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Veterans' Survival Guide

By Aaron Davis (reviewer)

The Veterans' Survival Guide: How to File and Collect on VA Claims
By John D. Roche
(Potomac Books Inc, 2006)

Why do veterans have to fight the Veterans Administration for the benefits promised for serving their country? It is a large bureaucracy (1,400 hospitals, medical clinics, and vet centers; 250,000 employees) and is budget driven. So how do we, just average veterans, stand a chance of getting our VA Form 21-526 Application for Compensation and/or Pension approved at 100%? Become a veteran advocate or read The Veterans' Survival Guide: How to File and Collect on VA Claims by John D. Roche. Every veteran activist, advocate and Veterans Service Organization (VSO) counselor should have a copy in their desk. John Roche worked for the VA as a Claims Specialist for three years. Roche documents the government's history of denying claims due to budget constraints from the Bonus March of 1932 to the present. His common sense approach to filing claims is easy reading, and necessary prior to commencing the claims process.

Roche says a veteran must "gather evidence that will substantiate the claim." Four facts must be established:

*That you were in active service;
*That an injury or disease did occur on active duty and was not considered acute or transitory;
*You can show a direct link between the incident on active duty and current medical problems;
*And are currently suffering the residuals of this service-related medical problem.

After recommending vets to file an informal claim, he walks you through the Compensation and Pension Exam, a selection of VSO (AL,DAV,VFW), and most importantly, the notice of disagreement (NOD) and appeals.

This book is filled with references, helpful hints, and information only your VSO and the VA know. It is a must-have. Roche also wrote The Veteran's PTSD Handbook; How to File and Collect on Claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Potomac Books, 2007), which I highly recommend as a companion.