{"id":62372,"date":"2020-07-02T17:36:19","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T17:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:35:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:35:25","slug":"veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/coronavirus\/\" target=_blank>coronavirus cases surge<\/a> around the country, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/07\/01\/coronavirus-cases-among-veterans-affairs-patients-tripled-in-june\/\" target=_blank>Veterans Affairs officials<\/a> are dramatically stepping up their efforts to resume Compensation and Pension exams to reduce the backlog of about 200,000 disability claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The situation leaves many veterans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/07\/01\/increased-testing-and-regional-oubtreaks-are-to-blame-for-militarys-covid-19-spike-officials-say\/\" target=_blank>unsure of the health risks<\/a> with a difficult choice: Head outside their homes for face-to-face medical appointments despite the virus spikes or delay those exams \u2014 and any disability payouts \u2014 for even more months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David McLenachen, executive director of VA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/benefits.va.gov\/compensation\/claimexam.asp\" target=_blank>Medical Disability Examinations Program Office<\/a>, said for now most veterans have been comfortable with heading back to the doctor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re finding the number of veterans that remain concerned and don\u2019t want to come in for an in-person exam is pretty small,\u201d he said in an interview with Military Times this week. \u201cThe vendors scheduling these exams go into detail about all the precautions that are in place to minimize the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut as conditions change, we may have more veterans that get concerned and choose not to come in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/07\/01\/coronavirus-cases-among-veterans-affairs-patients-tripled-in-june\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6359041543_dfd497a2c4_o.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Coronavirus cases among Veterans Affairs patients tripled in June<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">More than 1,600 VA patients have died from the fast-spreading illness since the start of March.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the last five weeks, VA benefits officials have been steadily ramping up the number of Compensation and Pension exams \u2014 used to verify veterans health status for a range of disability claims \u2014 at sites across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those medical visits were postponed and cancelled as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country this spring. Officials replaced some of the appointments with telehealth options and paperwork alternatives, but McLenachen said that still left nearly 60 percent of the regular exam inventory unfinished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, the backlog of exams has swelled to about 200,000 since March, on top of the regular workload of about 110,000 exams conducted each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials announced earlier this year that veterans unable to get the exams will be able to get disability benefits back-dated to when they filed their claims, to ensure they won\u2019t face financial penalties for the pandemic precautions. But those cases can\u2019t be finalized and payouts can\u2019t start until the exams and claims checks are completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Appointments \u2014 most of which have been outsourced to private-sector medical facilities, overseen by third-party vendors \u2014 resumed in just a handful of counties in mid-May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, officials have reopened more than 75 percent of the country for the exams, even in areas like Texas, Arizona and Florida which have seen large daily increases in the number of coronavirus cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McLenachen said exam schedulers are following local rules regarding safety, and are requiring personal protective equipment for patients and physicians at all resumed exams. Any visits requiring invasive procedures are still being postponed for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Family members are barred from accompanying veterans to the exams, unless they are essential caregivers. And under the current procedures, vendors will call veterans who are eligible to schedule exam times and locations, to ensure they understand all the potential restrictions. Veterans need not call to reschedule any exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/07\/01\/increased-testing-and-regional-oubtreaks-are-to-blame-for-militarys-covid-19-spike-officials-say\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/covid-ford-hand-wash.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Increased testing and regional oubtreaks are to blame for military\u2019s COVID-19 spike, officials say<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Officials say that troops are staying safe, and the rise in cases has to do with more testing and more community transmission.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McLenachen said the decision to resume the appointments is essential to return the department to normal operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe think we are taking sufficient protective measures for them to feel safe, come in and complete their claims,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if they have concerns and want to delay, there is no impact on them, other than delaying (completion) of their claims.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nationwide, more than 2.6 million Americans have contracted coronavirus and more than 127,000 have died from complications related to the illness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The department&#8217;s backlog of disability benefits cases has risen by about 200,000 in recent months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":103089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[66,101,23,93,12,25,67,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3226],"class_list":["post-62372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coronavirus","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"5YEQTQJJ3BBZFMKUJUK7HWFC2M","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The department&#039;s backlog of disability benefits cases has risen by about 200,000 in recent months.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The department&#039;s backlog of disability benefits cases has risen by about 200,000 in recent months.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marine Corps Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-02T17:36:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T13:35:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-07-02T17:36:19+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T13:35:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 564,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Coronavirus | COVID-19 Updates\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\",\n\t                \"Veterans\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise - Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-07-02T17:36:19+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T13:35:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The department's backlog of disability benefits cases has risen by about 200,000 in recent months.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/07\\\/02\\\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Veterans\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/veterans\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"veterans\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Marine Corps Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise - Marine Corps Times","description":"The department's backlog of disability benefits cases has risen by about 200,000 in recent months.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise","og_description":"The department's backlog of disability benefits cases has risen by about 200,000 in recent months.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/","og_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","article_published_time":"2020-07-02T17:36:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T13:35:25+00:00","author":"Leo Shane III","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Leo Shane III","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise","datePublished":"2020-07-02T17:36:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T13:35:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/"},"wordCount":564,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg","articleSection":["Coronavirus | COVID-19 Updates","Daily News Roundup","Home","Middle Column","News","Newsletters","Pentagon &amp; Congress","Veterans"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/","name":"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise - Marine Corps Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg","datePublished":"2020-07-02T17:36:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T13:35:25+00:00","description":"The department's backlog of disability benefits cases has risen by about 200,000 in recent months.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/07\/02\/veterans-compensation-and-pension-exams-ramp-up-even-as-coronavirus-cases-rise\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Veterans","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/","ad_zone":"veterans"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Veterans compensation and pension exams ramp up even as coronavirus cases rise"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","name":"Marine Corps Times","description":"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization","name":"Marine Corps Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","caption":"Marine Corps Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Map.jpg_94e481.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62372"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62385,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62372\/revisions\/62385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62372"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=62372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}