Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 3rd, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Now that we have a quorum I'd like to introduce our witnesses today and thank them in advance for coming. Some we've met before and have had chats with.

From the department, we have David Robinson, and also Maureen Sinnott. From the Legion, we have Gordon Moore, who it's nice to see again, Brad White, who we've hardly ever seen, and Andrea Siew.

Thank you very much.

I think both sides know the routine. We look forward to a 10-minute presentation from each side and then we'll go to questions. Since there is just the one panel, we certainly won't be pushed for time today.

Having said that, you're both ready to start. Do you want to flip a coin or are you both ready to go? Okay?

Thank you, David.

[David Robinson, Director General of Transformation, Department of Veterans Affairs]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this session.

It's an honour to share this table with the senior leadership of the Royal Canadian Legion, and it's a pleasure for me. It's the first time I've met Mr. Moore.

My name is David Robinson. I am the Director General of Transformation at Veterans Affairs. I am joined by my colleague Maureen Sinnott, the Director of Strategic and Enabling Initiatives.

We are here today to discuss the department's cutting red tape initiatives, which are a key part of our departmental transformation agenda that I had an opportunity to describe in my first visit with you back in May.

When I describe transformation, I refer to the department's deliberate, project-based work-plan to fundamentally change the way we do business and measure our progress along the way. From the point of view of veterans and their families—and this is the ultimate measure of performance—it means the department will cut red tape, veterans will get help faster, and we will provide them with better information in terms of both quality and accessibility.

My colleague Maureen is going to describe some specific recent initiatives that I believe really illustrate how we're doing this and how these changes are benefiting veterans and their families.

Before we talk about specific initiatives, I'd like to say a little more about how the department is approaching this important work. We are midway into the second year of a five-year work-plan. We've built a solid foundation in the first 18 months of our transformation. Improvements are building and will build over time. We are measuring and reporting progress along the way. We're involving staff and stakeholders.

Even though we still have three and a half years to go to complete our plans and before we can say the department is transformed, the improvements made so far are starting to make a difference. Since we started this improvement effort 18 months ago, turnaround time for disability benefits has been reduced by 30%, and the time taken to make decisions on rehabilitation benefits has been reduced by 50%. We are testing additional processes that we hope will result in continued improvement.

We have reduced the number and length of forms veterans have had to complete to obtain many of the health benefits provided by the department. We continue to work to improve response time on our national call centre network. We're improving our online services. As well, the department will use new technology to provide better tools and training for case managers so that veterans continue to receive the best support possible.

This is good progress for today, but we're focusing on key improvements that we'll put in place for tomorrow. Our goals for the rest of this fiscal year include: having at least 80% of treatment benefit transactions processed through cost-effective reimbursement systems, reducing staff involvement; rendering decisions on disability benefits within 12 weeks; providing veterans, employees, and suppliers with 24-7 access to Internet-based services; and instituting digital imaging technologies to replace our current cumbersome system of mailing paper-based records back and forth.

Veterans Affairs has an incredibly dedicated workforce. I know that they want to work for a department that is on the leading edge of service delivery, one that does business in the most efficient and logical manner, and one that is free of red tape for veterans and their families. The improvements we will make will enable employees to work more efficiently and effectively.

We are only in the second year of planned service improvement. We realize that a lot of hard work lies ahead.

I've been asked what success looks like. To answer the question, I'm going to use Minister Blaney's words, when he says that we will make life simpler for veterans; we'll reduce the paperwork and red tape and provide veterans greater access to the services of the department, where and when it is needed.

Thank you again, Mr. Chair.

I will now give the floor to Maureen Sinnott.

[Maureen Sinnott, Director, Strategic and Enabling Initiatives, Department of Veterans Affairs]

Thank you, David.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am the director of strategic initiatives at Veterans Affairs. I'm happy to be here today to discuss the department's ongoing efforts to simplify our processes and improve our services to veterans.

The department is committed to cutting red tape to ensure that veterans receive the support and services they need, quickly and efficiently.

I will outline three recently announced initiatives that demonstrate this commitment. I will also describe how they tie into our larger organizational goals, and how they will be of benefit to veterans and their families.

I'll begin with improvements to a tool that you have likely heard about in the past: “My VAC Account”. My VAC Account is an online tool, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is already used by 2,700 veterans.

Monday the minister announced improvements that will allow our user base to connect more easily with VAC. With one simple and secure sign-in, veterans will now have at their fingertips the ability to go online, access their accounts from mobile devices with Internet access, securely communicate with the department through secure messaging, submit and track the process of their disability benefits application, see that a decision has been made on their application even before a letter has been mailed, update their contact information, change their direct deposit information, and see a summary of their current services and benefits. My VAC Account is a fundamental piece of the department's online infrastructure. It represents a secure, direct link between veterans and the department.

The initiative supports the department's transformation agenda by increasing online access to services and benefits, something that modern-day veterans and their families have told us they want.

It's important to note that the protection of veterans' privacy was taken into consideration during the design and implementation of the enhancements to My VAC Account. Technologies similar to those used to protect online banking transactions have been tested and have been incorporated in this tool. I'll provide quick statistics. I was advised just before I came here that, since the minister made his announcement on Monday, 300 additional veterans have signed on to My VAC Account and are currently using it. It does work.

The minister also recently announced “My VAC Book”, a print-on-demand booklet that provides personalized information about VAC services and benefits. It can be accessed via the homepage of the VAC website. The new My VAC Book provides veterans with faster and more convenient access to information on programs and services. It's very simple to use.

Based on answers to a short series of questions, an individual booklet is developed. It's customized for the individual. It's immediately available electronically with a hard copy arriving in the mail a few days later. It's a tool that both modern-day and traditional veterans will benefit from because it is user-friendly. This is a tool that supports transformation by contributing to the overhaul of service delivery mechanisms, and by providing services that reflect the desires of a changing veteran population.

Finally, the department has created a centralized mail system that is going to have a direct impact on a number of service standards. By 2014, in a phased approach, the department is going to consolidate several departmental mailing addresses into one receiving point in Matane, Quebec. Their incoming mail will be scanned electronically and electronically distributed to the proper destination. Because of the modernization, a number of VAC employees will be able to process the same information and work on the same file simultaneously. Veterans will not be required to re-submit documentation again and again. The centralization will contribute to faster decision-making and turnaround times for veterans and their families.

This is an example of cutting red tape. It's a cost-effective way to increase the speed of service. Veterans will no longer worry about where to send their mail. This is a fairly common-sense solution; it's not as flashy as other initiatives, but it does result in an improved system that will provide immediate and evident results to veterans.

These examples are part of the department's long-term goal of overhauling service delivery and reducing the complexities of processes and practices.

Thank you for the opportunity to address the committee, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much, Ms. Sinnott.

Now we'll go to the Legion, to Mr. Moore.

[Gordon Moore, Dominion President, Royal Canadian Legion]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Good afternoon. It's a great pleasure to appear in front of your committee. As the dominion president of the Royal Canadian Legion, I am pleased to be able to speak to you this afternoon on behalf of our 330,000 members and their families.

The Royal Canadian Legion is well situated to provide advice on Veterans Affairs Canada, cutting red tape, or the transformation agenda. As the only national veterans service organization, the Royal Canadian Legion has delivered programs to all veterans and their families since 1926. The Legion is an iconic cornerstone of Canadian communities and at the forefront of support for military and RCMP members and their families.

Today a new generation of veterans is coming home, and veterans and their families will continue to turn to the Legion for support and affordable housing, representation, benevolent assistance, career transition, counselling, trauma relief, and recognition. The Legion provides representation to assist veterans and their families with obtaining their disability benefits from VAC. The Legion's service bureau network, with over 1,500 branch service officers and 25 command service officers, provides representation from the first application to VAC through to the appeal and reconsideration of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. Through legislation, the Legion has access to service health records and departmental files to provide comprehensive yet independent representation at no cost, irrespective of Legion membership. Therefore, we are an active participant in the VAC transformation agenda.

VAC has embarked on a five-year transformation agenda to cut red tape and approve services to the almost one million veteran community. This is a diverse community: age, RCMP, wartime, regular force, reserve forces, families, male, female, and all with diverse needs. The complexity of this community cannot be overstated. This is no simple task.

The vision for the VAC transformation agenda is to be

...responsive to the diverse and changing needs of veterans and their families by ensuring relevant programs and policies, fast and easy access to benefits and services, professional service by employees who understand the military experience, and seamless transition from military to civilian life.

The Legion is watching closely the implementation of the transformation agenda and the impact it will have on the veteran community. Is the transformation agenda meeting its vision?

While the demographic of the veteran population is changing, there remain approximately 118,000 war service veterans; however, only half of these are clients of VAC. They are the most vulnerable of our veteran community due to their age and increasing needs. Every day these veterans and their spouses continue to come forward needing immediate assistance. We are concerned with some of the specific red tape initiatives that will directly impact this group.

With regard to the veterans independence program, in April of this year the government announced that for housekeeping and grounds-keeping services, veterans will receive an up-front grant for this service with the responsibility to disburse and coordinate with the service provider. For some veterans, this is probably doable; however, there are a number of veterans where the service provider bills VAC directly. For this group, they do not engage or contract with the service provider. Now the onus and burden is being placed on the veteran. There should be a choice.

Additionally, some of our lower-income or fixed-income veterans will be given a seemingly large sum of money and are expected to put it in the bank and disburse it on a biweekly basis. However, should an emergency situation arise, they'll be faced with the decision to use this money or not. This is an unnecessary burden placed on a fragile group.

The purpose of the veterans independence program is to keep the veterans in their homes and independent. Will this goal be met? Is this transformational or is this about deficit reduction?

With regard to district office closures, the closing of district offices to respond to the changing demographic is of concern. The Legion has been told that eight district offices will close in 2014, all at the same time. This will be offset by an increase of staff at the integrated personnel support centres and a consolidation of VAC resources in major centres.

The Legion fully supports the increase in case managers at the integrated personnel support centres to ensure a seamless transition from military to civilian life, especially for complex cases; however, there still needs to be sufficient resources to meet the needs of our wartime and aging veteran population, whose needs can very quickly go from independent to complex with a simple fall or infection. This remains a large group of approximately 118,000 veterans.

How will this impact the RCMP located in small communities across the country? Are there two standards of service—Canadian Forces and RCMP?

On the Service Canada initiative, the government announced in July that services will be available through Service Canada outlets, enabling veterans to drop in, obtain information, and get assistance with applications from many of the 600 outlets across the country.

We are carefully monitoring the implementation of this new service. Have the staff been provided with sufficient training to advise on disability benefits and services available to veterans?

We know that only half of the approximately 118,000 wartime veterans are in receipt of benefits from VAC. Our service officers across the country report that wartime veterans who were previously not in receipt of VAC assistance are coming forward every day in need of VAC services.

The process is complex, and time is critical. If turned away, will they get the help they deserve? Is this transformational?

With respect to the business process, since VAC embarked on the transformation agenda, the time to process a disability application has significantly improved. This has been the result of a significant change to online forms, the introduction of electronic insurance and health records, and simplifying the application process for service officers and VAC disability benefit officers. Once the application is submitted, the turnaround time, especially for aging veterans, has been counted as just a few weeks.

We've also seen adjudicators follow up with service officers to ensure the decision can be made quickly. This is a tremendous change, and it took place over a short period of time.

VA staff, at all levels, should be commended for their effort and commitment to reducing the application processing time. This is transformational.

With respect to reducing complexity, this is a key theme of the transformation agenda and cutting the red tape. The Legion continues to advocate on behalf of wartime veterans and their spouses, including wartime allied veterans, to simplify eligibility for the veterans independence program. This was first raised by the Gerontological Advisory Council report, “Keeping the Promise”, in 2006.

Please remove the artificial barriers and complexity to ensure our wartime veterans and their spouses have access to the veterans independence program. The program is essential to keeping our veterans safe and independent in their homes. This would be transformational.

On eligibility for services and benefits, attached as an annex to the VAC eligibility grid you will note there are 18 categories of eligibility for services and benefits. How will a Service Canada employee interpret this table? Will a veteran or a family member searching online be able to determine if mom or dad has eligibility? Simplifying accessibility and eligibility to VAC health benefits and services would be transformational.

With regard to strengthening partnerships, the Legion, through its legislative mandate, works side by side with VAC. While this relationship has been going on for over 86 years, there's room for improvement and strengthening.

The long-term care surveyor program, in which the Legion provides trained surveyors to visit veterans in long-term facilities across the country to administer a client satisfaction survey on quality assurance at the request of VAC, has been in place since 2003. It is an example of our partnership and outreach capability.

There are approximately 154 active surveyors. These are trained and security-cleared volunteers. In 2010, the surveyors visited 4,230 veterans in 868 facilities, and VAC paid approximately $180,000 for mileage, reports, and training for the same period.

The value of the program to meet with a veteran and his or her family in a facility cannot be understated. The volunteer has visibility in the facility and can hear, see, and smell the environment. They are the boots on the ground. The capability of this program ensures that no matter where a veteran resides, a visit will be conducted at very low cost.

As district offices are downsizing and realigning, the continuance of this program will ensure that veterans in long-term care facilities are not forgotten. The Legion is well positioned as a national entity to continue this valuable program with reliable and trained personnel. We are concerned that transformational priorities will eliminate this program.

In June of this year, at our 2012 convention, the Legion approved $1 million in new start-up funding to ensure the rollout of the national homeless veterans program. This program will be developed from the ground up and will reflect the unique needs of each community. It will build on partnerships with VAC, social service agencies, first responders, and other organizations.

VAC needs to have the resources and staff to partner at the local level in communities across the country. How will closing district offices impact local initiatives and the ability to provide timely response to these veterans clearly in crisis?

This year the Legion will commit almost $1 million to the veteran transition network, an operational stress injury treatment program that grew out of the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine. This is truly a success story. Our new funding will assure that this new network has the capacity to establish a national not-for-profit treatment program and will deliver much-needed programs across the country.

I must emphasize our concern that VAC has not recognized this program as a treatment option for our veterans, despite its more than ten-year history. This is an opportunity to partner and ensure that proven treatment options are available for our veterans. This is transformational.

Next, with regard to sustaining the new Veterans Charter, the new Veterans Charter has evolved since its introduction in 2006. Bill C-55, implemented in October of 2011, introduced improved financial enhancements, especially for seriously ill and injured veterans. Proactive consultation with veterans groups will be important to evaluate the impact of these changes and the gaps and priorities for future change. This is a dynamic piece of legislation, and there's no mechanism in place for veterans groups to address performance measurement and change management in a transparent and holistic approach.

In terms of outreach, over the last two years VAC's outreach has focused for the most part on delivering briefings to the Canadian Forces on bases and units. The outreach to the RCMP has been even less. We know that in recent deployments, 25% of those deployed were reservists. How are they being connected with services that they may require?

The Legion has an extensive outreach program to inform veterans and their families on health promotion, independent living, community resources, and healthy lifestyles. We offer information on our programs, representation, and financial assistance, as well as other government programs and initiatives. Strengthening our partnership with both DND and VAC, and exporting our capacity to communities across the country, would move the yardsticks, fill this gap, and perhaps lessen the impact of district office closures. This is transformational.

A national veteran's identification card would not only provide the recognition of veterans but also a national veterans database. We're surprised that between DND and VAC there's not a single or complete veterans database registry to reach out to the community. This would facilitate communications and benefits and services for both DND and VAC. A veteran's identification card would be transformational.

The Royal Canadian Legion is committed to the transformation process. However, the cutting red tape agenda needs to be monitored. It should not be about budget reduction.

The vision for the VAC transformation agenda is to be

...responsive to the diverse and changing needs of veterans and their families by ensuring relevant programs and policies, fast and easy access to benefits and services, professional service by employees who understand the military experience, and seamless transition from military to civilian life.

This vision should not be forgotten. Each initiative should be evaluated to ensure it achieves the vision. This is significant and complex.

I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to address the members.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much, Mr. Moore.

We will now turn to the members of the committee for questions, and we'll start with Mr. Stoffer for five minutes.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Chairman, thank you.

Thanks to each and every one of you for being here today.

To the Legion, again, for the continuous work you do on behalf of all veterans, not just war veterans and their families but RCMP members and their families right across the country, thank you.

I have a question on the privacy aspects of the VAC accounts. Obviously, medical information and very personal information will be in there. I guess everyone has a concern about privacy and who has access to this information. Obviously, members of the department would need to have access to it as well, especially if the veteran is entertaining further benefits, further enhancements, or something of that nature.

What processes have been put in place to ensure that the medical privacy of the veteran is secured so that nobody but the specific people who should know that have access to it?

I say that because of the case of Sean Bruyea; that case was very well known in terms of what happened to his privacy issues. We've heard from others who feel that they had very similar concerns.

What assurance can veterans have that their medical files are securely protected and that only the relevant people will get to see them?

[Maureen Sinnott]

With the new My VAC Account, veterans can submit a first application for disability benefits. It is a secure method of submitting an account. Only the individuals within the department who would use the information to adjudicate the claim would have access to the account. For instance, I would have access to no information at all.

The veteran population needs to be assured that it is secure. It's as secure, if not more secure, than sending in a paper disability application that would move through the department. This way, it would move through the department electronically and only to the appropriate people, who are notified that they have to work on this case or on that account.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

I guess it's fair to say that you're fairly confident that this is guaranteed or assured. Anything can happen, of course, but to the best ability of the department, those issues will definitely be protected.

[Maureen Sinnott]

We took privacy very seriously when we looked at what were we doing with My VAC Account and whether we were able to respond. That's possibly why it took us a certain amount of time to develop it, so that it was secure.

People bank online. People do all kinds of things online. We would use similar technology so that what veterans submit online is secure from the time it leaves them to the time it leaves us.

I would encourage veterans to make sure that they're not using computers at public locations. It's very similar to banking activity.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

With respect to veterans who are suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder or severe psychological concerns, I've spoken to some who say that sitting in front of a computer screen just doesn't do it for them. They have great difficulty trying to manipulate how to do all that, because obviously they have various concerns.

Can people from the department go to their homes and assist them in the process? Or can they still revert to the system from before, whereby they can get one-on-one counselling and help, either in their homes or where they're comfortable? Maybe they could go to a local Legion and get help there with a VAC representative who can assist them in this process.

[Maureen Sinnott]

Do you mean to sign on, or to make an application?

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

No, no, in order to.... They might say, look, I don't want to deal with a computer, I just want to deal with a person.

[Maureen Sinnott]

They can deal with us by telephone. They can deal with us in person. Case managers do go out to visit veterans. The Legion has a number of service officers who actually assist. I don't want to speak for them.

You can obtain services online. You can obtain services by telephone. You can obtain services in person.

[David Robinson]

Mr. Chair, I might add two thoughts to the question.

First, as the dominion president just shared with us a few minutes ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs has an extraordinarily complex group of veterans they're trying to serve, and not everyone fits one particular mould. We have to look at trying to customize our service offering to provide the services where and when and how the client requires. We take it into consideration. If someone has very special needs, we take that into consideration in terms of our service offering.

Taking a step back, I mentioned in my remarks that as we go through the transformation process, we are using a project management approach. We have some number of independent projects we're working on to transform the department. In some of those projects, particularly where there's automation involved, we want to make sure that there's a privacy risk analysis done. If we are introducing some new business process or some new step in automation, we are tightening the bolts on security to make sure that we're not inadvertently or accidentally creating some possibility of opening up people's personal data in a way that wasn't envisioned and advised. And we test it.

This is something we're going to be going through as we continue in the next three and a half years of transformation to make sure that these bolts continue to be tightened and that we're restricting information access to only those who absolutely need to have access to it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much, Mr. Robinson.

Now we go to Ms. Adams, for five minutes, please.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Thanks very much.

I'd like to thank the members from the Legions for joining us today, and for those veterans who are here today, thank you for your service to our country.

In particular to the Legion folks, I am sure that every member of Parliament can speak to the wonderful occasions they've had when they've gone to visit their local Legions. Certainly in Mississauga, the Streetsville branch or the Malton branch or the Port Credit branch provide excellent service to our veterans and also a wonderful opportunity for a sense of community and camaraderie. Thank you very much for that.

To Mr. Robinson and Ms. Sinnott, could you explain to me in some detail the benefits of the new health care receipting procedure that veterans would experience? You've now eliminated the need for veterans to submit travel expense claims for their health-related procedures. Could you explain how that works and what a veteran would feel and see?

[Maureen Sinnott]

The initiative that you are asking about is reimbursement to veterans for their travel related to medical appointments. In the past, we required individuals to submit receipts for every health-related travel claim that they submitted to the department. As of recently—a matter of months ago—the department no longer requires health-related travel receipts to accompany a travel claim.

At this point, a veteran could simply sit down at his own computer, pull up through My VAC Account—or pull up through our VAC forms—a health-related travel claim form, fill out the form, print it off in the comfort of his own home, or save it to his computer and wait until he attends another medical appointment, and add that one to the health-related travel claim. He could print it off and submit it. We no longer require receipts submitted with every claim, and the claims would be reimbursed—

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

What is the average claim? How much does it amount to?

[Maureen Sinnott]

I can't answer that, sitting here, but I could probably find you an average claim. We have claims that are very small because people will submit them more frequently, or very large claims because some veterans will retain all of their health-related travel information for a period of six months to a year and then submit it at the end of that time period. Some could be very large, and some could be every few weeks.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

I have some numbers here. Perhaps you can tell me if they sound right to you, or if you could let our committee know afterwards.

I see that we have about 5,500 travel claims submitted each month. They average about $274. Does that sound about right to you, that in 2011-12, about $18 million will be disbursed for these purposes?

[Maureen Sinnott]

Yes, those.... We do average about 5,500 claims per month.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

When it comes to the veterans independence program, perhaps you could highlight for me the red tape reduction that has taken place there.

[Maureen Sinnott]

With the veterans independence program, it was announced that we will no longer be requiring people to submit receipts, and we will have contribution arrangements established for the grounds maintenance and housekeeping services so that people would receive the funds up front. They would be provided an annual grant, and it would be paid in semi-annual payments.

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

What is the amount that they are receiving, generally speaking?