100,000 + VA Electronic Disability Claims Not Processed – Plus Gov’s 7 Stories

On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER:

• Do you ever wish you had a real-life Easy-Button at your command? Not just for the typical Staples situations like buying a laptop, filling an ink cartridge, or stocking up on office supplies — but for real life situations. Many Americans’ expectation of government process is fairly low due to long lines at the DMV, filing taxes, or the drudgery of filling out government paperwork. Adam Dole, former Presidential Innovation Fellow, wants to give you an Easy-Button, or a Blue Button, to make your health care experience go smoothly.

The SEVEN stories that impact your life

1. Nextgov: Hundreds of Thousands of VA Electronic Disability Claims Not Processed- “Hundreds of thousands of disability claims filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ eBenefits portal launched in February 2013 are incomplete and could start to expire this month, Nextgovhas learned. VA Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey touted the new portal in June 2013 as simple as filing taxes online and a way to whittle down the claims backlog.”

2. Politico: Johnson: Border ‘not open’ to undocumented immigrants- “Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson says the U.S. border is not open to undocumented immigrants and the Obama administration is taking steps to stop the flow of thousands of women and children from Central America.”

3. Nextgov: Governments Could Make or Break the Free Internet in the Next 10 Years- “Here are two ways governments could undermine Internet freedom in the coming decade: They could block and filter it more, and they could stir greater mistrust by using it to conduct more intrusive surveillance programs against citizens.”

4. Defense One: ‘You Have to Kill Them’ Says Former U.S.Ambassador to Iraq- “For months warnings have sounded over the rising threat posed by extremists operating unimpeded in Syria. Now those fighters are cutting their way through Iraq and plunging the region into a sectarian bloodbath with consequences that would stretch well beyond the Middle East.”

5. Federal News Radio: Army issues ‘worst-case’ scenarios for reductions- “Army bases and surrounding communities across the country would lose up to 80 percent of their military and civilian workforces if maximum cuts in both budget and force size go into effect at the end of the decade, according to worst-case scenario projections. The report comes as the Pentagon and Congress are at odds over proposals to trim the size of America’s military after 13 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

6. FCW: NSTIC pilot offers identity proofing for health records- “The push to move the health care sector toward electronic records includes a requirement that patients be able to access, download and share their health information on an ongoing basis to help coordinate and manage care. This is a condition of stage two of the “meaningful use” regime that delineates the access providers have to federal funding to underwrite the transition to electronic health records, and ultimately will factor into reimbursement by Medicare, Medicaid and other programs.”

7. Federal Times: Religious leaders ask for exemption from planned LGBT executive order- “President Obama should include an exemption for religious objections from a planned executive order banning discrimination of LGBT employees among federal contractors, a group of religious leaders wrote in a July 1 letter.”