Senator Sherrod Brown

Washington, DC – With Ohio ranked 49th in veterans’ disability compensation, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today introduced legislation that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address flawed disability claims processing and benefits disparities.

“Eighty-five thousand of Ohio’s 1 million veterans receive disability compensation,” Brown said. “Our service members put their lives in harm’s way everyday. When they are injured, they deserve compensation quickly without red tape. This legislation will streamline the process and hold the VA accountable for getting it right the first time.”

According to a 2006 Veterans Benefit Administration Annual Report, Ohio ranked 49th in the nation with average yearly disability payments of $8090. The Institute for Defense Analyses cited that one-third of disparities in disability payments could be attributed to poor agency standards and inadequate training.

The Ohio Congressional delegation wrote a letter to the VA asking for better oversight and parity. The House VA Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on Disability Claims Ratings and Benefits Disparities within the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Today, Brown introduced the Veterans Disability Fairness Act, which would require the VA to address disparities in disability claims ratings. Congressman Zack Space (D-OH-18) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Specifically, the legislation would require the VA to:

· Collect and monitor regional data on disability ratings.

· Conduct reviews and audits of the rating system.

· Submit a yearly report to Congress to track the progress of the program.

· Periodically evaluate the performance of specific raters for consistency and accuracy.

In addition, Brown introduced the bipartisan Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veterans’ Entitlement (BRAVE) Act with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME). The bill would streamline the disability application process for veterans. As a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans with service-connected disabilities is growing. Thus, those eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and VA disability is also increasing. However, many veterans deemed disabled by the VA wait months – sometimes years – to receive a dual disability designation from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Brown-Snowe legislation would address the waiting period for veterans by:

Giving veterans with a service-connected disability a rating of totally disabled, thus classifying them as disabled for SSA purposes and requiring the SSA to accept the findings of the VA for veterans receiving a disability rating from the VA, and vice versa.