First rule you must understand the Veterans Administration is "Not Your Friend"! They will do everything they can to not provide the medical needs Veteran against any sacrifices for their Bonuses, Second Rule!

Art:

This problem is rampant nationwide and the Nationally Chartered Veteran Service Organizations are to blame.

Doing shoddy or half assed work on claims, collecting their bonuses and treating their fellow Vet like income and not a FELLOW Veteran!

But until Veterans nationwide decide enough is enough, stop complaining in the local VFW or American Legion club bar and start trying to do something, it’s not ever going to change!

I’ve been asking, pleading and begging for years now to get Veterans more involved vs. paying their annual or life time dues and seeing nothing happen for them!

Jim

That's true Jim, I went thru 3 days of training with the DAV in Jan 2014 and I had to pay for everything.
I met the regional director, Manager over the claims analyst and the manager who handled the appeals
and DAV (PAID) reps from regional office who seemed to more than anything agree with the denial by the
VA even pointing out the mistakes in the decision.
I have not requalify and will not since I feel the DAV, American legion and all these other organizations have
been hear all this time fighting for our rights and benefits yet how did the VA get so bad.
I'm sure veterans have complained to them and they knew what the VA was doing to veterans yet looked the other way.

What most don’t know is for a Service Officer to be fully trained, and I do mean fully trained the program is two years long, why, because there is such an intense amount of information, forms, etc that must be learned in order to submit what I consider a bullet proof claim!

Most of the Big Six provide 10-40 hours total, hand them a book, place them on a desk and told to get busy.

Then add in the points and bonuses, it’s all adding up to big business for VSO’s NOT the Veteran!

Aloha White ),

Back in '73 when I retired, I went to the DAV VSO for advise in filing a disability claim. After ten minutes conversation, I knew that I would do a better job by myself (I do not believe VSO were as well trained as they are today).

VSO's are not paid! They provide the benefit of their training and knowledge without charge.

I arranged for a VA physical and attached a copy of the medical report to the claim I sent to the VA. I was trying to use a VA disability rating to enhance my chances for employment with Civil Service (5 points given for VA rating, I think). Within a relatively short period of time, I receive a rating of 60%. I did not receive a statement of IU (Individually Unemployable), so I submitted evidence to the VA supporting my claim of IU. The VA wasn't convinced of my IU eligibility until I went to the Chief of Orthopedics at the Naval Hospital in Pensacola and received a report of his findings. He declared that I was permanently and totally disabled with no chance for improvement. That statement was good enough for the VA and I received the IU and began receiving VA comp at the 100% rate in 1980. Incidentally, I got the extra 5 points and hired on as GS-9 (got GS-11 after one year), then had to resign my position; spinal injuries took command of my body!

My physical condition has gotten worse over the years, like the Navy Ortho Doc said, but it has never gotten better. So, I learned to live with it (suck it up) and still kicking - just not quite as high LOL!

Aloha grunt007 ),

You mention DAV Nat'l Adjutant salary. In April, before the incumbent stepped down, his reported annual salary was $353,519. To pay a trained NSO $150-$200 per month would be far more acceptable than the six digit salaries DAV and others are paying! DAV has nine of these six-digit salaried employees totaling $2.4M annually! How can they justify these salaries? Please see my post on VSO's. Have a great day! Semper Fi!

White wrote: I wasn't even going to honor DUNLAKER'S comment without a reply BUT the more I thought about it & his CUTE ? uses of the board codes its obvious I use bb codes so guys like you only have to click on a link instead of trying to copy or type it into the address bar he lives in adifferent world where the VA'S MOTTO is NOT "DENY, DENY - TIL THEY DIE" & he knows the working of every State & how EVERY REGIONAL VA handles claims & procedures - AMAZING !!! No, but what I don't know I find out.
SIR - Walk a mile in my shoes -I've probably walked 10,000 miles in shoes like yours so don't even go there - Stick your finger in your throat to talk & blow your nose with a pair of tweazers & THE - ONLY THEN - Maybe I will listen to you & your likes And the horse you rode in on...

I was actually quite polite in my response. Now that you've blown the door open I'll stop being nice.

You wrote, and I quote. "I filed my own claim only to find out that if the vet did not follow procedure (use a VSO) the claim was immediately denied & if appealed - sat on. & the original VSO IS PAID"
1st, it's really simple. If you paid a VSO to file a claim for you, YOU GOT TAKEN! All Veterans Service Organizations provide Veterans Service Officers at NO CHARGE to help you file a claim. Hell, even the VA's Veterans Service Officers are provided FREE OF CHARGE to help you file your claim. So, when you paid some shyster to do your claim for you, YOU GOT TAKEN. Live with it and move on.

There really is no VA procedure for filing a claim if you use the forms that are needed and you can actually file a claim without the forms as long as you present your case in a logical and real manner with proof of the causality of your disability or disease. You can easily file a claim on line but you do have to provide supporting documents.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of Veterans who have filed their claims without help of a VSO but they were able to get their claims won because they provided proof of their disabilities, not by throwing a bunch of crap on the wall to see if anything sticks.

I should tell you to stick it in your ear but I'm in the habit of helping Veterans so here are some links you need to use.

How to Assemble A Claim.

The site is called Veterans On-Line Application (VONAPP) .

Obtaining and Using Documents to Support Your Claim.

Information and Evidence Necessary to Substantiate a
Claim for VA Disability Live Compensation

The Nexus Bible

If you use the information in those sites it will help you fully develop your claim so it gets approved in the least amount of time. Use the information, or not. It's your loss.
One huge thing to keep in mind is, it is your claim so it's your responsibility to ensure it's correct and that it's moving along so join eBenefits. No one else is going to care anywhere near as much as you do. You have to keep control and if you use a VSO,something I recommend, stay on top of them as well. If they aren't doing their job, fire them.
You have to be your own best advocate.

I wasn't even going to honor DUNLAKER'S comment without a reply BUT the more I thought about it & his CUTE ? uses of the board codes its obvious he lives in adifferent world where the VA'S MOTTO is NOT "DENY, DENY - TIL THEY DIE" & he knows the working of every State & how EVERY REGIONAL VA handles claims & procedures - AMAZING !!!
SIR - Walk a mile in my shoes -- Stick your finger in your throat to talk & blow your nose with a pair of tweazers & THE - ONLY THEN - Maybe I will listen to you & your likes

White wrote: I have claims filed by a VSO & when he yelled at me because I wanted to file a claim on nerve damage to my hands by radiation (veried by the SEATTLE VA) I filed my own claim only to find out that if the vet did not follow procedure (use a VSO) the claim was immediately denied & if appealed - sat on. & the original VSO IS PAID

A paid VSO? Someone got taken.

As to a claim submitted sans VSO being denied due to not using a VSO is BS. What you have to do is have all your ducks in a row, dot all the I's and cross all the T's to make sure the claim is a fully developed claim and it will be approved if it's a valid claim. A Veteran does not legally have to use a VSO and many do not, particularly when there aren't any good ones in the Veteran's area.

Whoever told you that needs to be slapped up side the head.

Hi Jim, To start with, when I started doing Service Officer work on claims I always did extensive work on Claim supporting evidence. On all claims I sent to St. Louis for supportive evidence. If they said the records were burn't up in the fire they were automatically sent back in, sometimes 5 times. I would say that at least 90%+ of the time I would get the supportive evidence I needed from them. Next, I purchased a Nurses referance hardcover edition, you know the one Nurses have to have when they go to college to become a Nurse. This I would use to research the Vets problem and from this many times I found my direction to fight the Claim. I also built up a group of Doctors which I would from time to time consult on Veterans Claims. A person which believes they can be their own attorney is usually considered a FOOL. Key component in Claim structuring is to stay objective, If you represent yourself it is far to easy to become SUBJECTIVE and not even realize it. Today I believe the the number 1 reason claims are denied or lost is because of not being put together properly or not having proper supporting evidence. I also believe that Chapter service Officers should be paid a monthly fee for their work. Because they receive nothing as I always did they eventually burn out and we lose them. Years ago it wasn't so bad but with the price of gas today ect. ect. it is a drain on the family. Now in the DAV I believe we pay our National Adjutant between $328,000 to $348,000 salary. To give a Chapter Service Officer say $150 per month would at least be a step in the right direction. grunt007

I have claims filed by a VSO & when he yelled at me because I wanted to file a claim on nerve damage to my hands by radiation (veried by the SEATTLE VA) I filed my own claim only to find out that if the vet did not follow procedure (use a VSO) the claim was immediately denied & if appealed - sat on. & the original VSO IS PAID

As far as the "average" Veteran Service Officer" preparing claims properly and completely, IMHO absolutely NO way is this happening, otherwise I don't believe we'd be seeing many of the denials we're seeing!

I've done prep work on claims that took a 8-12+ months, and all were approved first go round.

But, the time, energy, and tenacity have to be put in, and the Veteran needs to take responsibility for follow thru with the VSO and submit as close to a bullet proof claim(s) as possible!

It can be done.. Just have to put the work into it!

After thinking last night on this subject and the years I have spent in the field working on Veterans Claims I am pretty sure that if more Veterans Claims were prepared properly before submitting, by this I mean, Service Officers putting Claims together where not only the supportive evidence was there but the claim was put together in a way where if the V.A. denied it the first time they would sure look like a SHAVED TURKEY when it was reviewed. I think that if these claims were prepared in a professional manner that we would have less denied the first time around which would in itself reduce the back log.
Now on the flip side I can see that there would have to be change in the position of Service Officers. Number #1, Chapter Service Officers would have to be paid, #2 there would have to be stringent guidelines on how a claim was put together before submitting. #3. I once remembered a N.S.O. telling me that he handled over 10,000 claims per year (D.A.V.) and just didn't have the time. This is an out right lie! I would like to see any one man be able to prepare claims properly and handle even 5,000 claims per year. Lets get real on this subject. It takes time and money to prepare claims properly. Why do people think Attorneys make so much money? We need to put our money where it belongs-SERVING DISABLED VETERANS and who are the DAV? We are!
How many claims could be handled properly for $328,000 per year? Well thats the National DAV Adjutants salary not counting benefits I am sure. Our Veterans are suffering, a Veterans claim is his or her future as well as their families future. They deserve the best possible job done for them so that the time with out anything can be as short as possible. Now after this I will probably get fired as a Life DAV Member but it's time to call a Spade a Spade and get back to the basics of SERVING THE DISABLED VETERANS WHICH GAVE THEIR ALL. Now at 68 years old I sort of feel I am over the Hill as to say but as the Dynosaur which I am if for no other reason I live it's to tell others the way we use to be when we were not a (Me) generation. Veterans should be setting the example for the rest of the Country in the way we take care of our own. After all who better knows what Democracy and Freedom are really all about? grunt 007

Hello all, As a past County Veterans Affairs Service Officer for Monroe County Florida and a past D.A.V. Chapter Service Officer for Chapter 19 here in Michigan I now have a big question as to just how prepared Veterans Claims are here in Michigan when they are submitted to the V.A.? Years ago all of my claims I would research thoughly, sending off for Military records, getting Drs. statements in referance to the individual claim which would be in support of the Veteran and on and on. The job was very challenging to say the least but was very fullfilling to both myself and my family and I actually feel that much of my own problems from being wounded twice while in VietNam were also cured. It's hard to explain but that's the way it works. As we help our Brothers and Sisters to get what they deserve God at the same time heals us. Today I question just how well these Claims are being put together since I hear so often where fellow Veteran Chapter Service Officers merely fill out a Power of Attorney statement and a statement of Intent on behalf of the Veteran (what he or she is after) and basically submits it to National. I personally am beginning to question just how well these claims are being prepared and if they were prepared more completely if less would be getting DENIED! It takes time and follow through to prepare a claim properly. Are we doing our best? grunt007