SPEAKER INDEX CONTENTS INSERTS A'ZERA 23 29 30 33 BASCETTA 4 18 BRADSHAW 34 EGAN 38 39 EPLEY 11 12 13 FILNER 30 32 33 GIBBONS 3 9 11 12 13 HAYWORTH 3 12 14 15 QUINN 1 3 6 7 8 9 12 15 16 17 18 19 22 25 27 28 29 30 32 33 36 37 38 39 RUSSO 36 37 SURRATT 25 28 32 THOMAS 38 THOMPSON 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 WILKERSON 20 30 33 CONTENTS SPEAKERS INSERTS OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN QUINN PAGE 1 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JIM GIBBONS PAGE 3 STATEMENT OF JOSEPH THOMPSON, UNDER SECRETARY FOR BENEFITS, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS; ACCOMPANIED BY PATRICK NAPPI, DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR OPERATIONS, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION; NORA EGAN, DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION; ROBERT EPLEY, DIRECTOR OF COMPENSATION AND PENSION SERVICES, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION; AND CYNTHIA A. BASCETTA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, VA & MILITARY HEALTH CARE, GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE PAGE 4 STATEMENT OF CYNTHIA BASCETTA PAGE 4 STATEMENT OF JOSEPH THOMPSON PAGE 7 STATEMENTS OF PHILIP R. WILKERSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL VETERANS AFFAIRS AND REHABILITATION COMMISSION, THE AMERICAN LEGION; VERONICA A'ZERA, LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, AMVETS; AND RICK SURRATT, DEPUTY NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS PAGE 20 STATEMENT OF PHILIP WILKERSON PAGE 20 STATEMENT OF VERONICA A'ZERA PAGE 23 STATEMENT OF RICK SURRATT PAGE 25 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BOB FILNER PAGE 30 STATEMENTS OF HARLEY THOMAS, ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA; BILL RUSSO, DIRECTOR, VETERANS BENEFITS PROGRAMS, VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA; AND WILLIAM L. BRADSHAW, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL VETERANS SERVICE, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS PAGE 34 STATEMENT Of WILLIAM BRADSHAW PAGE 34 STATEMENT OF BILL RUSSO PAGE 36 STATEMENT OF HARLEY THOMAS PAGE 37 INSERTS SPEAKERS CONTENTS NO INSERTS IN THIS HEARING