An Ode To VA: Let Me Count The Ways

The Veterans Affairs Department, as I reported today, shares its disability claims backlog weekly in a couple of ways, including a top-line number that makes the backlog look worse than it really is.

Take this week’s report, with the top line number for “Compensation and Pension Entitlement” showing VA had a total of 833,130 pending claims as of June 24 , with 547,922 -- or 65.9 percent -- backlogged for more than 125 days.

But, as VA spokeswoman Meagan Lutz patiently explained to me, that number is not an accurate reflection of reality, as it includes claims that require rating by examiners [...].