Yes, there are more coming forward. On the first part of your question, I would agree with you. More people are coming forward; it doesn't matter where. We have a 36% increase in rehab. The numbers everywhere are very high and we're working to get rid of the backlog.
Where I'm not so sure is I can't predict what future volumes are going to be, even with all the steps we put into place to try to accelerate the process and the 22% increase in production. Had you asked me two years ago if we would have a backlog if we increased production by 22%, I would have said no, that we're going to go the other way. I could not predict a 27% increase in the workload.
With all the new programs that the government is putting into place, more people are coming forward. I'm always a little leery to say there will never be a backlog. In operations, that's a commitment I'm not comfortable making. The commitment I am comfortable making is that we're trying to get rid of the backlog to the extent we can, to bring our standards within the prescribed standards.
We are removing steps in the process to make it faster. The percentage of approval at first level fluctuates a bit, but generally it's around 84%. That means the person who comes in for the first time with an application gets a yes. That has moved from the low 70s a couple of years ago. In the case of mental health, it's 94%, and 97% for PTSD. We're really accelerating some of that, but there are some other ones for which it takes longer.
I don't want to share the blame; I'm the guy. If we're not meeting the standards, it's me, but the reality is that sometimes a medical diagnosis is not clear and we can't render a decision. We have to go back to the medical practitioners, and it starts adding a lot of time to the process. That's why there's some of the stuff that comes into play.
For the future I would love to say yes, our plan is yes, but I can't predict the volumes.