Military & Veterans Disability System: Pilot Has Achieved Some Goals, but Further Monitoring Needed

December 6, 2011 Since 2007, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have been testing a new integrated disability evaluation system (IDES) intended to streamline the disability determination process by implementing a single evaluation exams and improving how information is shared between the departments. The VA anticipated that IDES would cut case processing time from the average of 540 days to 305 days. The VA and DOD intend to deploy the IDES military-wide. The GAO said the IDES was promising, but still problematic for veterans and service members with mental disabilities such as . . .