{"id":1180,"date":"2023-04-28T09:14:58","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T09:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/?p=1180"},"modified":"2023-04-28T09:15:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T09:15:04","slug":"some-private-companies-charge-hefty-fees-to-help-veterans-with-disability-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/?p=1180","title":{"rendered":"Some Private Companies Charge Hefty Fees to Help Veterans With Disability Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When Glenn Janssen decided to file a claim for disability benefits with the Veterans Affairs Department last year, he dreaded the prospect of dealing with federal bureaucracy and paperwork.<\/p>\n

Janssen, 57, lives in Portugal with his wife and has worked as a government contractor since leaving the Army in 2004. The Gulf War-era and Louisiana National Guard veteran wanted to put in a claim for tinnitus<\/a> and back and shoulder problems from his years in the service. But he worried that trying to manage the process from overseas would be a nightmare.<\/p>\n

So, when another veteran, who\u2019s also a trusted friend, suggested he contact a private company, Trajector Medical, to handle the filing process for a fee, it seemed like a great solution. He called and, after skimming the company\u2019s contract, he signed up. That quick decision may cost him a bundle in both money and hassle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was too trusting, and I didn\u2019t really read what I signed,\u201d Janssen said.<\/p>\n

Glenn Janssen, who lives in Portugal, has worked as a government contractor since he left the Army in 2004. In pursuing a disability claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs, he signed onto a contract with Trajector Medical, a private company, to help him file last year. But it cost him a bundle in both money and hassle.(Michelle Janssen)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More than a quarter of the United States\u2019 nearly 5 million veterans<\/a> have a disability related to their military service, and they have various ways to file a claim for tax-free monthly disability payments.<\/p>\n

The Honoring Our PACT Act<\/a>, enacted last August, made it easier for many veterans who had been exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances to qualify for health care and disability benefits. The law added more than 20 conditions, from cancers to chronic respiratory illnesses, that the VA now automatically assumes were caused by serving in Vietnam and the Gulf War, or other postings.<\/p>\n

Veterans can apply on their own, filling out paperwork online, gathering and submitting their medical records, and undergoing a medical evaluation. They can also tap into a network of thousands of service organization representatives, claims agents, and attorneys who have been vetted and approved by the VA to aid veterans. Under federal rules, veterans who use accredited assisters can\u2019t be charged a penny for help filing the initial claim. If they subsequently want to appeal a VA decision, the agency limits how much the approved representatives can charge.<\/p>\n

Unaccredited companies face no such restrictions. Sometimes calling themselves \u201cmedical consultants\u201d or \u201ccoaches,\u201d these businesses advertise their fee-based services to veterans, suggesting they can provide quick turnaround times on claims and higher benefit checks than if veterans choose a VA-approved representative.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen are people signing away, in advance, a portion of the benefits that are due them,\u201d said Jim Rice, assistant director of the Office of Servicemember Affairs at the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, regarding the practices of some of these companies. The CFPB and the VA jointly published a cautionary blog post<\/a> in February, noting reports that \u201cunscrupulous actors have misled some veterans into paying hundreds of thousands of dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

To be eligible for disability payments<\/a>, veterans must have an injury or illness caused or worsened by their military service. The Department of Veterans Affairs assigns veterans a disability rating from 0% to 100%, depending on the degree of disability. A higher rating means a higher monthly payment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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