Lawmaker Wants To Cut Backlog On Veterans' Claims

The Florida Republican who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee wants to speed up the time it takes to process veterans' disability claims. It's one of two main priorities Rep. Jeff Miller outlined in a recent interview in his Capitol Hill Office. The other is providing veterans greater access to mental health services by allowing them to access the TRICARE system that serves active-duty military personnel.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has set a goal that, by 2015, no disability compensation claim will take more than 125 days to fully process and that 98% will be accurate. Nationwide, 68.7% of compensation claims take more than 125 days to process, according to VA figures that covered activity through Dec. 31. How fast veterans get an answer can depend on where they live...