disability benefits

VA’s Paperless Systems A Roadmap For Other Agencies

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The Department of Veterans Affairs has unleashed myriad technology tools and new management processes to cut a backlog of disability claims and speed benefits delivery that could be a roadmap for every federal agency transitioning to paperless systems.

With the help of smart technology and online self-service access, 1.67 million veterans have registered for the secure VA-Department of Defense web portal, a 400 percent increase in just one year, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 24, 2012 at 9:00 AM

Diane Braunstein: Bringing Compassion to Process

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This is the fourth of a series of profiles on the nine standout public servants who received Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies) honoring their high-impact contributions to the health, safety and well-being of Americans at a Washington, D.C. gala September 15. The awards, presented by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, are among the most prestigious honors given to America’s civil servants. This profile features the winner of the citizen services medal, Diane Braunstein, associate commissioner for the Office of International Programs at the Social Security Administration.

Imagine that you were diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer or a rare and debilitating chronic disease, have applied for Social Security disability benefits to help make ends meet, and are placed on a long waiting list where the claim lingers without resolution. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 21, 2011 at 1:30 PM