| Get an insider's
view of the Department of Veterans Affairs! Written by
practicing attorneys at the National Veterans Legal Services
Program, this manual contains valuable insight and analysis from a
team of experts at the forefront of veterans law. Use our first-hand
experience fighting for veterans' rights and our insider's view of
the Department of Veterans Affairs to get all the benefits your
clients have rightfully earned.
User-friendly, well-indexed, and packed with practical information,
it includes sample forms and briefs, flowcharts, checklists,
citations to legal authorities, and other documents designed to
streamline the claims process and save you and your veteran client
valuable time.
The Veterans Benefits Manual contains dozens of effective,
battle-tested advocacy tips for veterans and advocates, along with
all the latest developments in veterans law.
What's New In 2008 Edition
Information about the new VA regulations governing the
behavior of attorneys, agents and service officers;
New information and advocacy advice on how to obtain service
connection for the residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI);
Discussion of the proposed VA rules for determining the
appropriate disability rating for TBI;
Updated information and advice on how to obtain military
service records;
Analysis of VA's new rules governing when and how an
attorney or agent may charge a VA claimant a fee for
representation before the VA;
Advice on how to avoid losing your VA accreditation as a
service officer because you submitted a frivolous claim or
argument;
Information about VA's new Expedited Claims Adjudication
initiative, a pilot program to streamline the appeals process
and put the veteran on the fast track from initial claim to
adjudication;
New advice on when it is too late to file a notice of
disagreement;
When VA may be obligated to obtain a medical opinion to
substantiate a dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC)
claim;
Analysis of the sweeping rule changes made by the Court of
Appeals for Veterans Claims governing how the record is created,
and e-filing;
The new legislation allowing some veterans to receive both
military longevity or disability retirement pay and VA
disability compensation;
The Veterans Health Administration's new responsibilities to
veterans with TBI, including its "Traumatic Brain Injury
Veterans Health Registry";
New procedures to help service members have an easier
transition from DOD to VA health care;
New rules providing for an extension of enhanced health care
eligibility for combat veterans;
New rules allowing VA to provide health care to family
members of recovering service members receiving care at a VA
medical facility;
The revised VA travel reimbursement rates that apply to some
veterans receiving VA health care, including those traveling for
treatment of a service-connected disability.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Barton F. Stichman, Co-Director of and lead litigator for NVLSP, has earned over $100 million in VA benefits for his
clients over the last 28 years.
Ronald B. Abrams, Co-Director of NVLSP and a 17-year VA insider.
Over the past 17 years he has trained thousands of veterans’
advocates.
SELECTED CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Introduction and how to use
this manual
Part I: Disability Benefits for Veterans
Chapter 2: Veterans basic eligibility for VA disability benefits
Chapter 3: Compensation for veterans with service-connected
disabilities
Chapter 4: Compensation for injury or death caused by VA health care
or other specified activities
Chapter 5: Setting, increasing, or reducing a veteran's
service-connected disability rating
Chapter 6: Pension for veterans with non-service-connected
disabilities
Part II: VA Benefits For Non-Veterans
Chapter 7: VA Benefits for Family Members of Living or Deceased
Veterans
Part III: Rules Affecting the Amount of Benefits Paid
Chapter 8: Effective dates for awards of benefits
Chapter 9: Special issues for disability and death benefits
Part IV: VA Health Care and Other Benefits
Chapter 10: VA health care
Chapter 11: Other VA benefits
Part V: The VA Claims Adjudication Process
Chapter 12: Adjudication of original and reopened claims by VA
Regional Offices
Chapter 13: Board of Veterans' Appeals
Chapter 14: Common errors in final VA decisions denying benefits and
the avenues available to correct them
Chapter 15: Court review of VA decision-making
Part VI: Advocacy on Behalf of VA Claimants
Chapter 16: Reviewing VA Claims Files
Chapter 17: Effective advocacy before the VA and researching
veterans law
Chapter 18: Attorney's and agent's fees paid by VA claimants or by
the VA
Part VII: Correction of Military Records
Chapter 19: Military records correction issues
Chapter 20: Upgrading less than fully honorable discharges
Here's everything you need to prepare for practice at the VA
Regional Office, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and the Court of
Appeals for Veterans’ Claims.
Go from zero to a high-level of
competency with this complete practice guide. Click the Details
button below and you will be taken directly to the Lexis-Nexis site
for purchase and additional information. 
Add these to your working library, too -- and check out the
discounts for multi-resource purchases.
|
