VA rushes to clear claim backlog amid mounting errors and staff pressure

The Veterans Administration is under pressure to reduce a backlog of over 400,000 claims, a goal championed by the Trump administration that has lowered the figure to around 70,000 but at the cost of accuracy. Paul Rushing, a 54-year-old veteran, received a denial letter that incorrectly stated his stroke and pulmonary embolism were unrelated to his military service, a mistake he believes resulted from a misapplied template.

Accredited agent Wesley McCauley and attorney Derek Debus report that many of the recent denials involve clear, avoidable errors, leading to a surge in requests for higher-level reviews before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Secretary Doug Collins has responded by imposing production quotas, eliminating union contracts, and threatening termination for staff who miss targets, even when they take leave or face IT issues.

The pressure has fostered a culture where meeting numbers outweighs careful case evaluation, with some claims being processed using AI without subsequent human verification. As a result, the VA has processed 30,000 more claims but also increased refusals by 9,000 since the previous administration.