Summary

Life insurance claims processing by the Veterans Administration (VA) was reviewed to determine claims processing timeframes and to make further inquiries of claims processing if warranted.

VA performed well against most of the timeliness standards it established for both the internal processing steps and for the entire claims process. Avoidable delays occurred in the initial stages of claims processing at the regional office and at the Philadelphia insurance center. A new data processing system is changing workflow to improve the timeliness of claims processing at the regional office, and steps are being taken at the Philadelphia insurance center to reduce delays. Corrective actions have been taken to improve the accuracy of management reports on the center's performance in meeting its overall timeliness standard.