autoMatED DECiSionS at tHE va : CaLCuLatED oR ConCERning ?
Military & Veterans Affairs Committee Chairs : MattHall – HillWardHenderson & AlexSrsic – BayAreaLegalServices
Secretary McDonough recently announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) is testing a pilot program where artificial intelligence is used to help decide claims regarding certain disability benefits . Currently , the algorithm is only being used to decide claims for increased compensation for hypertension . The system scans through a veteran ’ s file , extracts relevant information , and makes note of any information that is still needed . A report is then provided to a VA employee , who reviews the information and either decides the claim or requests more information , like a compensation and pension physical exam .
A human , not a computer , makes the final call — presumably after considering the applicable statutes and regulations . To grant an increase in compensation for hypertension , the VA merely must determine that a veteran ’ s blood pressure is higher than it was before . Evaluating a hypertension increase claim is as simple as searching recent medical records for a blood pressure reading . This is something a computer algorithm can surely do . However , the VA plans to create additional algorithms to work on claims for other conditions , including asthma . Under the current rating schedule , asthma is rated based on the frequency of care , use of certain medications , and severity of attacks . This information is far more complicated
Simplified processes and shorter wait times are no good if it just means decisions are denied faster . for a computer to accurately capture .
Simplified processes and shorter wait times are no good if it just means decisions are denied faster . If the algorithm cannot identify critical information , though , that is exactly what this automated process will lead to . The hope is that VA will perfect these systems prior to fully relying on them so that additional veterans do not become stuck in the seemingly endless cycle of appeals . n
Author : Morgan MacIssac- Bykowski – Stetson University Veterans Law Institute
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