The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that this year the agency will roll out a plan using an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to identify potential fraud in Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs).
The review will go back through more than 15 years of DBQs. James W. Smith, a deputy executive director at the Veterans Benefits Administration, says the AI tool will have the capability to quickly review submitted DBQs and flag claims that potentially are fraudulent. When a Veteran’s DBQ is flagged, the VA most likely will require the Veteran to undergo a new compensation and pension exam.
Many Veterans and Veterans organizations have raised questions about this massive document sweep. They say there are many unanswered questions about how this AI tool will function and how it was developed and tested. They want to know how the VA will ensure transparency and accountability. Additionally, they are asking what factors would cause a DBQ to be flagged for review, and how and when Veterans will be notified if their records are reviewed.
Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek magazine: “This sounds more like a way to refuse treatment and benefits than it does fraud elimination. Safeguards are already in place to detect fraud, so adding a slew of new complicated rules on top of the already complicated VA rules only makes it more difficult for our aged veterans to navigate the system and receive the care they need.”
A DBQ is a downloadable questionnaire—a form that Veterans can use as part of the disability evaluation process. This form enables a doctor to capture critical information to help define your impairment level due to your disability. The VA needs this information to accurately evaluate your claim for benefits. An advantage of a DBQ is that it can be filled out by your own personal physician if you’d rather not see a VA doctor for a C&P exam. Most often, DBQs are used to rate your condition in your initial claim or evaluate how much your service-related condition has deteriorated if you’re filing for increased compensation
If you are Veteran worried about potential problems which may arise in a DBQ review, we encourage you to make an appointment with your VA doctor and update them on your medical condition, which then becomes part of your permanent health record.
An exact start date for the new AI tool has not been announced. The VA says that implementation of the fraud-detection tool is part of their larger strategy to “use AI to improve the quality, efficiency and accuracy of programs and services delivered to millions of Veterans.”
If you are considering applying for VA disability benefits, or if you have been unfairly turned down for benefits, contact us at Cuddigan Law for a free evaluation of your situation and if you choose to hire us to fight for your rights, we only get paid when you win your case.
