David W. Magann Comments on New Executive Order Speeds VA Benefits Access, But Faster Processing Still Leaves the Evidence Gap Unresolved
Tampa, Florida – A new executive order, EO 14426, signed September 8, 2026, directs the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of War to immediately share service members’ Official Military Personnel Files, health records, and Service Treatment Records with VA upon discharge, with the Department of War given 30 days to implement that ongoing sharing requirement.
Within 180 days, the departments must also build systems for permanent record sharing from the moment a service member enters military service through the duration they receive VA benefits. The order, titled “Accelerating Access to Veterans’ Benefits and Employment Opportunities,” is designed to cut the time recently separated veterans wait to access healthcare, disability compensation, GI Bill, and home loan benefits. Tampa veterans disability attorney David W. Magann says the policy addresses a genuine intake bottleneck, but he notes that faster processing of a weak file does not produce a better outcome for the veteran.
VA’s data shows the average time to process a disability claim has been cut nearly in half since January 2025, dropping from 141.5 days to approximately 77.7 days as of July 2026, according to VA’s published reporting. Sharing military records with the VA from day one of service could reduce processing times for recently separated veterans by an average of another 20 to 30 days, according to the VA’s projections. The order also directs VA to leverage artificial intelligence to streamline the benefits process and work with the Department of Labor to update transition programs that help veterans find employment after leaving service.
Faster Into a Process That Still Requires Good Evidence
Magann, a Marine Corps veteran who has represented veterans in disability and benefits cases for years in the Tampa Bay area, said the order’s practical effect depends heavily on what records are in the file when it arrives at VA.
A service treatment record that documents an injury or a condition can anchor a strong claim from the start. The problem is that service treatment records are often incomplete, especially for conditions that weren’t formally diagnosed during service, and a faster review of an incomplete file still produces a denial.”
Conditions that develop gradually, such as hearing loss, tinnitus, and many mental health conditions, are frequently underrepresented in service records even when they are directly connected to military service. A veteran who leaves service with a tinnitus diagnosis missing from their treatment record may still face the same evidentiary gap, whether their file arrives at VA on separation day or six months later.
What the Order Does Not Address
The executive order focuses on transferring records and speeding initial processing. It does not change the evidentiary standards VA applies when adjudicating claims, the rating methodology VA uses to assign disability percentages, or the appeal options available when a veteran disagrees with a rating decision.
Magann said the veterans most likely to benefit immediately from faster record sharing are those who received documented treatment for clear service-connected conditions and are separating from service in good standing. Veterans whose conditions were chronic, progressive, or invisible during service, or who separated years ago and are filing now, face the same evidentiary challenges as before.
Magann recommends that veterans separating from service request a complete copy of their Military Personnel File and Service Treatment Records immediately, review them for accuracy before filing any claim, and consult a veterans disability attorney if any service-connected condition is missing from the record or was previously denied at a lower rating than expected.
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