Key Takeaways
- •The Department of Veterans Affairs reported the disability claims backlog fell below 100,000 for the first time since 2020, marking a 57 percent decrease under current leadership.
- •Margarita Devlin (Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, VBA) stated that automation and strategic overtime reduced average claim processing times by 42 percent since January 2025.
- •Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR-3) pressed Devlin on quality control after presenting a denial letter that cited Google and WebMD as medical evidence instead of professional clinical assessments.
- •Rep. Mike Bost (R, IL-12) praised the administration’s efficiency, while Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-39) argued the backlog reduction was the expected result of PACT Act resources and staffing.
- •The VA will launch a digital benefits delivery system this month to automate medical record transfers from the Department of Defense, aiming to further reduce processing delays.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The hearing examined the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) efforts to reduce the disability claims backlog and improve the timeliness of benefit decisions. The discussion centered on the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) recent achievement of reducing the backlog to under 100,000 claims for the first time since 2020. While the majority celebrated this reduction as a result of disciplined management and modernization, the minority argued the decline was a predictable stabilization following the surge of claims triggered by the Honoring our PACT Act. A central theme of the hearing was the tension between processing speed and decision accuracy, with members questioning the impact of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and mandatory overtime on the quality of life for both veterans and the VA workforce.
Key Testimony & Policy
Margarita Devlin, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits at the VBA, testified that the disability claims backlog dropped from over 264,000 in January 2025 to approximately 83,000 by the time of the hearing. She attributed this reduction to a "people, tools, and technology" strategy. Key operational changes included the use of the National Work Queue to distribute workloads across 56 regional offices and the implementation of automated decision support tools. Devlin noted that the average time to process a claim fell from 141 days to 81 days. Furthermore, she highlighted improvements in survivor benefits, noting that the VBA now processes Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and survivor pensions simultaneously to ensure survivors receive the highest possible benefit.
The hearing also addressed the integration of AI and automation in the claims process. Devlin clarified that while AI is used to aggregate medical evidence and identify missing documentation, human claims processors make all final decisions, particularly denials. She discussed a pilot program initiated in August 2025 that leverages technology to expedite Acceptable Clinical Evidence (ACE) exams, which has completed over 1,000 Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) with a reported 97.9 percent accuracy rate. Additionally, the VA is working with the Department of Defense (DOD) on a "day zero" initiative to ensure the electronic transfer of Service Treatment Records (STRs) immediately upon a service member's discharge.
Notable Exchanges & Partisan Dynamics
The hearing featured a sharp divide over the interpretation of data. Chairman Mike Bost (R, IL-12) credited the backlog reduction to the current administration's leadership and criticized the previous administration for a 24 percent increase in the backlog. He specifically cited a 2025 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report regarding a senior processor in the Philadelphia regional office who authorized 85,000 claims in two years, spending only 4.7 minutes per claim, which resulted in $2.2 million in improper payments.
Ranking Member Mark Takano (D, CA-39) countered that the backlog's peak in 2024 was an "anticipated and intentional" result of the PACT Act, which expanded eligibility for millions of veterans. He argued that the current decline was simply the system returning to a steady state as projected by the VA in 2022. Takano and Rep. Timothy Kennedy (D, NY-26) also challenged the VA's accuracy metrics. While Devlin cited a 94 percent "issue-level" accuracy rate, Kennedy pointed out that "claim-level" accuracy—where a single error in a multi-condition claim renders the whole decision inaccurate—sat much lower at 83.31 percent.
Rep. Maxine Dexter (D, OR-3) raised concerns about the quality of automated responses, presenting a letter where the VA allegedly used Google and WebMD as sources to justify a claim decision. Devlin responded that such instances likely reflected individual employee actions rather than systemic AI behavior. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D, IL-3) focused on the human cost of the backlog reduction, questioning the sustainability of the 20-hour-per-month mandatory overtime policy reinstated in May 2025 and its potential to cause employee burnout.
Organizations Mentioned
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): The primary agency discussed regarding its management of the disability claims backlog and the implementation of the PACT Act. - Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA): The specific branch of the VA responsible for processing non-medical benefits; its leadership provided the primary testimony. - Department of Defense (DOD): Discussed in the context of improving the transfer of medical records to the VA to speed up the "duty to assist" process. - Office of Inspector General (OIG): Mentioned regarding its investigation into improper claims processing at the Philadelphia regional office and its role in oversight. - Board of Veterans' Appeals (the Board): Cited regarding the 11-13 percent of veterans who disagree with VBA decisions and the multi-year wait times for formal appeals. - Google and WebMD: Mentioned by members as inappropriate sources allegedly cited in VA decision letters sent to veterans. - American Legion, VFW, and DAV: Recognized as Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) that provide pro bono assistance to veterans navigating the claims process.
What's Next
The VA is moving forward with a "strategic hiring plan" to address attrition and rebalance the workforce as automation handles more administrative tasks. The department plans to expand its digital benefits delivery, with a "soft launch" of a digital discharge claim system intended to eliminate the need for veterans to hand-carry medical records. Members requested follow-up data on "Clear and Unmistakable Errors" (CUEs) and specific constituent cases involving terminal illnesses. The committee will continue to monitor whether the 94 percent issue-level accuracy rate is maintained as the VA attempts to sustain a backlog of fewer than 100,000 claims without relying indefinitely on mandatory overtime.
Transcript
Good morning. The committee will come to order. Without objection, the chair will may declare a recess at any time. And I want to thank everyone for joining us here today. You're going to notice that members, I think, will be flowing in and out. But we're here today to discuss some good news that the VA has. And I want to but I want to first acknowledge some situations that are occurring here in Congress and some concerns that certain members have, and we want to make sure we keep them in our prayers. I want to first acknowledge the seriousness of the super typhoon that is hitting Saipan, a dangerous category four hurricane affecting the Northern Mariana Islands. Representative King-Hinds represents that great the great people of that territory, and I ask that we all keep in her and them in our thoughts, prayers. Also, one of our members, Nancy Mace, lost her father, who actually was an amaze is was an amazing war hero from the Vietnam era. And and we want to remember their family as well. So with that, I want to thank you all for being here and turn to the subject that we're going to have here today. And to thanks to the strong leadership of Secretary Collins and the President Trump, the backlogs of veterans waiting for a decision for VA for their benefits has decreased dramatically. And that's great news. In fact, the backlog has dropped by more than 57 percent since the start of the Trump administration, decreasing by over 150,000 claims since the end of the Biden administration. Under the last administration, VA saw a 24 percent increase in the disability claims backlog. That dysfunction left veterans and their families waiting far too long for their early their earned benefits. However, in 2025, VA processed a record setting 3 million disability compensation and pension claims. These accomplishments are a testament to what hard work at with hardworking men and women at the VA can do under the right leadership. VA reported accuracy has improved from 91.6 percent in October of 2024 to 93.5 percent in September of 2025. That's a step in the right direction. But maintaining high quality decisions remains a core concern of mine. In 2025, OIG published its investigation on a senior VSR at the Philadelphia regional office. This employee personally authorized 85,000 claims from 2022 until 2024 under the Biden administration. Now let's be clear that this is 19 times the national average. The SVSR spent 4.7 minutes on each claim. Let me say that again. 4.7 minutes on each claim. The national average is 21 minutes. OIG estimate that these error results in two that these errors resulted in $2.2 million in improper payments. VA has assured me that new leadership is in place to ensure this never happens again. But OIG recommendations remain open. I look forward to a timely update on the case from VA to me and my staff. President Trump has a singular focus, making sure government runs better, cutting through red tape and political bureaucracy and empowering and the regular folks at the agency who help our government run. But this administration knows quality matters. We're moving in the right direction, but I look forward to our hearing more for from our witnesses today on how the VA plans to sustain these gains. I support the targeted use of mandatory overtime, but we need permanent solutions and long-term planning. I also want to thank our friends at VBA for their partnership in improving the processing of survivor benefits. Due to the recent rule change, VBA now processes DIC and survivor pensions together, ensuring eligible survivors receive the higher of the two benefits, which they should. VA also moved the Office of Survivors Assistance back to the Office of the Secretary, where it was first promised that it would be, so that they could have the constant ear of whoever the secretary might be, ensuring survivors' issues are accounted for across the VA. Those changes help real people. Now I look forward to the hearing from our witnesses today about these changes and the use of modernization tools Congress has provided to VA to get veterans their decisions faster. Now I want to thank Ms. Margarita Devlin for being here today. Ms. Devlin is the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits of VBA, performing the delegable duties of the Under Secretary for Benefits. She oversees the VBA, which delivers the full array of non-medical benefits to service members, veterans, their families, and their survivors. Ms. Devlin is accompanied by Ms. Sandra Flint, acting Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations. VBA runs a nationwide network of 56 regional offices, oversees delivery of more than $194 billion in benefits to over 6 million beneficiaries. VBA plays an important role, and that role is only going is only going to grow. Many of these benefits and processes were designed in the 1950s. It is important that we have a VA that leverages innovative technologies and appropriate and approaches to improve outcome for our veterans today and tomorrow. To know I know we are all looking forward to hearing from Ms. Devlin. Ranking member, I now recognize you for your opening statement.
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