We expect you to be treated fairly, equitably, with dignity and respect and above all, to be recognized and given the time and attention that you need.

The VA is here to serve you along with the other recognized chartered organizations such as the VFW.  You must do your part by being proactive, submitting competent and probative evidence (relevant, intrinsic and accurate information) to the VA Regional Office (VARO) in Houston, TX which is the servicing VARO; also known as the VA Area of Jurisdiction (VAOJ).

The importance of learning the basic concepts, what is required of you during the adjudicative phase (development and procurement of information including submission of competent medical information), the Compensation & Pension (C&P) Examination Process and your interaction with your designated service organization are crucial to the success and outcome of your claim for VA benefits.

We will educate you and prepare you by letting you know what the legal standards are.  All too often, claimants receive VA notification information which contains legal language that an untrained person would have difficulty understanding.

This is where the Power of Attorney (POA); to wit, the person you designate as a legal representative (at no cost to you) must explain the process and help you respond to your questions and conerns.

This is not always the case and that is what we are here for.  We hope that your experience with the VA is a pleasant one.

We want you to join us in being good Ambassadors to the VA but we expect the same reciprocal response; world class service by dedicated and caring individuals who must advocate in your behalf!

Frank H. Flores, VFW Post 76 Volunteer Consultant

What To Expect from Our Post Service Office

We deal exclusively with the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) San Antonio Area Office (SA AO). We selected this office to assist our claimants in submission and prosecution (working the claim in the Adjudication process) of VA claims.  They are VFW accredited and the only office that offers our claimants a full service process to include VA hearings and Board of Veterans' Appeals Hearing (BVA).You must effect a Power of Attorney (POA) to assign TVC SA AO as your legal service representative before we can guide you further in the pursuit of your claim for benefits. 

We are a dynamic team and we have a successful track record that we want to enhance with the cooperation of all claimants through professionalism, world class service, and genuine concern for your needs.  You must remain proactive at all times to ensure that all required evidence and examination standards are completed to support the merits of your claim.

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VFW POST 76 Post Service Officer Report, May 11, 2010, for the Membership Meeting:

Our Post has 12 outstanding claims that are being adjudicated by the Houston VA Regional Office and one claim for the Waco VA Regional Office for a surviving spouse seeking DIC benefits that were wrongfully denied two years ago.  She is requesting assistance in joining the Ladies Auxiliary and recruiting other spouses to join our Post.

Two claims have been successfully adjudicated and both members are rated permanent and total and receiving full benefits to include State ancillary and Social Security Disability benefits. The others are pending VA rating decisions and some are on appeal. Partial grants have been granted to several benefits.

Our Congressional and Senatorial inquiry processes are working with Congressman Rodriguez' office reviewing current cases through the assistance of Mr. Roy Atwood, District Military and VA Liason Officer. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's offices in San Antonio and in Austin have assisted several members with VA and SSA disability claim issues.  We continue to expand our influence and request for consistent constituency services and to invite Congressman Rodriguez and Senator Hutchinson or a member of their staff to be recognized for outstanding achievement in constituency service to our Post/District members.

We have more claims pending and we are still trying to reconstruct the list that was compromised or missing. If any member that is being assisted fails to comply with our VFW Post 76 Affidavit of Agreement for claims processing, we will advise said person that our guidance and counseling assistance will terminate as we (Post) cannot be held liable for any loss of benefits, claim issues under appeal or loss of monetary compensation because they failed to act. We are too busy with other claimants and we need everyone to comply. Our exclusive legal representative is the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) San Antonio Area Office for South Texas claimants, TVC Waco and TVC Houston VFW Accredited Service Officers; one is located in each office. For our members in Central and North Texas, they are receiving the highest level of assistance thanks to the consistency of TVC operations and its leadership under Dale Moyer, TVC Supervisor Waco.  We are trying to get everyone else on board to work with the TVC SA AO office, Mike Jaeger, VFW Accredited Service Officer.  We simply want all claims to be processed through that office and sent to Mr. Jaeger for transmission to Houston VA Regional Office.  The TVC VFW Accredited Service Officer works exclusively with each other to assist in claims development and rating/DRO appeals.

All members are advised of the recent addition of three disability conditions to the Agent Orange Presumptive List and the one that most may qualify for at this time is for ischemic Heart Disease (to include hypertension). Even if you are permanent and totally disabled, you should file for this condition as it will be important if you need Housebound, Aid and Attendance or if that condition materially leads to your decline in health and subsequent demise.  The death certificate must show this condition as either being a direct or contributory cause to allow for DIC and death benefits.

Remember to file SDVI insurance especially if you are rated permanent and total as the first $10,000 premium is waivable.  In all cases, please make sure that you have certified copies of your DD Form 214 or for earlier era veterans, your Report of Separation.  You should have a current will and if your disabilities are significant and life threatening, a durable Power of Attorney and a VA Advanced Directive. Stay in touch with current VA and Military Retiree Affair issues especially the debate over TRICARE management under the new National Healthcare Plan.

Frank H. Flores, VFW Post 76 Volunteer PSO Consultant and PSO Bobby Rodriguez

We will not request benefits related to Texas as it is available on the VA website under www.tvc.tx.us./OtherLinks.html or State of Texas Department of Veterans Affairs.  If you do not have access to a computer, let us know and we will provide you with a print copy.  We want to minimize the paper process and hope that each of you is able to access the internet where valuable information can be obtained to keep you informed of benefits available to you.  You can arrange an appointment with Frank to assist you in any website research related to pending claims or appeals; or general information.  Computer training is available to you as well and all you need is eight days of instruction that can be arranged for you; a value added service provided by VFW Post 76 PSO.

A website that all of you should have available and should use is My HealtheVet.

My HealtheVet is VA’s award–winning e–health Website, which offers Veterans, active duty service members, their dependents and caregivers anywhere, anytime Internet access to VA health care information and services. My HealtheVet is a free, online Personal Health Record that empowers Veterans to become informed partners in their health care. With My HealtheVet, America’s Veterans can access trusted, secure, and current health and benefits information as well as record, track and store important health and military history information at their convenience. Veterans who are enrolled in a VA facility can refill their VA prescriptions and more, so register today! Using My HealtheVet is easy and it's for YOU!

Again, please let us know if you want a handbook as these are limited as to PSO orders.  Veterans and family members eligible for VA benefits are entitled to a handbook.  Simply call 1-800-827-1000, VA Public Contact Center and request a copy if you want to get a copy sent to your home.

Please remember, we will conduct information seminars at a later date but the following important references and documents should be available to you:

A certified copy of DD Form 214; you can obtain a certified copy through the VA Public Contact Unit, Frank M. Tajeda VA Clinic, second floor, Monday thru Fridays.  The PSO cannot certify or have your DD Form 214 certified.

If you have serious health problems, ensure that you have a completed Advanced Directive for your spouse or whomever is responsible for your affairs should you require emergency care and unable to act in your own affairs.  Do not confuse this with a General of Special Power of Atttorney.

Know who your Patient Affairs Advocate is.  This is the person whom you must contact if you are having problems with your patient care or clinic issues that you are not able to resolve.  Always, get names, numbers, dates of contact or visits, what the issue is.  The PSO can act in your behalf via written inquiry but you must sign the authorization and it must be advanced via the Commander's office by the PSO.

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Comrades,

Please ensure that you have your DD Form 214, required documents for submission (original claims), a list of disabilities you are filing for (original claims), evidence of increased disabilty (claim for increases and/or total disability) and lay statements considered credible to support your claim for benefits.

If you are in the six month window since submitting your claim and you have not been scheduled for a VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) examination, you must act now to get movement on your claim via TVC SA AO.  Remember, VFW Post 76 will not assist Post member claimants or any other claimant who is being represented by someone else or a private attorney.  We are bound by statutory (legal) requirements in this manner as discussed in the "Veterans Assistance Program" in our VFW Post 76 website page.

VA Regional Office Houston is moving on claims expeditiously; claims that we submit via TVC SA AO via our proactive stance.  Any claimant that procrastinates faces administrative or rating denial of the claim and we do not want to be part of the problem as the claimant is responsible for his or her claim for VA benefits.

This is a friendly reminder but we must inform you that we have a proven concept of claims adjudication procedures working with our VFW Accredited TVC SA AO benefits counselor, Mr. Mike Jaeger and the other professional counselors in that office.  Please do your part!