Michigan U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett saw his first piece of legislation pass through the House on Monday, which aims to make the claims correspondence that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sends to veterans around the country more “user friendly.”
The bill passed the House on Monday night by a vote of 412 to 0.
“Our veterans serve the United States military, with honor,” Barrett said in remarks on the House floor. “They shouldn’t need a lawyer or specially trained advocate to explain a claims letter to them.”
The bipartisan legislation directs the department to contract with a federally funded research organization to recommend ways to make the claim notices the agency sends “clearer to claimants, better organized and more concise” and to find ways to alter the letters to reduce paper consumption and costs to the U.S. government.
Barrett, an Army veteran, has had first-hand experience receiving confusing VA correspondence.
“When a veteran files a claim, it means they need help. Yet too often, they receive long, confusing letters full of legal jargon that leaves them with more questions than answers, ultimately leading them to call into a claim center or a helpline, which … slows down the overall claims process,” said Barrett, R-Charlotte.
“This is unacceptable. Claims letters should be the catalyst to care and benefits and not the obstacle.”
The freshman congressman has said he hopes the legislation will take some of the stress and confusion out of the claims process, no matter if a veteran is seeking health care, housing or education benefits from the VA.
Barrett’s bill was co-sponsored by a top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Nikki Budzinski of Illinois, and also has the support of Committee Chairman Mike Bost, also of Illinois.
© American Military News