Yoho Bill Improves Benefit Claims Process for Veterans

Press Release

Congressman Ted S. Yoho (R-FL-03) introduced a bill, with the support of 31 Members of Congress, to streamline the benefits claims process between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the congressional constituent advocates processing those claims on behalf of veterans and their families.

The bill titled "WINGMAN' (H.R. 5166), grants certified staff access to the files they already have permission to possess, but eliminates the burdensome step of having to use the VA as a middle-man to receive them. Under WINGMAN, advocates would be able to access the status of a pending claim, medical records, comp and pen records, rating decisions, statement of the case, supplementary statement of the case, notice of disagreement, and Form-9 files within a reasonable amount of time, without having to go through a middle-man.

Congressman Yoho released the following statement:

"The interaction between the VA and congressional constituent advocates should be seamless. It is unacceptable that weeks or months pass by before advocates are able to receive the files they've requested from the VA to help veterans. Our veterans and their families who have served in the defense of our country deserve a timely turnaround when filing their benefits claims.

"This is a commonsense bill that will inevitably increase the speed at which benefit claims are processed. We owe it to our nation's veterans to give them the best quality care we can and not make them wait months for the benefits they most desperately need."

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