Patient Advocacy Program http://www.va.gov/health/patientadvocate/ PTSD therapist within the VA first requires training and license as a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, psychologist, clinical social worker, or master's level clinician as described above. Right! May want to consider changing how they are trained and accountability of their actions and lack of!!!
Monday, February 15, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Letter to Bob - good job! Are you a veteran, enjoying the ride the VA may be taking you on?
Partial letter to Bob -
excellent points made -
exceptional results!
Airborne!
If veterans continue to dismiss these facts and wish to sign over power of attorney to a VSO, then let us please pose the following questions to any and all VSOs:
Are you an expert in VA disability case law?
How many years have you practiced VA disability law?
Do you know the top 25 VA cases that are most important to veterans’ claims?
Can you appeal to the board of correction for my service branch to upgrade my less than honorable discharge, so I can apply for disability benefits?
Have you successfully represented veterans at the Board of Veterans Appeals and US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims?
If so, how many successful claims?
How many losses?
Have you represented veterans with Decision Review Officers at your local VA Regional Office?
If so, how many were successful claims that did not go to appeal?
How many losses?
How familiar are you with VA law, disability claims/appeals case law; VA manuals, guides and regulations; Title 38 of the US Code; Code of Federal Regulations; decisions of the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Supreme Court; the VA’s official website and its contents as it pertains to my claim or appeal; the VA’s Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors; West’s Veterans Appeals Reporter; and the Veterans Benefits Manual?
Do you understand all the legal and medical issues of my case?
Can you help me get my military records, medical records, and any notes from physicians or specialists to help my claim or appeal?
If not, how will you represent me and assist in presenting the best possible evidence for my case or appeal?
Would you talk directly with the Decision Review Officer (DRO) for my case?
How much time will you put into assisting me develop my claim or appeal?
If I choose to have a hearing at the Board of Veterans Appeals in Washington, DC, will you travel with me?
If so, what will it cost me to have you there as my representative?
If not, will you be present at my VA Regional Office hearing?
If errors are made by you in my case that result in my being denied VA benefits, how will you rectify your errors?Will you take full legal responsibility for the loss of my case?
Will it cost me additional money if you cause errors in my case?
Who will be held responsible if there are errors or omissions in my file?
Are you an excellent, effective and persuasive writer, so that you will write any letters or information on claims/appeals form on my behalf?
How many hours of training do you have on VA disability claims and appeals, VA case law, policies and procedures?
How many additional hours of training do you get each year on the preceding subjects?
Do you attend training seminars offered by the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates?
If a typical DRO has thousands of pages of paperwork, books, manuals, etc. to study and consider for a typical case, and clearly never has the time to do so, how can you possibly do the same on my behalf, especially since you represent thousands of other veterans?
How often each week will you be available to work with me on my claim or appeal until it is successfully completed and submitted to my VA Regional Office?
Will you take the time to help me fully understand my claim or appeal?
Can you get me an earlier effective date for my disability claim?
Again, sir, these are certainly not all the important issues and questions to discuss with a prospective VSO.
A VA-accredited attorney would provide positive and satisfying answers to all the above questions, sir, because they are experts in VA disability claims and appeals law, unlike VSOs.
Sir, I have presented facts about VSOs and VA-accredited attorneys for your consideration. I also appeal to you and the American public to put these issues on the same level as those unfortunate issues currently plaguing the VA today. As soon as the VA addresses its unfair treatment of veterans and VA-accredited attorneys in the VA disability claims and appeals processes, veterans and the American people will begin to have a little faith in a system that bills itself as the protector of America's treasured veterans.
I also invite you to purchase my book, VA Disability Claim, available in ebook from my website or in paperback from Amazon.com. Lawyers And Settlements.com calls it "the best ever book on filing a veteran's disability claim."
Sorry, sir, but there is no discount for VA executives at this time. However, if you purchase a personal copy, I am told you can write off the expense at your next tax filing.
Thank you once again for the golden opportunity to address these important issues, sir.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)