The Board of Veterans’ Appeals conducts hearings and decides appeals for veterans claiming disability. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) pledged to reduce the wait time for these veterans who are appealing disability benefits claims and has signed 86% more decisions than last year.

Learn more about how the VA has resolved a record number of claims in 2018 and what it means for veterans.

Record Number of Claims Resolved by VA in 2018

The Board of Veterans’ Appeals is set to exceed its goal of reviewing a historic 81,000 appeals, a pace that is paving the way for the implementation of the "Appeals Modernization Act."

The Appeals Modernization Act is set to launch in February of 2019 and is designed to offer veterans more choice and control over their own claims and appeals process.

In 2017, Congress allocated the Board of Veterans’ Affairs nearly $42 million to hire staff that included decision-writing attorneys and veterans law judges. The increase in staff and the streamlining of several processes contributed to the record number of claims being resolved in 2018.

“I’m proud of the Board for its dedication and commitment toward resolving appeals decisions for veterans and striving to reach a historic fiscal year goal of 81,000 appeals decisions delivered to Veterans,” says the VA’s Acting Secretary Peter O’Rourke.

“The Board’s significant increase in results for veterans and their families serves as another strong example of the department’s commitment to getting it right for veterans,” O'Rourke adds.

Written by Alissa Sauer