Sec. 108. Annual report on processing of claims
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Subchapter I of chapter 51 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding after section 5109D, as added by section 107, the following new section: The Secretary shall include in the annual report to Congress required under section 529 of this title information on the following: The automatic processing of claims for compensation. The performance of any regional office that fails to meet the administrative goals of the regional office with respect to timeliness and accuracy in processing claims for compensation.
The timeliness of receiving information pursuant to a request by the Secretary to the head of another department or agency of the United States for information required by the Secretary in adjudicating a claim for compensation under chapter 11 of this title. In carrying out subsection
(a)to include information in the report required under section 529 of this title, the Secretary shall include the following: With respect to the information required by subsection (a)(1)— each medical condition for which claims relating to such condition were processed in an electronic automated fashion during the fiscal year covered by the report; the feasibility of processing any additional medical conditions in an electronic automated fashion and any barriers to such processing, including any such barriers relating to the schedule for rating disabilities under section 1155 of this title; the number of claims for compensation relating to each medical condition submitted during such fiscal year; and for each medical condition, the percentage of claims denied and the percentage of claims approved during such fiscal year. With respect to the information required by subsection (a)(2), in the case of any regional office that, for the fiscal year covered by the report, did not meet the administrative goal of having no claim pending for more than 125 days and achieving an accuracy rating of 98 percent— a signed statement prepared by the individual serving as director of the regional office as of the date of the submittal of the report containing— an explanation for why the regional office did not meet the goal; a description of the additional resources needed to enable the regional office to reach the goal; and a description of any additional actions planned for the subsequent fiscal year that are proposed to enable the regional office to meet the goal; and a statement prepared by the Under Secretary for Benefits explaining how the failure of the regional office to meet the goal affected the performance evaluation of the director of the regional office. With respect to the information required by subsection (a)(3)— the number of requests described in such paragraph made during the fiscal year covered by the report; and the average response time for such requests made during each month of such fiscal year, as determined based on the period beginning on the date on which the Secretary made the request and ending on the date on which the Secretary determines that the request is completed. . The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 5109D, as added by section 107, the following new item: 5109E. Annual report on processing of claims. . Section 5109E of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection
(a)shall take effect on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.