The veterans of our country have made some great sacrifices, which made the luxurious life we live in possible. Unfortunately, a lot of veterans don’t know that they are entitled to several rights for their services, not to mention the extra benefits provided for those who were injured or disabled during their military service. The process of claiming these benefits can sometimes be an exhausting task for some veterans, but it always pays off in the end when you claim everything you deserve. Here’s how you can do that.
VA Disability Rating
The VA disability rating is a percentage that represents the seriousness of the conditions that a veteran has incurred during their service. High ratings mean a higher compensation, which is why a lot of veterans seek to increase it. Once a claim has been approved, the veteran is allowed to request an increase in their VA rating. This is designed to help veterans whose injuries or disabilities can get worse with time, as it scales the benefits to accommodate the developing conditions. The evidence that is legally required to be provided to the VA includes hospital records, public or private, that show a timeframe of hospitalization and treatment for the condition. It’s not uncommon for the VA to request the veteran to apply for a separate medical exam by one of their doctors to ensure that the condition has, indeed, worsened.
Forms Required to Increase Rating
If the disability or injury you endured was treated through a VA or military-based medical service, you’d need a 21-526EZ form to apply for a disability rating increase. You’ll have to fill the form with information regarding the medical entity that treated the injury or disability. If you were treated in a hospital or clinic that doesn’t belong to the VA, you’d have to fill in Form 21-4142, which allows the physicians and hospital to release the records and communicate with the VA. The claim of increasing your va disability rating is time-sensitive; after one year of getting the first disability benefits, a reevaluation can be made to change the rating. If it’s been less than a year, the process can take longer and may require professional legal help.
Ensuring That you Are Eligible for Disability Compensation
Before you venture into the path of claiming your rights, you might want to make sure that you are on valid grounds to strengthen your claim. The first condition is that you have to have served on active duty or inactive duty training. You also need to have a disability rating obtained by the VA. One of three conditions must be met if you are going to claim disability compensation.
Injury or illness related to your service in the military, in addition to being able to provide enough evidence to link this injury to your service. (In-service disability claim)
If you had an injury that was directly worsened by your service in the military, you are valid to claim compensation on the grounds of a preservice disability claim.
If you were injured during the military, but the injury didn’t manifest itself until after retirement, you can use the post-service disability claim.
Don’t Settle for Unjustified Rejection
A lot of veterans can lose hope in getting their benefits once they are faced with rejection. This is why it’s recommended to always ask for clarification. The problem is that the Department of Veteran Affairs is not always clear when there is a problem. If you got rejected for a certain benefit a year ago, you might try your luck again this year, and it may get accepted. In 2008, the VA department started including a reason in their rejection letters. More often than not, rejections revolve around missing or incomplete paperwork rather than being qualified. Fortunately, you have a chance to appeal the decision and submit the correct paperwork within a certain timeframe.
The health program designed by the VA is a very important medical program that most veterans can benefit from. The eligibility for this benefit is based on status and income, and it can be provided by either the VA or the Department of Defense. Even if the veteran doesn’t have a disability or injury, they can still take advantage of the health program. The medical program focuses on matters like examinations, vaccinations, emergency care, hospitalization, and similar medical events. Depending on the veteran, the eligibility for free eyeglasses, disability aids, and traveling funds can be obtained as well. If the veteran has served for more than 20 years, they can use a specifically designed system known as Tricare, managed and funded by the Department of Defense.
There is a wide range of benefits and services available to veterans, but they’re not commonly advertised, which leaves a lot of veterans in the darkness when it comes to claiming their rights. Most veterans may have heard about some of the medical care benefits available to them, but there are numerous other benefits offered to veterans. Using the legal help of professional veteran disability lawyers can improve the financial and physical conditions of veterans suffering from a medical condition.
