Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 16th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Welcome to meeting number five of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

I'm going to forgo the usual rigmarole here and go straight to welcoming the witnesses. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on October 27, 2020, the committee is resuming its study of the backlog of disability benefit claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Welcome to all of the witnesses who have taken the time to join us today.

Appearing as an individual, we have Robert Thomson. From the Department of National Defence, we have Brock Heilman, chief informatics officer, Canadian Forces health services group. From the National Police Federation, we have Brian Sauvé, president. From the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, we have Christopher McNeil, chair; as well as Jacques Bouchard, deputy chair.

Each organization will have five minutes for its opening remarks, and after that we'll proceed with rounds of questions. I will be signalling when you have a minute left both in your opening remarks as well as during questions. I will signal when there's a minute left by holding up a finger. If you see that, don't panic. I will give you an opportunity to finish your thoughts.

We are going to start with Mr. Thomson, for five minutes.

[Robert Thomson, As an Individual]

Good afternoon. I believe I was invited to appear before the committee due to my contacting Ms. Lalonde with regard to my veterans' disability benefits claim.

Ms. Lalonde, I thank you very much for that.

I'll give a bit of a history on myself. I have served in the military for 30 years. I am in the process of being medically released due to injuries incurred during my service. I have three claims submitted currently. Two were in September of 2019 and one was in December of 2019. At the time of my applications, I was given a wait time of 52 weeks. That has long passed now. I still have not heard back from Veterans Affairs on a solution or on what I'm going to be receiving as part of my benefits. The last time I talked to them, they said it could be another 64 weeks before I hear back from them.

Two and a half years is too long for veterans to be waiting for the benefits that they are due after serving our country and after signing on that dotted line saying they are going to give their lives to the country if they are asked to do so. It's demoralizing on the part of the veterans that they have to wait so long for this to happen.

I made a couple of posts on Facebook saying that I was going to be talking to the committee today. Most of the comments I received back were asking why this is taking so long.

Families are going into debt because the member has been medically released, but it is taking a year, a year and a half or two years to get any benefits. Some people are having to find work even though their medical doctors are saying they should not be working at all because of their injuries. The veteran has no choice in the matter, because if they don't work, everything collapses at home. They cannot afford their home. They cannot afford their utilities. They cannot afford food. With the extremely long backlog of benefits claims and applications, veterans are suffering more and more, and it does not seem to be getting any better.

I know the government has said they were hiring more people to work on the claims. We are not seeing that, as veterans. All we're seeing are extended wait times and extended delivery times on what the government has promised us.

I, for one, just had my left knee totally replaced, so I am no longer able to even clear my driveway of snow this winter. I am not able to get on the Veterans Affairs VIP program, which would provide assistance for that, because my claim still has not been adjudicated. I don't know how I'm going to survive this winter without this being cleared up.

That's all I have, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you, Mr. Thomson.

Before I proceed, I want to thank you for your service. It's because of people like you that we are here today debating and discussing this and making sure that we can move forward. Thank you for being here today.

[Robert Thomson]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Up next, we have Mr. Heilman from the Department of National Defence, chief informatics officer, Canadian Forces health services group.

The next five minutes are all yours, sir.

[Brock Heilman, Chief Informatics Officer, Canadian Forces Health Services Group, Department of National Defence]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, thank you for the invitation to discuss elements of the Canadian Forces health system and our strong working relationship with Veterans Affairs Canada.

My name is Brock Heilman, and I'm the director of health informatics and chief information officer of the Canadian Forces health services group. My responsibility, insofar as the transition of CAF members to civilian life, is in the transmission of a service member's electronic health record to VAC once VAC requests the record. Our electronic health record, known as the Canadian Forces health information system, is available in our clinics as well as on deployed operations and aboard navy ships.

As you know, CFHIS is an important platform, enabling team-based care and integration of different departments into clinics, such as primary care, mental health, dental and physiotherapy. It also facilitates care to our highly mobile military population, as the health record is available regardless of which military clinic a member attends.

CFHIS is also a useful tool in sharing medical information with VAC. As you know, over the past couple of years, the CAF has worked very closely with VAC to create the technical, privacy and logistical conditions to allow VAC adjudicators direct access to CFHIS files for CAF personnel who have applied for VAC benefits.

We're in the process of implementing an initiative, the electronic health record project. This initiative will modernize our health record system while helping us provide clinicians with improved decision-making technology. It will ensure that an advanced analysis can be carried out throughout—

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I'm not getting any translation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Sorry, I was hoping it would clear itself up.

I'm sorry to interrupt you, sir, but I'm hearing it as well. The volume of the translation and the volume of the speaker are the same, so it's overlaying and you can't make out either, unfortunately.

Mr. Heilman, can you speak in French a little bit to see if they can fix this on the fly?

[Brock Heilman]

Okay.

We're in the process of implementing an initiative, the electronic health record project.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Mr. Heilman, on the Zoom....

The clerk can maybe advise. Does he have to select which language he's speaking in?

Now we've lost his video.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Jolène Savoie-Day]

If it's an older version of Zoom, then yes.

If you could go to the globe that's at the bottom—

[Brock Heilman]

I've done it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Can we test it one more time?

[Brock Heilman]

We're in the process of implementing an initiative, the electronic health record project.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

That did it.

[Brock Heilman]

This initiative will modernize our health record system, while helping us provide clinicians with improved decision-making technology. It will ensure that an advanced analysis can be carried out throughout the Canadian Armed Forces and that the patient experience can be personalized in all services. We're only in the first phase of the project. However, we hope to launch this wonderful facilitation tool over the next few years.

The Canadian Forces health services group is committed to providing high-quality care to protect and improve the health of military members and to ensure that members leaving the forces can make a seamless transition to the provincial or territorial health care systems.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much, sir. I apologize for the technical issue. We're all still new at this. Thank you for your patience.

Up next, from the National Police Federation, we have Brian Sauvé, president.

The next five minutes are yours.

[Brian Sauvé, President, National Police Federation]

Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting me to appear today.

I am Brian Sauvé. I am the president of the National Police Federation. The NPF was certified in 2019 as the sole bargaining agent representing close to 20,000 members of the RCMP across Canada and internationally.

Earlier this year, VAC reported a 150% increase in the backlog of applications for disability claims. This backlog directly impacts RCMP members, as VAC is responsible for providing disability benefits to serving and retired RCMP officers.

All factors that contribute to the backlog need to be assessed to deliver timely and appropriate solutions. This process should include tangible benchmarking to mitigate the effects of the current backlog.

I would like to highlight five recommendations that the committee should consider, while undertaking this study. We put forward a submission to the committee that outlines further detail on these recommendations.

The first is to fast-track applications for clients who are medically at risk or have urgent health needs. In March 2019, there were over 16,000 RCMP disability benefit recipients, a 38% increase over the past five years. Forecasting shows that the number of RCMP members receiving a disability benefit will continue to increase about 6% annually, and by 2024 could reach over 21,000.

Second, we would like to ensure future application processes are streamlined for both online and in-person interactions to meet service standards. One of the primary challenges contributing to the backlog is that VAC is unable to meet its service standards. For first-time RCMP applicants, the standard is 80% of applicants processed in 16 weeks. Today, only about 33% are processed within 16 weeks. Most are taking six months or longer.

Third, we would like to simplify the decision-making process for typical medical conditions and implement a system to efficiently approve the most common disability claims. The most common conditions for the RCMP are post-traumatic stress, tinnitus and hearing loss.

Over the past five years, there has been a 69% increase in RCMP members claiming psychiatric disability and receiving disability benefits. The growing demand for mental illness related support is a positive indication that more members are seeking help. Efforts to destigmatize and encourage member outreach and support for mental health conditions have clearly been effective.

The federal government has provided significant funding for mental health resources and made a commitment to advance OSI treatment and care for first responders, as outlined in the Speech from the Throne. Now the government must deliver on and fulfill those critical commitments.

Fourth, we'd like to ensure staffing levels over the next five years are in line with forecasted client needs, while providing sufficient training and specialized staffing to deal with more complex cases. In 2016, the government reopened previously closed VAC offices to facilitate access to critical services. Guaranteeing access to these offices is key to ensuring timely assistance and addressing the growing backlog. As of March 2019, VAC offices across Canada had assisted more than 13,000 RCMP members.

We ask that policies consider and reflect the needs of each member applicant. RCMP members represent about 10% of total applicants for disability benefits at VAC. Current VAC policies and training are more focused toward the CAF than the RCMP, which creates a focus that does not always serve our members' unique needs.

Lastly, we request regular and proactive review of all data and reports available through VAC and the RCMP in order to identify emerging risks, and provide sufficient resources to mitigate them going forward, including how implementation of new government programs will impact applicant intake.

In conclusion, the backlog at VAC is in part a result of its own success in expanding services for veterans and RCMP members and in destigmatizing mental illness. This accomplishment will ultimately save and improve the lives of those who have chosen a career in service to Canadians.

We remain concerned over the recent PBO report, which assesses recent federal investments and reiterates that additional supports and investments will be needed to decrease the backlog. Our members and all veterans deserve efficient access to disability benefits. Doing so provides necessary and timely support to them and their families.

Thank you, and I look forward to any questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

Up next, from the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, is Christopher McNeil, chair, and Jacques Bouchard, deputy chair.

You have five minutes.

[Christopher McNeil, Chair, Veterans Review and Appeal Board]

Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, for the opportunity to appear here today.

As the chair noted, I'll share my remarks today with my colleague, the deputy chair, Jack Bouchard. For the record, I should also note that Jack is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces.

I know that this committee understands the important role that the board plays in ensuring that veterans and their families receive the benefits to which they're entitled. In short, we provide an independent appeal process for those who are dissatisfied either with the denial of their claim or the extent of the disability that has been awarded.

Essentially, our program provides two levels of review. The first is a review of the initial VAC decision. If veterans remain dissatisfied, we offer a second level of appeal of the board's decision. The thing to remember is that veterans can always come back to the board with new evidence or new arguments, regardless of the time involved, and have a previous decision reviewed.

The board, like all aspects of the disability benefits system, has been challenged at times in meeting and ensuring that we deliver decisions in a timely manner and in the language of the veteran's choice. Today, we want to share a few things that we've been doing to overcome those challenges.

When we appeared before you a short eight months ago, we could not have imagined how the pandemic would affect how we service veterans and how we ensure that they get the benefits to which they're.... I cannot praise the staff of the board enough. In a matter of a few short weeks, we transitioned from a bricks and mortar operation to a totally virtual or remote operation. That would not have been possible without the unwavering commitment of staff to veterans and their families.

Throughout the pandemic, we continued to operate. We processed claims and issued decisions. Between mid-March and today, we've issued more than 1,700 decisions. However, we have had our challenges, and the biggest challenge was the ability to hold in-person hearings. I'm pleased to say that we transitioned through to the use of technologies such as teleconferencing and video conferencing. We have transitioned to start, but in October we began incrementally, where public health protocols allowed, to have in-person hearings again in a very incremental stage. That's an important part of our process.

I'm going to turn it over to my colleague, Jack, at this point so he can take us through some specifics of what we're doing.

[Jacques Bouchard, Deputy Chair, Veterans Review and Appeal Board]

Thank you, Mr. McNeil.

Mr. Chair and honourable committee members, I'm pleased to be here this afternoon.

Since July 2018, it has been a board priority to create greater access for all veterans and their families. A key to this process—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Bouchard.

We're having the same difficulty.

Can you take a look at the screen and the globe there? Click the language that you are going to speak in, and we'll see if that fixes it.

[Jacques Bouchard]

I think it should be fixed as of now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Okay. Give it a shot.

[Jacques Bouchard]

Since July 2018, it has been a board priority to create greater access for all veterans and their families. A key to this process has been moving to a more veteran-centric and less formal environment.

For example, as we told you this past spring, we've implemented a simplified process that groups together less complex cases involving similar issues, such as hearing loss or tinnitus. This enables us to significantly increase our capacity to hear a higher volume of cases and to process the cases more effectively. We believe that the process has the potential to expedite the review of previously denied cases by diverting these cases out of the system, while at the same time providing timely decisions to veterans.

We're also anticipating a significant increase in our board membership. This will enable us to strengthen our capacity to conduct hearings and issue decisions. These new members will play a critical role in our operations, since the board’s workload continues to grow.

One of the board's current priorities is to prepare to effectively manage the anticipated increase in the number of applications from the department. In addition to pending cases, your committee is also looking at the processing times for English-speaking and French-speaking veterans' records. In the past, we've struggled to ensure that veterans receive their decisions in a timely manner, particularly decisions written in French. However, service in French is a key issue for me. As a result, we've implemented several measures to ensure that every veteran receives their hearing and decision in a timely manner and in the language of their choice. For example, over the past two years, the board has increased the number of French-speaking staff and has maintained a linguistic balance among its members to meet the demand.

On behalf of the chair and myself, I'll conclude our remarks by emphasizing that the Veterans Review and Appeal Board remains committed to ensuring that veterans and their families receive the benefits to which they're entitled, in a timely manner and in the language of their choice.

Thank you for your invitation this afternoon.