Compensation Service

Bulletin

April 2011

Procedures (212)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
5 o Training Letter (TL) 11-02, Best
Policy (211) Practices Adapted From Quick Pay
Initiative
2 o Chondromalacia Patella
o Fast Letter (FL) 11-08, New End
o Use of Modern Awards Processing-
Product (EP) Usage at Baltimore and
Development (MAP-D) Paragraphs to
Providence Disability Rating Activity
Provide Notice in Agent Orange-
Sites (DRASs)
Related Claims
o Rescission of FL 07-01, Claims
3 o Clarification on Evidence Requirement
Processing for Military Retirees
in Haas Blue Water Navy Claims
Entitled to Combat-Related Special
o Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Compensation (CRSC) and/or
examinations and the new “fear-based”
Concurrent Retirement and Disability
stressor regulation
Pay (CRDP)
4 o Substitution of a Claimant in Appealed
6 o Release of the New M21-1MR Website
Cases
o Using VA Form 21- 4582, Service
Department Records Envelope
o Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)
and Quick Start Claims from
Servicemembers with Medical
Separations

7 o Subsequent Claims Filed By Veterans

with Paperless (PLCP) Records
o Notice of Disagreements (NODs) for
Month of Death (MOD) Payments

Newsletter 1
 o General Counsel Opinion 2-2010 and level within a year after separation from service.
Decision Assessment Document
(DAD) Osteomalacia is a metabolic disorder in which
o Minimizing Unnecessary Documents in there is inadequate mineralization of the bone. It
Claims Folders is characterized by increasing softness of the
8 o Fast Letter (FL) 11-13, Medical Foster bone, whereby the bone becomes flexible and
Home (MFH) Program brittle, eventually resulting in deformity.
o FL 11-14, Handling Orders for Claims
Folders by the Court of Appeals for Chondromalacia patella is a softening of the
Veterans Claim underlying patella articular cartilage. It is
recognized as a premature degeneration of the
Training & Contract Exams (213) cartilage.
o Skill Cert - Rating Veteran Service
Representative (RVSR) These conditions are two separate and distinct
o Skill Cert – Pension Management diagnostic entities. Chondromalacia patella
Center Veteran Service Representative should not be rated analogous to osteomalacia,
(PMC VSR) nor recognized as a chronic disease subject to
presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R.
Quality Assurance (214) 3.309(a). Chondromalacia patella should be rated
o Rating Quality Call under the appropriate diagnostic code for a knee
o Quarterly Error Reports disability, which, in most cases, would be
9 o Systematic Technical Accuracy Review Diagnostic Codes 5257, 5260 or 5261. Medical
(STAR) Local Quality Reviewer EPSS will be corrected to reflect this policy.
Training
Use of Modern Awards Processing-
Business Management Staff (215) Development (MAP-D) Paragraphs to Provide
o Advanced Compensation and Pension Notice in Agent Orange-Related Claims
Record Interchange (CAPRI) Release
Compensation Service recently revised the
Pension and Fiduciary (23) paragraphs in MAP-D that are used to provide
o Pension and Fiduciary Service Veterans with notice of the evidence required to
support disability claims based on Agent Orange
herbicide exposure. This revision includes two
Policy (211) new paragraphs. One is a general notice to be
provided when a claim is received based on
Chondromalacia Patella unspecified Agent Orange exposure. The other is
a notice specifically tailored for Agent Orange-
The Policy Staff has received inquiries from the related claims from “blue water” Navy Veterans
field regarding whether service connection for who served aboard ships on the offshore waters of
chondromalacia patella may be granted on a Vietnam. The paragraphs are shown below.
presumptive basis. The question arises because Please note that until they are incorporated into
Medical Electronic Performance Support System the MAP-D program, regional office (RO)
(EPSS) directs that the condition be rated personnel should “copy and paste” them into the
analogous to osteomalacia. Under 38 CFR Agent Orange-related notice letters, as needed.
3.309(a), osteomalacia is identified as a chronic
disease subject to service connection on a AO - Explain how exposed
presumptive basis, if manifested to a compensable In order for VA to acknowledge that you were

Newsletter 2
exposed to Agent Orange, please send evidence Training Letter 10-06, Adjudicating Disability
that: (1) you physically served within or visited Claims Based on Herbicide Exposure from U.S.
the country of Vietnam, or its inland waterways, Navy and Coast Guard Veterans of the Vietnam
between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975. If you Era, discusses development procedures and
were stationed aboard a ship, we need evidence evidence requirements for establishing that an
that the ship entered Vietnam’s inland waterways offshore “blue water” ship entered the “brown
or that you went ashore; (2) you served in a unit water” of Vietnam’s inland waterways, thus
stationed along the Korean demilitarized zone qualifying crewmembers for the presumption of
(DMZ) between April 1, 1968 and August 31, Agent Orange exposure.
1971; or (3) you were exposed to Agent Orange in
some other manner. The Policy Staff recently received questions
regarding the evidence necessary to establish a
AO - Blue Water ship’s inland waterway service when the phrase
If you served aboard a US Navy or Coast Guard “mouth of the river” appears in deck logs. In part,
ship on the offshore "blue waters" of Vietnam, VA the training letter indicates that when deck logs
will presume Agent Orange exposure if your refer to entering or anchoring in the “mouth of a
service included duty or visitation within the river,” Compensation Service deems this
country of Vietnam itself, or on its inland sufficient to establish service on the inland
waterways, between January 9, 1962, and May 7, waterways. The benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine
1975. We need evidence your ship entered applies and evidence of the vessel’s presence in a
Vietnam’s inland waterways while you were river’s mouth is sufficient to establish the
aboard or that you went ashore while the ship presumption of exposure for Veterans on the ship.
was docked or at anchorage. Please provide us
with the name of your ship and the approximate When deck logs, an official ship history, a cruise
dates, to the best of your recollection, when your book, or any other reliable document states that a
ship entered the inland waterways, docked, or ship “entered” or “anchored” “in the mouth of the
otherwise sent you ashore. If your ship docked, river,” inland waterway service can be
you must state whether or not you went ashore. If acknowledged and the presumption of Agent
you went ashore from a ship at anchorage, you Orange exposure extended to the crewmembers.
must explain the circumstances. Agent Orange
exposure will not be presumed if your ship just However, if the reference is to being “near,”
anchored temporarily in an open deep-water “close” or “in the vicinity of” “the mouth of the
harbor such as Da Nang, Cam Ranh Bay, or Vung river,” inland waterway service cannot be
Tau, and you remained on the ship. acknowledged. For US Navy ships, being near
the mouth of a river can mean being several
Some Veterans served on smaller, shallow draft thousand yards offshore, with reference to the
vessels operating primarily on the inland river serving as a topographical bearing marker, in
waterways or "brown waters" of Vietnam's rivers, conjunction with other bearing markers, to
canals, estuaries, and delta areas, where pinpoint the exact location of the ship for the deck
herbicide exposure is presumed to have occurred. log record. It is important for RO personnel to
Please tell us if you are one of these Veterans and recognize and apply this distinction in order to
provide the name of your vessel and dates of promote consistency and fairness in the
service in Vietnam. adjudication of Haas related claims.

Clarification on Evidence Requirement in PTSD examinations and the new “fear-based”

Haas Blue Water Navy Claims stressor regulation

The new posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Newsletter 3
regulation at 38 CFR 3.304(f)(3) allows a Vietnam or for service in Thailand. This is
Veteran’s lay statement alone to establish the justified because the “fear-based” PTSD
occurrence of a claimed in-service stressor when: regulation is intended to encompass military
• it is related to fear of hostile military or service not involving direct combat but where
terrorist activity, and there was always a potential for hostile military or
• a VA psychiatrist or psychologist, or contract terrorist activity, as was the case in the Southeast
equivalent, confirms that the claimed stressor Asia Theater of operations during the Vietnam
is adequate to support a diagnosis of PTSD, War.
and
• the veteran’s symptoms are related to the Evaluating PTSD Examinations
claimed stressor.
This regulation shifts much of the stressor The evaluation of PTSD examinations is
verification process from RO personnel to the VA generally a straightforward matter focused on
medical examiner, resulting in the examination whether or not PTSD was diagnosed by the
report taking on increased significance for examiner and appropriately related to an in-
resolving the claim. Issues related to the service fear-based stressor.
examination process are covered in Training However, what if:
Letter 10-05, Relaxation of Evidentiary Standard • the Veteran claimed a “fear-based” stressor,
for Establishing In-Service Stressors in Claims • had a PTSD exam on that basis,
for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. However, we • the examiner diagnosed PTSD, but
have received a number of specific questions • specifically stated that the stressor was not
regarding when an examination should be based on “fear” but rather on the “actual”
scheduled and how it should be evaluated. event of experiencing a mortar/rocket attack
while serving in Vietnam?
Scheduling PTSD Examinations This distinction can be viewed as taking the
stressor out of section 3.304(f)(3) and placing it in
The threshold for scheduling a VA examination in section 3.304(f)(2), which relates to combat. This
“fear-based” PTSD claims is relatively low, but sets the stage for processing delays based on
ROs are obligated to first verify that the places, either the need to corroborate occurrence of the
types, and circumstances of the Veteran’s service stressor with credible supporting evidence or the
are consistent with an environment where a fear need to send the examination report back as
stressor associated with hostile military or inadequate. However, Compensation Service has
terrorist activity may have occurred. This is a determined that neither of these actions is
case-by-case determination based on duty necessary because section 3.304(f)(3)
locations and service or campaign medals encompasses “an event or circumstance that
received, among other factors. A specific involved actual or threatened death or serious
question was whether receipt of the Vietnam injury [involving]… fear, helplessness, or horror.”
Service Medal or Vietnam Campaign Medal, as By definition, PTSD symptoms result from a fear
evidence of service in a hostile military associated with actual or threatened death or
environment, is sufficient to schedule a PTSD serious injury. Therefore, if the examiner chooses
examination. Compensation Service has to emphasize an actual event, such as the
determined that receipt of either of these medals exposure to a mortar/rocket attack, as the stressful
would constitute service in a potentially hostile agent, this does not preclude VA from
military environment and therefore would qualify recognizing the fear associated with that stressor.
the Veteran for a PTSD examination. This In such cases, the examination can be considered
includes receipt of these medals for service adequate under section 3.304(f)(3).
aboard a ship in the offshore “blue waters” of
What if the “fear-based” PTSD examination

Newsletter 4
report involves a scenario where a mental disorder administrative decision will be needed.
other than PTSD is diagnosed? Is the fear-based
stressor, which is accepted by the examiner as
having occurred during service, sufficient to
Procedures (212)
service connect the examiner’s diagnosis of a
Training Letter (TL) 11-02, Best Practices
non-PTSD psychiatric condition, such as
Adapted From Quick Pay Initiative
depression or generalized anxiety disorder? The
answer is “no” because section 3.304(f)(3) was On March 29, 2011, Compensation Service
written specifically for, and applies only to, released Training Letter (TL) 11-02, Best
PTSD. If the diagnosis is something other than Practices Adapted From Quick Pay Initiative.
PTSD, then the general requirements for service The letter provided guidelines for screening
connection apply. In such cases, a current claims for Quick Pay Disability (QPD) status and
disability has been diagnosed and a medical nexus routing procedures for prioritized processing of
provided by the examiner, but no in-service the claims. Below are some of the key points
disease, injury, or event has been established. addressed in the TL:
And, neither the Veteran’s lay statement nor the • Claims identified for QPD processing include
examiners subjective acceptance is sufficient to service connection for cancer and claims for
establish occurrence of the in-service disease, increase due to surgery or hospitalization for
injury, or event. However, since this was initially service connected conditions.
a PTSD claim, RO personnel can proceed with the • Quick payment provides access to VA
usual development/research to corroborate the medical care and money to Veterans when
event in the same manner as a claimed stressor. If they need it most.
credible supporting evidence can be obtained for • During the Quick Pay pilot in the St.
the event, its occurrence would be established. Petersburg RO, over half of QPD payments
Service connection would then be possible for went to first-time recipients of VA
depression or generalized anxiety disorder compensation, providing Veterans with a
because the examiner has already provided a positive claims processing experience.
diagnosis and medical nexus.
Fast Letter (FL) 11-08 New End Product (EP)
Substitution of a Claimant in Appealed Cases Usage at Baltimore and Providence Disability
Rating Activity Sites (DRASs)
In accordance with FL 10-30, Substitution of
Party in Case of Claimant’s Death, ROs On March 15, 2011, Compensation Service
determine basic eligibility for substitution. ROs Released FL 11-08, New End Product (EP) Usage
must ensure that when basic eligibility is at Baltimore and Providence Disability Rating
established and substitution as a claimant is Activity Sites (DRASs). The letter directs the
granted, there is documentation associated with Baltimore and Providence offices to use EP 331,
the c-file prior to certifying the case to Board of 336 and 339 to control for Integrated Disability
Veterans Appeals (Board). At a minimum, Evaluation System (IDES) preliminary ratings
documentation should include the request for and rating reconsideration requests.
substitution, a letter to the requester granting
substitution as a claimant, and a letter notifying At this time, Providence is preparing ratings for
the substituted claimant the case has been IDES cases that have been brokered from
certified to the Board. If the Board is unable to Baltimore. Until Providence’s IDES jurisdiction
ascertain the eligible substitute, the case will be has been defined by OFO, and the Veterans
returned to the RO. Tracking Application (VTA) has been updated to
reflect Providence’s jurisdiction, Baltimore and
Please note that if basic eligibility is denied, an

Newsletter 5
Providence will use these EPs to track and released.
manage IDES rating workload.
Release of the New M21-1MR Website
These EPs should not be used for any purpose
except to control for IDES rating requests at On March 29, 2011, Compensation Service
Baltimore and Providence DRASs. All other VA released FL 11-10, New M21-1 Manual Rewrite
regional offices should identify any EP Website. The letter announced the launch of the
331/336/339 currently pending at their office, and new M21-1MR website and its related M21-1MR
take action to change or cancel these EPs as Website Quick Reference Guide and M21-1MR
appropriate. Website User Guide. The website’s new user-
friendly features include:
Rescission of FL 07-01, Claims Processing for • an MR-specific search engine,
Military Retirees Entitled to • bookmarking capability for saving frequently
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) used content,
and/or Concurrent Retirement and Disability • a breadcrumb trail to show the place of text
Pay (CRDP) within the MR hierarchy,
• Quicklinks to access frequently referenced
FL 07-01, Claims Processing for Military information, and
Retirees Entitled to Combat-Related Special • an E-mail this Block feature for sharing
Compensation (CRSC) and/or Concurrent content.
Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP), provided To help facilitate the transition from the old MR
instructions on calculating CRSC/CRDP to website to the new one, Compensation Service
determine military retired pay withholding plans to maintain the two sites simultaneously for
amounts. However, CRSC/CRDP has not been 60 days following the release of the fast letter.
calculated with a high degree of accuracy,
resulting in a large number of overpayments. All employees who process claims are required to
Accordingly, Compensation Service is rescinding complete the Learning Management System
FL 07-01. Therefore, Veterans Service (LMS) training, “New M21-1MR Website,” not
Representatives (VSRs) should no longer later than May 29, 2011.
calculate CRSC/CRDP when determining military
retired pay withholding amounts. Rather, Using VA Form 21- 4582, Service Department
military retired pay withholding amounts for Records Envelope
Veterans eligible for CRSC/CRDP (including
Veterans rated 100% or Individually All ROs and centers must remember that service
Unemployable) should be determined in the same treatment records (STRs) received in their original
manner as they are for Veterans who are not jackets should stay in those original jackets when
eligible to CRSC/CRDP. Any adjustments to placed in the claims folders. RO staff must place
Veterans’ retired pay withholding amounts due to STRs not received in their original jackets inside
CRSC/CRDP eligibility will be made via the VA Form 21-4582, Service Department Records
Audit Error Worksheet (AEW) process (See FL Envelope, regardless of whether the STRs are
08-40). Compensation Service is developing new original or copied, or received in the initial or
instructions and tools, which will improve the supplemental shipment. Keeping STRs separated
accuracy of calculating CRSC/CRDP. VSRs will and clearly marked is vital as VBA begins to
be allowed to resume calculating CRSC/CRDP to electronically upload claims folders. The use of
determine military retired pay withholding VA Form 21-4585 allows easy identification of
amounts once these instructions and tools are STRs and helps protect them from damage. (See

Newsletter 6
M21-1MR, Part III, Subpart iii, Chapter 2, (PLCP) record.
Section A, Topic 2, Block b.)
Prior to establishing a new claim, ensure there is
Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) and no PLCP record associated with the claimant. If a
Quick Start Claims from Servicemembers with PLCP record exists, forward the mail to the rating
Medical Separations site with jurisdiction of the paperless record,
either Salt Lake City, Winston-Salem (BDD),
As indicated on the Veterans Service Center Baltimore, or Providence (DES) as noted in
Manager (VSCM) call of August 2010, the FL 08-21, Paperless Processing Procedures for
Department of Defense (DoD) Physical BDD and its attachment and Disability Evaluation
Evaluation Board Liaison Officers (PEBLO) are System Pilot, Paperless Claims Processing
now providing BDD and Quick Start pamphlets Workflow, April 2009)
(VA Pamphlet 21-09-2 and VA Pamphlet 21-08-
1) to servicemembers who have completed Notice of Disagreements (NODs) for Month of
traditional Physical Evaluation Boards (PEBs) Death (MOD) Payments
and are being separated from service.
VBA created a special unit in Nashville to review
Intake Sites and ROs are reminded that BDD and and pay month of death (MOD) benefits that may
Quick Start claims can be taken from all not have been properly issued. If VBA receives a
servicemembers who have a known separation notice of disagreement (NOD) to any decision
date within 180 days, including those who are made by this unit, the home RO will take
medically separated. BDD and Quick Start claims jurisdiction over the NOD. If the claims folder
can be accepted once the servicemember has has been retired, the claimant’s address will
completed the PEB process, knows that he or she determine the RO of jurisdiction for the NOD.
is being separated from service, and has a
projected date of separation. General Counsel Opinion 2-2010 and Decision
Assessment Document (DAD)
If, at the time of application, the servicemember
has less than 60 days on active duty, the claim VBA currently does not count the interest income
will be processed as Quick Start. If the service of Series EE Savings Bonds. Additionally, as a
member has more than 60 days remaining on result of Osborn vs Nicholson, VBA will no
active duty and can report for an examination longer count the interest income from life
either at, or near his or her duty station, the claim insurance policies. However, VBA will count the
will be processed as BDD. interest income from Series HH Savings Bonds,
since the interest is paid semiannually without the
Initial compensation claims from servicemembers redemption of the bond.
who are participating in the IDES, will be
processed as part of that program. Currently, there is no set rule for counting interest
income on municipal bonds. Generally, if a bond
Subsequent Claims Filed By Veterans with must be redeemed before interest is paid, do not
Paperless (PLCP) Records count interest income unless the claimant has
redeemed the bond. Conversely, if interest is paid
As a reminder, field offices that receive without the need for the bond to be redeemed,
subsequent claims after the creation of a paperless count the interest as income.
record should forward those claims to the rating
activity site with jurisdiction of the paperless We will update the M21-1 MR to reflect these

Newsletter 7
changes. Coordinator in expediting these claims.

Minimizing Unnecessary Documents in Claims FL 11-14, Handling Orders for Claims Folders
Folders by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claim.

Employees should never send unnecessary On April 14, 2011, Compensation Service
documents for scanning. Field office personnel released FL 11-14, Handling Orders for Claims
may destroy returned mail with no evidentiary Folders by the Court of Appeals for Veterans
value, such as cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) Claims. The FL outlines the process for handling
letters and outreach letters such as tax abatement. requests for claims folders from the Office of
General Counsel, Professional Staff Group VII
Field personnel should also remove documents (PSG VII).
from claims folders if they are redundant or have
served their purpose and have no legal, The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
administrative, or historical value. Such (CAVC) revised its rules in an effort to reduce the
documents include: time that claims folders are out of the control of
• cover letters or transmittal sheets without ROs. These amended rules eliminate the need for
evidentiary value, ROs to photocopy documents from claims folders
• blank VA forms, on request from PSG VII. RO personnel must
• instructions for VA forms, provide claims folders to PSG VII within five
• claims folder flashes, and business days of the request.
• duplicate development letters.
This FL includes guidance on:
Please refer to: • preparing appeals records
• Fast Letter 09-46, Procedures for Destruction • transferring claims folders to PSG VII
of Returned Mail With No Evidentiary Value, • receiving claims folders from PSG VII,
• M21-1MR Part III, Subpart ii, Chapter 3, and
Section C, Topic 9 (M21-1MR III.ii.3.C.9), • preparing a declaration when VA cannot
and locate the claims folder.
• RCS VB-1, Part I, Section XIII, 13-052.200.
Training & Contract Exams (213)

Skill Cert - RVSR

The Rating Veteran Service Representative

Fast Letter (FL) 11-13, Medical Foster Home (RVSR) Certification test is scheduled for May 4,
(MFH) Program 2011. The next scheduled test will be
administered on August 3, 2011. The purpose of
On April 13, 2011, Compensation Service this test is to evaluate the knowledge, skills and
released Fast Letter (FL) 11-13, Medical Foster abilities of our filed RVSRs processing claims for
Home (MFH) Program. The MFH program is a VBA benefits. Please refer to OFO Letter 20F-
non-institutional alternative to nursing home care 09-23, RVSR Skills Certification for FY 2010, for
for Veterans who are unable to safely live alone eligibility criteria and guidelines on the role and
due to chronic or terminal illness. This letter responsibilities of the ROs.
provides information about the MFH program and
explains the responsibilities of the MFH Further information regarding the May test date

Newsletter 8
will be forthcoming from OFO.
Systematic Technical Accuracy Review
Skill Cert – PMC VSR (STAR) Local Quality Reviewer Training

The Pension Management Center Veteran Service STAR Local Quality Reviewer Training
Representative (PMC VSR) Certification test is scheduled April 10-15, 2011 was cancelled due to
scheduled for May 18, 2011. The purpose of this budgetary uncertainties. Those stations scheduled
test is to evaluate the knowledge, skills and to attend in April, will be invited to send
abilities of our field PMC VSRs processing participants to local quality reviewer training from
claims for VBA benefits. Please refer to OFO May 15-20, 2011. The final training session is
Letter 20F-09-24, Pension Management Center now planned for June 12-17, 2011.
Veteran Service Representative Skills
Certification for FY 2010 for eligibility criteria Business Management (215)
and guidelines on the role and responsibilities of
the RO. Advanced Compensation and Pension Record
Interchange (CAPRI) Release
Further information regarding the May test date
will be forthcoming from the OFO. A new version of Compensation and Pension
Record Interchange (CAPRI), designated as
Quality Assurance (214) version 2.7.149.11, is slated for deployment by
April 25, 2011. This new version contains several
Rating Quality Call upgrades that VBA has been waiting for,
including:
The Monthly Rating Quality Call is scheduled for
April 28, 2011, at 2:00 PM EDT. Compensation • Report Builder functionality enhanced to
Service will post the call-in information on the allow users to add multiple documents at
Calendar Page for April 2011, which can be the same time by using the CTRL key,
accessed through C&P’s Home Page Calendar. • Hospital Adjustment Reports can now
Questions may be directed to the Quality be saved in a format that can be
Assurance mailbox at VAVBAWAS/CO/214B. downloaded to Microsoft applications,
• The Special Report for Pension/Aid and
Quarterly Error Reports Attendance (A&A) will display the date
range used in generating the report in the
Stations are required to report the corrective header;
action taken on all Systematic Technical • New priority exam types were added to
Accuracy Review (STAR) benefit entitlement and support BDD and DES programs and the
decision documentation error calls. The quarterly Automated Management Information
error reports will be sent out during April 2011. System (AMIS) 290 reports will be
Beginning this quarter the reports will include modified to report on them,
benefit entitlement errors called on cases worked • Fee Basis Community Nursing Home
by the Day One Brokering Centers (D1BC) and (FBCNH) reports are accessible via
the Tiger Team. Instructions on reporting the CAPRI GUI, eliminating the need for
correction of STAR error calls are found in M21- VBA to access Automatic Medical
4, Chapter 3.05. Any questions should be Information Exchange (AMIE);
submitted to the VAVBAWAS/CO/214B • CAPRI will be more in compliance with
mailbox. Section 508;

Newsletter 9
 • Miscellaneous defect and user beneficiaries served. At the conclusion of FY
enhancement requests were also 2009, there were 104,220 beneficiaries requiring
addressed. the protection of VA’s Fiduciary program. This
number has increased by more than five percent,
Among the defects fixed in this release is an issue to 113,183 beneficiaries as of April 12, 2011.
where CAPRI would not print documents larger
than 50 or 100 pages in length. Stations with The Pension program is exploring several
large batch print jobs will now find that CAPRI initiatives which would streamline the way VA
prints normally, though they may encounter an decides receipt of benefits. These initiatives have
issue when they run the batch print job the first the potential to transform the way pension is
time if that job is significantly large in size (e.g., granted by simplifying the application, financial
over 1000 pages). qualification, and rating process. VA believes it
will be extremely beneficial to have management
As a result of the changes required for this fix, devoted solely to the development and monitoring
some users in beta testing uncovered an issue of these initiatives.
where CAPRI gave an error message that
included the text “printer index out of range” Recent audits by Office of the Inspector General
when attempting to print to the default printer. To (OIG) and Government Accounting Office (GAO)
fix this issue, please close CAPRI, remove your have reinforced VA’s need to increase oversight
default printer from Windows, and then install the of the Fiduciary program, and provided several
printer. If you have questions, please contact recommendations in an effort to strengthen the
VAVBAWAS/CO/215/CAPRI. program. Many improvements are underway,
including the development of a comprehensive
Pension and Fiduciary (23) caseload and data management system, and the
implementation of revised policies and
Pension and Fiduciary Service procedures. These measures, coupled with a
management team providing dedicated oversight,
Effective April 11, 2011, VBA split will greatly enhance the benefits provided by the
Compensation and Pension Service to establish program.
two separate services. Compensation Service will
focus exclusively on issues relating to service
connected disabilities. Pension and Fiduciary
Service will address the unique needs of
beneficiaries in receipt of pension, and those
participating in the current Fiduciary program.

VBA considered several factors in determining

the need to establish a new service, to include the
continued growth of the Pension and Fiduciary
programs. The Annual Benefits Report (ABR) of
fiscal year (FY) 2010 indicates a 25% increase in
claims for disability pension over the previous
year. During the same period, new applications
for Death Pension increased by 32% over the
previous year. The Fiduciary program has also
seen a substantial increase in the number of

Newsletter 10