Date of Conferral

4-7-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Lori Salgado

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has characterized the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) as a procedural success, citing reductions in remand rates and increases in grant rates. However, VA’s reporting on AMA performance has generally focused on adjudicatory outcomes and has not addressed the administrative burden costs veterans incur while navigating the disability compensation process. Although current scholarship documents administrative burden in other public programs, little empirical work has examined how it manifests in VA’s disability compensation process. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine how veterans describe the learning, psychological, and compliance costs they experienced while participating in VA’s disability compensation process since the implementation of the AMA through the lens of the feedback theory and a constructivist paradigm. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 purposefully selected veterans who participated in VA’s post-AMA disability compensation process. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis and identified four interrelated themes related to informational complexity, psychological strain associated with procedural uncertainty, and compliance demands that were more difficult to manage for veterans with fewer resources. The findings clarify how procedural reforms intended to improve efficiency also generate administrative burdens that shape veterans’ experiences. This research advances positive social change by amplifying veterans’ voices, illuminating specific barriers that disadvantage veterans with fewer resources, and providing actionable insights for developing a more veteran-centered and equitable benefit delivery systems.

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