A government program’s clunky modernization and hiring challenges are preventing it from providing timely service to disabled veterans living or traveling overseas, according to a report released Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Foreign Medical Program, which provides healthcare benefits to veterans with service-related disabilities living or traveling abroad, is struggling to meet program goals under an increasing demand for services.
The program has a goal of processing 90% of claims within 45 days, but in fiscal year 2024, it reported processing less than 40% of claims within that time. In its review of the program, the U.S. Government Accountability Office attributed some of the program’s inertia to its still issuing paper checks and difficulties filling open positions.
Despite a federal law “generally calling for electronic payments” since 1999, the office still relies on paper checks, which can get lost or delayed in the mail.
“VA has begun a transition to an electronic payment method, but when or how the transition will occur is unclear,” the office wrote in a report.
As the program has seen a 263% increase in reimbursements to veterans’ providers since fiscal year 2018, it was authorized in August 2023 to grow its staff from 25 to 38 positions. However, 14 positions remained unfilled in 2024.
The Veterans Health Administration has “taken some steps to help with hiring, such as allowing positions to be remote, but has not otherwise identified and evaluated staffing strategies,” according to the Government Accountability Office.
The office also noted that Veterans Affairs has not adopted best practices for detecting and responding to instances of fraud.
The office addressed the above-mentioned issues in its nine recommendations to the Veterans Health Administration.
“VA concurred with the recommendations and identified steps VHA plans to take to implement them,” according to the report.
