veterans and the greater than average incidence of joblessness among veterans were also discussed. “Secretary Shinseki said VA itself now employs 2 percent more veterans than it did when he took office, and he intends to increase his department’s veteran hiring rate much more.”

At meeting’s end, Foster said the secretary expressed gratitude to The American Legion for its ongoing role in improving the lives of America’s veterans, in partnership with VA. He also “thanked us for what he knows we will do in the future,” Foster said.