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119-s-2493119th CongressWALLET

Medical Disability Examination Improvement Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

Introduced

Summary

Modernize VA medical disability exams. This bill phases a pilot to run exams at VA medical facilities while ordering studies and new training to speed up, improve, and track the quality and exam process for veterans seeking disability compensation.

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  • Veterans and rural veterans: A rural access study is due within 1 year to compare days to complete exams, identify root causes, and propose technology or solutions to reduce travel for rural and housebound veterans. The pilot phases up across Veterans Integrated Service Networks with no more than 1 VISN before FY2027, 3 by FY2029, 6 by FY2031, and 10 by FY2033.
  • VA employees and claims processors: New and probationary staff who order or review exams must be trained within 180 days and face a second-level review until they hit a 90 percent accuracy rate. The bill also mandates recurring reviews of exam adequacy with quarterly samples and priority re-examinations and processing when exams are found inadequate.
  • Process, vendors, and records: The pilot uses authority under 38 U.S.C. 5103A(d) and requires health professionals and contractors to transmit evidence introduced during exams into the veteran's claims file. It also requires a scheduling review and plan to ensure seamless communication between claims processors and exam vendors, guarantee claimant control over scheduling within a reasonable timeframe, and collect claimant satisfaction data. Pilot costs must be reimbursed to the Veterans Benefits Administration operating accounts and VA information technology systems from amounts available for compensation and pension payments.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More training and exam oversight

If enacted, VA would require extra training within 180 days for new or probationary staff who order or review covered medical disability exams. New staff would need a second-level review until they reach a 90% accuracy rate. VA must run quarterly reviews (for three years) of statistically significant samples of exams by VA staff and contractors, report percent adequate and percent overdeveloped, and provide priority re-exams and priority processing when exams are inadequate. Examiners would be required to send any evidence given by the claimant or used in the exam into the veteran's claims file. The Board and the Veterans Court would also need to include summaries of recurring remand issues in their reports.

VA-run disability exam pilot

If enacted, VA would run a pilot to perform disability exams at VA medical centers. The pilot would expand by VISN caps: no more than one VISN before FY2027; up to three VISNs in FY2029; six in FY2031; ten in FY2033; and more in FY2035 if the Under Secretary agrees. If the pilot begins within two years, the Under Secretary must report to Congress within two years on cost, timeliness, quality, and capacity. Amounts spent to run the pilot would be reimbursed to VBA operating and IT accounts from funds available for compensation and pension payments.

Easier scheduling for rural veterans

If enacted, VA must finish a study within one year on rural and highly rural veterans' access to covered disability exams. The study must compare days to complete exams by exam type and by contractor versus VA staff, explain root causes, and give a one-year plan to improve access. VA would also review scheduling tools and contracts and, within one year, send a plan to Congress to improve scheduling, let claimants choose reasonable exam times, make scheduling seamless across vendors, ensure examiners review needed records, and collect claimant satisfaction surveys.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

CT • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 7/29/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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