Union Veterans Council Calls for Transparency and Due Process in VA’s Use of AI for Claims Auditing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Craig Romanovich, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council (UVC), AFL-CIO, released a statement today addressing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) plans to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to review over one million Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs).

While the VA has stated the initiative is intended to improve integrity and identify fraud, Romanovich expressed concern regarding the potential for unintended consequences on veteran due process and the overall mission of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA).

"We recognize the importance of maintaining the integrity of the benefits system," said Craig Romanovich, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council. "However, the implementation of AI must not come at the expense of transparency or the rights of individual veterans. When we begin treating the VBA’s obligations as a budgetary line item to be managed by algorithms, we risk losing sight of the service and sacrifice those benefits are meant to honor."

Legal and Due Process Considerations

The UVC is highlighting several critical areas where the use of automated systems may conflict with established veteran protections:

• Transparency in Adjudication: Veterans have a legal right to understand the evidence and logic used to determine their ratings. "Black-box" algorithms, by their nature, can make it difficult for a veteran to challenge a "flag" or an audit triggered by a computer.
• The Duty to Assist: Federal law requires the VA to assist veterans in developing their claims. The UVC is concerned that automated auditing could shift the focus from assistance to scrutiny, potentially creating a chilling effect on veterans seeking the benefits they are entitled to.
• Accuracy and Reliability: AI systems can produce errors or reflect biases in their training data. Relying on these tools to trigger mass re-examinations could place an undue burden on thousands of honest veterans and further strain an already backlogged system.

"Our goal is to ensure that technology is used to support veterans, not to create new barriers to care," Romanovich continued. "Decisions that impact a veteran's livelihood must remain rooted in human judgment and medical expertise. We are calling for clear guardrails and congressional oversight to ensure that no veteran's due process is compromised by an automated system."

The Union Veterans Council remains committed to working with the VA and Congress to ensure that the claims process remains fair, accurate, and focused on the needs of those who served.