.jpg)
This article by Patricia Kime originally appeared on Military.com, the premier resource for the military and veteran community.
Purple Heart recipients will soon take priority in the queue for Department of Veterans Affairs claims adjudication, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie announced Tuesday.
In a hearing before the House Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee, Wilkie said veterans who have earned the Purple Heart will be placed "at the front of the line when it comes to claims before the department."
According to Wilkie, the change is in "recognition of wounds taken in battle."
[RELATED: Here's How the New VA Appeals Process Works]
He didn't provide details on how the change will be implemented but said it is among the many improvements the department is making as part of the claims and appeals modernization effort.
The VA launched a new process for handling compensation claims appeals Feb. 19, with a goal of reducing the wait time for a final decision from three to seven years to roughly four months.
The new process, created under the Appeals Modernization Act, gives veterans three choices for appealing their claim, including providing new evidence to the original reviewer; having a more senior adjudicator review the decision; and appealing to the Board of Veterans Appeals.
Wilkie described the change as part of a 21st-century transformation at the department.
The VA appeals backlog, which will be handled by the legacy system of appealing decisions to the board, stands at roughly 402,000 cases.
The new system will not only be used for disability compensation claims decisions, it will tackle decisions on education and insurance applications, vocational rehabilitation, caregiver benefits and claims with the National Cemetery Administration, according to the VA.
Other articles from Military.com:
USS George H.W. Bush Heads into Shipyard for More than 2 Years of Updates
Lawmakers Fear Border Wall Funding Will Hit Local Military Projects