S. 2988

Veteran Pension Protection Act of 2019

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) to implement methods and systems to address potential financial exploitation of individuals who receive VA pensions for non-service-connected disability, death, or service.

Specifically, the bill requires the VA to develop a method for soliciting and collecting information on complaints received, referrals made, and actions taken by the VA pension management centers in cases of potential financial exploitation.

The VA must also (1) develop a plan to regularly assess the collected information to identify trends of potential financial exploitation, (2) and outline actions it can take to improve education and training to address those trends.

The bill requires the VBA to

• update guidance and training curriculum for claims processors regarding the evaluation of questionable medical expenses on pension applications,
• develop a method for identifying and tracking the number of individuals who have received pension overpayments,
• conduct an evaluation of the feasibility and advisability of requiring claims processors to take additional actions to verify direct deposit information,
• identify legislative or administrative actions that would ensure pension payments are provided to the correct recipients,
• ensure that specified pension documents include a notice that the VA does not charge a fee in connection with the filing of a pension application, and
• develop a plan for educating vulnerable individuals about potential financial exploitation relating to the receipt of the specified pensions.