Selecting the right representative for your VA claim can determine whether you spend years fighting denials or receive timely approval and the benefits you've earned.

• Veterans have three main options for representation: Veterans Service Officers (VSOs), accredited VA appeals agents, or attorneys
• VSOs provide free services but vary greatly in quality and accessibility
• Ensure your representative has proper accreditation and access to the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)
• Don't hesitate to change representation if you're receiving inadequate service
• Learn to navigate VA.gov yourself to monitor your claim status and submit evidence if needed
• High-Level Reviews (HLR) don't allow new evidence submission, while Supplemental Claims do
• Direct service connection claims are possible even when you don't qualify for presumptive connection
• Some VSOs may give incorrect advice about appeals options after a denial or reduction


If your VA rating is reduced, request a hearing rather than just filing an appeal. Your benefits continue at the current level until the hearing occurs, and you can present new medical evidence during the hearing process.

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Bethanie Spangenberg, former VA C&P examiner and CEO of Valor 4 Vet, breaks down shocking VA denial patterns and provides strategies for veterans to fight back against illogical denials.

• Copy-pasted medical opinions appearing in denials across different regional offices
• VA examiners citing general risk factors without considering veterans' specific medical conditions
• Cases where non-medical VA staff insert their own medical opinions into denial decisions
• Examples of VA omitting service periods that contain evidence supporting claims
• How the VA repeatedly claims obesity is "a choice" despite service-connected conditions limiting physical activity
• Understanding the growing evidence linking PTSD and sleep apnea despite VA denials
• Absurd case where a widow was denied benefits because her husband "didn't have cancer" when using fentanyl
• Why veterans should carefully review all rating decisions for errors and omissions

Don't give up. Go wherever you need to go to get the proper representation, but get it done. Read your denials carefully, make sure they're really talking about your case and your situation.

Tune in live every Thursday at 7 PM EST and join the conversation! Click here to listen and chat with us.

Visit J Basser's Exposed Vet Productions (Formerly Exposed Vet Radioshow) YouTube page by clicking here.

Veterans are facing incorrect payment dates for PACT Act claims, with the VA Inspector General finding errors in roughly one quarter of the claims examined, resulting in $6.8 million in improper payments and shortchanging an estimated 2,300 veterans.

• VA has received 2.44 million PACT Act-related claims since August 2022, approving 1.59 million and awarding $5.7 billion in benefits
• Inspector General estimated VA will make $20.4 million in improper payments in first three years of the PACT Act
• Veterans diagnosed with conditions prior to PACT Act passage qualify for benefits backdated to diagnosis date
• Mistakes occurred because claims processors weren't prepared to determine correct effective dates and automated tools were unreliable
• Current VA claims system has a 96% initial denial rate
• The "benefit of doubt" rule means if evidence is equal, the decision should favor the veteran
• VA doctors are often not allowed to make statements connecting conditions to military service
• Outside medical specialists can provide crucial opinions connecting conditions to service
• Veterans facing appeals may benefit from hiring accredited agents rather than relying solely on VSOs
• The Traveling Vietnam Wall will be in Winchester, Tennessee in August for veterans and families to visit

Tune in live every Thursday at 7 PM EST and join the conversation! Click here to listen and chat with us.

Visit J Basser's Exposed Vet Productions (Formerly Exposed Vet Radioshow) YouTube page by clicking here.