The VA announced that it will test a paperless system to improve the processing of veterans' disability claims in its regional benefits office in Providence, R.I.

The VA announced that it has "obligated $150 million" in Recovery Act funds "to hire, train and equip new employees to improve claims processing."

In Obama's 2011 budget, funds would support the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments' efforts with the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record. In addition, the budget would allocate more than $200 million for automated processing, which would "improve the accuracy and timeliness of veterans benefits."

Veterans Affairs has solicited vendors to coordinate pilot programs for the VA and the Department of Defense's Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program. Federal Computer Week reports: "The VA has completed work on the first phase of the VLER program, its chief information officer, Roger Baker, said at a recent conference."

Congress grants the Department of Veterans Affairs $3.3 billion to establish "electronic health care records and paperless claims systems," among other things, in the 2010 appropriations bill. The bill also gives the department $1.7 billion to hire 1,200 claims processors to help with the backlog and reduce processing time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense announce that their Disability Evaluation System pilot program will be brought to six more military installations. Under the system, a single physical exam can determine whether military personnel are eligible for VA disability compensation, the VA says.

Craiglist founder Craig Newmark will join a Department of Veterans Affairs panel that "will review and evaluate ideas to improve disability claims processing times," according to a VA press release. The department has received more than 3,000 suggestions since September, the VA said.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki announces four new judges to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The expansion of the board will help speed up the decision process on appeals regarding benefit claims.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is soliciting for a temporary contractor to help with the increased education claims it has received because of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The conference report for the FY2010 budget resolution calls for more health care professionals and full staffing of vacant positions at the Veterans Health Administration.

Obama announced that the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments will create a joint virtual lifetime electronic record to streamline health care record-keeping. The program will be part of $47 billion in Defense health care spending in fiscal 2010, CongressDaily reports.

Obama reaffirmed his committment to investing in information technology in his budget outline for Veterans Affairs, which calls for the "development of rules-based electronic processes to increase accuracy, consistency, and timeliness in veterans' receipt of benefits."

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act authorized $50 million for information technology in the Veterans Benefits Administration. This was scaled back from the Senate version of the bill, which would have made $195 million available for benefits IT. The final version also allocates $150 million to the VA to hire and train claims processors.

Veterans Affairs Secretary-designate Eric Shinseki has been a vocal supporter of a more efficient VA. Delivering the new GI Bill's benefits on time is one priority, he told senators at his confirmation hearing; another is at least meeting the department's elusive 145-day target for disability benefits. "I don't understand why six months is what we live with," he told the panel.