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YOUR SERVICE OFFICER
There is some important information I would like to express to you on the proper method of filing a claim with the Veterans Administration for your benefits, schooling and other earned compensation.

The first step of course, is to get a qualified Veterans Service Officer with marked experience and a track record of getting claims adjudicated in a timely manner. When you select that person, he should be willing to listen to your information. If he talks do not interrupt him. A good VSO will tell you what he thinks and offer you the chance to file your claim. ( A good VSO will not give you the forms needed to properly submit your claim, as it can be a quagmire of what they do mean. A good VSO wants to see you get your benefits and will fill in the claims forms for you by asking specific questions.)

What do I need to prepare a claim? After you have chosen the person to represent you, bring them all pertinent information that will support the claim in which you are filing. This should include all medical documentation, especially that which the VA has no privy to, it should include diagnosis, prognosis, translations of any x-rays, MRI, or CAT scans. Pictures are not necessary. If you have not been seen by a private Doctor, your VA Medical Facility must provide you a copy of all your medical records from day 1 for free. You must sign a release of medical records (VA Form 4142) even though they are your records.Public Law now provides that your Primary Care Doctor or Specialty Doctor must, upon request, submit a letter on VA Letterhead Stationary, a letter in support of your claim. All this information will speed up the lengthy backlog of claims processing by making your claim "well grounded" under Morton vs. West (Title 38, United States Code) 1991. A well grounded claim assumes that presumption exists, therefore the claim is presumed to be service connected and you have established Reasonable Doubt. Waiting for the VA to get this information after the claim is filed will only delay your claim processing.

The Code of Federal Regulations is what is used to determine the schedular requirements to meet approval of claims. This determines what percentage is awarded for each disability recognized by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and how it specifically applies to your claim. Every knowledgeable VSO has his copy of this expensive double volume. I upgrade my copies of both volumes every three years, along with extensive re-certification with each Service Organization I wish to be accredited with. A field Service Officer takes the same tests and re-certification as the paid VSO in your Regional Office or County, except we can give you more time and do this from the heart. Upon filing your claim, unless otherwise perfectly substantiated without any reasonable doubt, you will be scheduled by your Regional Office for a Compensation/Pension (C&P) Exam. The results of that physical exam and the way your claim is written will determine along with material evidence your approval or denial of your claim for benefits. This is why you must select a seasoned Service Officer. You should be enrolled in the VA medical system, whether you use them or not. Visits are cheaper, co-payments for medications are less expensive, and if you are being treated for a Service Connected Disability or Non Service Connected Pension related disability... it's a FREE ride. Should you desire further information, please feel free to email me directly and I would be happy to assist you.

VFW SERVICE OFFICERS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR JOB " A Service Officer is a psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist and therapist all wrapped up in one. He’s got to be able to handle all those issues and still be able to smile. He’s a great listener, summarized Ted Sypko, Service Officer for the National Headquarters of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. And he should know having worked with Service Officers since 1979. He learned early on to leave his work behind when he went home. "It’s easy to get depressed", he explained. Even with the sad situations Service Officers hear and the challenges in getting claims filed and adjudicated, the Service Officer still feels satisfaction in helping veterans achieve the small victories in the murky waters of the VA system. Sypko also notes that" field Service Officers (the unpaid ones who work and generate claims for their respective Service Organizations that they represent) are the UNSUNG HEROS of the Service Officer force. They take the time to help the claimant fill in forms and inform them of just what is needed to make a claim "well grounded" and pass the stringent process of approval. While working on their knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations, they take the same tests and re-certification(s) that paid VSOs take to keep their job every year. This is not an easy course to pursue and the ones that dedicate themselves should be applauded and appraised highly. DEPENDANTS AND THE VA With all the focus of helping veterans file claims, dependants may feel alone in the battle for benefits. They shouldn’t says Sypko. Service Officers also know how to help dependants find out about such benefits such as burial funding and health care. A good Service Officer knows all the ins and outs and can explain those in terms which the dependant understands. But be aware that a Service Officer cannot help you if you do not have the proper documentation establishing your connection to the veteran, as well as the veteran’s service records. They may help you obtain these documents at your request. In all, you should be proud to have a knowledgeable Service Officer work with you as his/her only remittance is the feeling in the heart when a small victory as achieved. Source: US Department of Veterans Affairs Bulletin dated May, 2003. Please note that I have spent a good portion of 19 years trying to live up to these standards. I do however, take my work home because that is where I do most of it being disabled and all. I assure you that if you contact me, I will give you the time and information needed to write you an accurate claim. Who knows, you may even get it approved.