“The VA is committed to protecting veterans and their families from scammers who are trying to steal those hard-earned benefits,” Amerson said. “We have these two main goals with this partnership. The first is to develop — with the VA — and conduct training either in person or online. ... Second, we really want to encourage veterans and families to report cybercrime ... it's so important to report because that's what helps allocate resources.”
“We believe, as of January, some of the claims will start being adjudicated,” Schwartfigure said. “The VA’s hiring several hundred new employees in order to combat the increase in the claims. Already, they’re seeing a heavy increase.”
The significance of the CJLA is twofold. First, this is a monumental win for those seeking restitution for disabilities and diseases caused by wrongful exposure at Camp Lejeune and beyond. It is particularly helpful for those suffering latent diseases – or diseases that onset at a later date.
The screening takes around five to 10 minutes and begins by asking Veterans if they believe they experienced any toxic exposures while serving in the armed forces. Veterans who answer “yes” will then be asked about specific exposures, including open burn pits/airborne hazards, Gulf War-related exposures, Agent Orange, radiation, Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure and other exposures.
“When it comes to benefits vets have earned and deserve, we’re processing their claims faster than ever before,” McDonough said during the NPC Headliners Luncheon Monday. “[VA is] making sure we’re delivering for vets on time, every time, through initiatives like claims automation—cutting claims processing time for certain conditions from several months, to several days.”