New system improves benefits process for veterans

  • Published
  • By 97th Medical Group
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Altus Air Force Base service members referred for medical evaluation boards after June 30 will go through a new Disability Evaluation System that integrates the processes of the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

The Integrated Disability Evaluation System, or IDES, provides a more seamless transition to veteran disability benefits with fewer hurdles, faster results and more consistent ratings between DOD and Veterans Affairs than the previous system.

Within the previous system, service members completed the military Disability Evaluation System in an average of 10 months. This included a set of medical examinations by military physicians, a series of boards to determine if the member was still able to serve, and if not, an assignment of a disability rating used by the DOD to calculate disability compensation. Prior to this, service members could not begin to apply for disability compensation and benefits from Veterans Affairs until after receiving a discharge date from their service branch.

The old process required the veteran to then complete an application to Veterans Affairs and provide all required documentation. If any documents were missing, it was the veteran's responsibility to locate them. Then, the veteran had to complete another set of medical exams in accordance with standards set by Veterans Affairs and wait for a VA panel to provide another disability rating, used to calculate the veteran's disability compensation and benefits. This second process took an average of another eight months, causing a gap in benefits coverage.

The combined system now requires only one set of medical exams performed to the standards of Veterans Affairs, which provides all the information needed by both departments. A panel at Veterans Affairs issues disability ratings that meet the needs of both departments. The integrated process still takes just more than eight months, but now when the service member is finished with the military process, a disability claim is already filed with the VA so veteran disability compensation and benefits can arrive after one month in veteran status. This is the earliest allowable timeframe under current law.

In designing the IDES, the DOD and VA examined the recommendations of several commissions and task forces established to improve availability of care for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans. The resulting integrated system was first introduced as a pilot program at three military treatment facilities in November 2007. It was further tested and improved as the pilot expanded to 24 additional locations throughout the following two years, bringing the integrated system to 47 percent of service members referred for disability evaluation.

In thousands of surveys, service members and their families who tried the pilot program consistently reported a higher rate of satisfaction with fairness, customer service, and the overall IDES experience than did participants in the legacy system.

Based on the proven performance of the pilot program, the DOD and VA plan to extend these advantages to all remaining service members by the end of September.

For additional information regarding the implementation of the IDES program at Altus AFB, please contact Capt. Courtney Addy at (580) 481-5694 or by e-mail at Courtney.addy@altus.af.mil.