4/13/2018
Va takes significant step in improving correspondence with Veterans
As part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) ongoing improvement of managing taxpayer dollars, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has deployed the Centralized Benefits Communications Management Program (CBCM) nationally.
The program represents a new centralized printing and mailing process system designed to improve productivity and streamline correspondence with veterans on compensation benefits and pension burial claims.
“CBCM is one of many great examples of how VA continually explores ways to update outdated processes,” said Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “With this program, we took proven industry practices and adapted them to our needs.”
Prior to CBCM, which went into effect March 23, VBA’s 56 regional offices were responsible individually for their manu-al processing of outbound mail.
Under CBCM, claims processors across the country now submit letters electronically to one central location for printing and distribution — allowing specialized employees to focus more time and energy assessing veteran claims.
In addition to improving productivity, CBCM also will help reduce maintenance requirements of hun-dreds of regional office printers, reduce the likelihood of returned mail through additional address verification and enhance the security and privacy of veteran information through minimized handling of mail.
Over the past five years, VA has improved the way it processes compensation and pension claims enabling the development of CBCM. In the future, VA will enhance CBCM’s design to improve further VBA’s methods of communication with veterans by allowing them to choose between paper or digital correspondence.
Article Credit: SD Dept. of Veterans Affairs
