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What is VBA?. One part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. US DVA. Veterans Health Administration 200,000 employees < 50% of total US DVA budget Veterans Benefits Administration 13,000 employees >50% of total US DVA budget National Cemetery Administration < 2500 employees
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What is VBA? One part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
US DVA Veterans Health Administration • 200,000 employees • < 50% of total US DVA budget Veterans Benefits Administration 13,000 employees >50% of total US DVA budget National Cemetery Administration < 2500 employees < 5% of total US DVA budget
VBA Regional Office Portland, OR • One of 58 regional offices across the country • Approx 190 employees • 30,000 Claims decisions each year • Over $½ Billion distributed to 45,000 vets and dependents in Oregon last year
VBA Benefits • Compensation – Live and Death • Pension – Live and Death administered out of Pension Maintenance Center in St. Paul, MN • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment • Education (GI Bill)administered out of Muskogee, OK • Loan Guarantyadministered out of Denver, Co. (Oregon State Home Loan Program is better in today’s market)
Critical Partners with VBA in Oregon • ODVA and County Service Officers • National Service Organizations – DAV, American Legion, Amvets, VFW, PVA, MOPH, etc. • Reintegration Team • Homeless Programs • VHA • Anyone, anywhere who wants to help vets
Are these gaps in service? • 350,000+ vets in Oregon only 45,000 receive benefits? • Limited access to VA computer network for accredited ODVA and County Veteran Service Officers • Vets/widows/widowers entitled to benefits while in nursing homes are underserved, misled or misinformed regarding benefits entitlement? • Iraq/Afghanistan (recently released) vets represent about 10% of claims filed? • Timeliness of claims processing? • Appeals processing (procedures and timeliness)?
Ok, now it is your turn • Define more clearly known gaps, or identify other gaps in service that relate to VBA’s work in Oregon. • Present questions that I can deliver to the Regional Office before the visit on June 4. • Ask questions during the visit on June 4. • Bring questions from Town Hall meetings to me or to the Regional Office for their response.
What is a veteran? • Name the 7 uniformed services whose former members are considered veterans as defined by Title 38. • I will give you the first 5 • Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard.
The other two • Public Health Service • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration