Limited resources and poor planning is causing the VA to strain under the pressure:
The backlog of disability claims is up to more than 400,000 by the VA’s count and climbing. Wait times to process claims are running nearly seven months, on average — quicker in some places and much longer in others, as Lennon and other veterans have found. In cases where the extent of disability is disputed and an appeal is filed, resolution can take more than two years.
The rising number and complex nature of medical needs among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are severely testing the VA’s sprawling healthcare system.
