EPISODE 3 (PART 2) Continuation of what is the Veteran’s Service Office? How they can truly advocate for you, unlike the VA.

PART 2 of 2 - Veteran’s should not need to work so hard to secure benefits that they deserve. Learn how the Veteran’s Service Office (VSO) can and will fight for you, today and forever.

Transcript

Jamie Callahan: Hi, this is Jamie Callahan with the Team Senior Podcast. Our goal is to simplify aging society, grooms us to plan for retirement, but what about life beyond retirement, where the rubber meets the road? Perhaps you've had a stroke or you've been diagnosed with cancer, or maybe you're forgetting things and now you have dementia.

That's our area of expertise and we are here to share our insight. And now the team senior podcast. Hi there. This is Jamie Callahan with Team Senior. We are in week two of our time with our local Veteran service office. I'm gonna let Joseph tell you a little bit about himself before we dive right into this.

Joseph Hedberg: My name is Joseph Hedberg. I'm an accredited veteran service officer with the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, serving all veterans in the state of Oregon. I served in the Oregon Army National Guard from 2006 to 2012. During that time, I deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2009 to 2010, and I did get to do a training deployment.

In Thailand for Operation Cobra Gold in 2012, which is one of the best military training experiences I've ever had. I've been a veteran service officer now since 2021. I started out in Siskiyou County, California before coming up to work in the state of Oregon. 

Jamie Callahan: I. That's awesome. It's so awesome that team senior gets to work with our local offices.

But Joseph, as he mentioned, he works with, everything in the state of Oregon. So let's dive right into this. What are some of the most common challenges that a veteran might face when they are trying to access benefits, and how can your office help with that? 

Joseph Hedberg: In certain cases one of the.

Common issues that we see is a lack of evidence if it's a compensation claim for service treatment records. Some veterans have been known to tough it out, but we do our best to try to articulate in a personal statement why. An issue may have occurred in service using the infantry. For an example, if you never reported back problem, but you have back pain and you are wearing Kevlar vest, full combat load of magazines and ammo on your body, carrying a ruck sack, doing different things that wears on your back knees and ankles.

So there are high probabilities that, hey, because you were in the infantry doing all this stuff. You have a higher chance of having a back, knee or ankle issue down the road. And even without it being in the record, there are medical studies that we use that support that when we do file those types of claims that can support the veteran.

But even getting a diagnosis after that, hey, based on from a me outside medical provider can write a letter stating that based on their military service and things like that, it's led to a deterioration of the. Type of stuff. 

Jamie Callahan: Yeah, that's definitely the value in working with the veteran service office.

So even though a veteran might see themselves as not qualifying because perhaps they can't check the boxes on the form the workarounds to help them connect more dots so they can get that qualification in place. Correct. So do you serve veterans from all of service? And what specific groups or demographics do you focus on?

Joseph Hedberg: We serve all veterans. Nobody is discounted. They can come in and we can work with them. Even if you are in service for a short period of time or your discharge is not what you are expecting in service, we can always try and help you get that discharge upgraded. Through filing the forms through panels.

There is work that would need to be done for that on your part, and we can discuss that in the appointment. But we serve. Veterans of all eras, all forms and do our best to assist them in whatever their needs are if we are able to assist them 

Jamie Callahan: in what their needs are. That's fantastic. I'm curious to know what are the key differences?

There's this common misconception out there that when you go to the va, you know it takes a long time. Veterans are sometimes feel a little discouraged about going there to try to get additional benefits in place. What are the key differences between the Veteran Service office and the va? 

Joseph Hedberg: So the Veteran Service Office helps the veteran apply for those benefits.

We help do the paperwork and the legwork. We are not the va. We're an extension of the VA without being the VA itself. And most va fa. Facilities do not have onsite veteran service officers. And if they do have an onsite veteran service officer, it's usually from a veteran service organization. So for example, we do outreach at the our local va and we are the only representation on site prior to being in Oregon when I was down in California and I would go to the Redding va.

Hospital. They had the disabled American Veterans Office there, the amvets Veteran Service Office there, and a VFW Amer veteran Service officer there. So there are several different types of Veteran service organizations. Now I. The issue that may occur, if you're a veteran and you're going to one of those onsite VSOs, make sure you're going to the same VSO because AMVETS might not be accredited through the VFW or VFW might not be accredited through DAV.

So make sure you're going to the same person because that organization holds the ability to represent you. So if you are working with an VSO in the state of Oregon. Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs is statewide. So when I've done outreaches in the past, I will have a veteran from Deschutes County that I've worked with, and I will have the ability to access his records and it, I usually give a courtesy call to Deschutes County and say, Hey, this veteran that you've worked with in the past is here locally doing some stuff with us.

We're gonna file this claim. Are you guys okay with that? And. 99% of the time they're solid with us assisting. 'cause it's all statewide. So it's very helpful to see that. 

Jamie Callahan: So let's very quickly talk about being accredited and the types of services that are available to help veterans. So we know that a veteran can go to the va.

We know that there are veteran service offices that hang. With either the county or maybe the VFW or something like that. There are some organizations out there that we oftentimes discourage people from using. The Veteran Service Office is completely free to veterans, and again, there is no greater advocate or cheerleader for a veteran.

There are companies out there, one of which is called Patriot Angels and I know that there are a number of others. They charge a fee for a veteran to get benefit, so I just want you to quickly address that. 

Joseph Hedberg: Yes, the Veteran Service Office, we don't. Take any money from your back pay. We do not take any percentage of that back pay.

We work fully for you. We are free to use and we are a valuable resource. The only time we will be unable to assist a veteran is if they signed up with. An attorney and if you sign up with an attorney to assist you on your benefits prior to coming to the Veteran Service office, we cannot sign you up until we have a release letter from your attorney stating that they are no longer representing you.

Once you get that letter. We can move forward. Typically, if you're working with another Veteran service organization and you have a pending claim, we want that claim to be completed before we take representation on you. So yes, and there actually is a bill in the Oregon house right now to prevent agencies like the Patriot Angels from operating and taking money or.

Back pay from veterans. 

Jamie Callahan: My gosh, that's such a huge win for veterans. They're so confused and overwhelmed sometimes when you have an organization that's in there saying, we can do all these things for you and it's gonna cost you all this money, but guess what? We're gonna get you all this money. It's hard for them to say no.

We so often try to encourage people, not veterans, not ever to pay to get their benefits. I can't say it enough times. The VSO is really where a veteran wants to be. Now, there are 

Joseph Hedberg: some things that. Offices have suggested where, the VA itself has been taboo with writing a Nexus Letter and a Nexus letter is, it basically states that the thing you're claiming for service connection is related to service and they provide examples and chronicity of that type of thing.

There is a directive that basically states that va, your primary VA physician, can write you a Nexus letter. There's no, what is a Nexus letter? A Nexus letter is if you were claiming a back problem and. The VA has denied. The back is service related, and you need new and relevant evidence to appeal that claim or file a supplemental claim.

Nexus letter from a medical provider is something that can help with that, and the Nexus letter basically shows that the incident or the injury that you're claiming occurred in service. The Nexus is the link between the injury and service. 

Jamie Callahan: Got it. Got it. So I just really wanna, I don't wanna leave this topic until we've really covered it.

So the Veteran Service Office, when someone comes into your office and they're feeling very overwhelmed and confused, how do you help them navigate the VA's bureaucracy and processes? How do you advocate for them? So we advocate for them 

Joseph Hedberg: in multiple ways. I myself, if a veteran, doesn't know what they filed for or has issues, one of the things that I will do, the first thing, and it might not seem like a lot, but trust me it is a lot, is to fill out the form for you, to give us the ability to represent you to the va.

So what that form does, it's called the 2122, is you're saying that Joe's my guy, he's going to. Fight for me with the VA and I give him full permission to contact the VA on my behalf. 'cause there is a VSO VA hotline so we don't have to call the regular line where we're waiting on hold for a long time.

And that's part of the problem with the call centers and why people get frustrated. We have the ability to call in and check the status or check the VA system itself on our computers to see where things are at. 

Jamie Callahan: So I feel like this is a great opportunity to note that while the VSO is separate than the va, they do collaborate with the VA on everything, correct?

Yes. They just have their own means of getting things done faster because they have those back channels in place. 

Joseph Hedberg: Exactly. And once. If it's a veteran that's worked with a different agency in the past, once we get representation on you, we'll submit an intent to file. An intent to file just means you're holding the date of a potential claim, whether it be compensation, pension, or in some cases for widows, if it's been more than one year since the passing of the veteran the DIC claim.

And so we submit that and then. While that's in the works, if they've filed claims in the past, I go in and I will go through service treatment records and say, okay, you have all of these things that you. Reported in service, do you still have those issues? Can you provide any medical documents that show you've reported issues since service?

And then go from there with filing the claims. 

Jamie Callahan: Very nice. So we've talked at length about some of the bigger benef benefits that veterans can get through the VSO or the va. Talk to me a little bit about some lesser known benefits and programs that might be available to veterans that they're not aware of.

Joseph Hedberg: So the state of Oregon, all states have, different benefit tiers for what they offer going through the state of Oregon. If you are service connected, you can qualify for a free state Parks Pass. It's free camping for 10 days. At any Oregon State Parks, all you have to do is pay an $8 fee and all you would need to do to get that is fill out the State Parks Pass application and provide a.

Summary of benefits letter and you can contact the VA hotline for that or ask your VSO and we can find that and get that to you. Some people say fax it in or email it. I just say, just mail it in. That's what I've done with mine in the past and I get it in about two weeks. So there's the state parks pass also I believe for 30% or more.

I think this one might be lowered recently, but you can apply for a permanent. License plate for your vehicle. You pay a one-time fee. You show your summary of benefits letter or even your service connected rating letter to the DMV with your DD two 14. You for, I paid $176 for my truck. I got a permanent plate.

When I bought my new car a few years ago, I paid $10 to transfer the plate over to the car. And I haven't paid registration. In 20 or since 2016. That's amazing. So yes, that is a big one. If you are a veteran and you love the outdoors and you have a 30% rating or higher you can go to the ODFW office to get signed up for a free combo hunting and fishing license and a free shellfish license.

Once you're signed up with the ODFW office, you can go to Walmart, Fred Meyer, big five. Wherever you can get a hunting and fishing license printed. 'cause once you're in the system, you're set, they'll print it off for you. Any other special access tags, like a two pole tag for fishing, deer license, things like that, you'll have to pay those fees on.

But the hunting and fishing license itself with the shellfish license is gonna be free. Depending on what county you're in, 'cause it all varies by county. If you are over 40% service connected, you receive a 20% break on your state property taxes. So take that to your county assessor's office your form that shows that you're at least 40% or higher, and then they will work on getting that property tax discount for you.

That's a big benefit. It is a big benefit. Some states, if you are a hundred percent service connected wa waive all property taxes for you. And that is something I know Oregon is also trying to pass right now in the state legislature. But I believe that they have it worded for veterans over the age of 65.

So maybe it'll be all veterans, but, personally, I have lost veterans to other states because they are moving to another state to pay less property taxes, where their a hundred percent money will go a lot further. So hopefully Oregon and our lawmakers jump on board with passing that so we can keep veterans here and help our State  economy a little bit better.

Jamie Callahan:  Absolutely. So with all of these incredible benefits that a veteran can get and they can access many of those through the VSO what would you say to a veteran who's hesitant to seek help from the Veteran Service Office? I. The one thing that I would say to a veteran is we are not the va.

Joseph Hedberg: 

So coming to us just to talk. It's, I know the VA has a stigma and treatment and some other problems that they had in the past. We are not the va. So please give us a chance to work with you. Give us time to review your records. Review your file so we know the best path forward for what's going to happen.

I've worked with veterans that. I've filed claims for, and as soon as I've submitted 'em, they're like, okay, now what do I need to do for my appeal? And I'm just like, w you haven't been denied yet. So let's worry about that when we get there. But, if there you do need to appeal it or file a supplemental, we'll have a plan moving forward with new.

Records or things along those lines. So I know some veterans are thinking automatically they're gonna get denied the first time, and while some do, we do what we can to find records. We have some good examiners in the area that we're conducting this podcast in. We also have some not so good examiners.

We can try to request the, you see the good examiners, but we don't always have that. But we will try and deter you and provide information of which examiners to stay away from. 

Jamie Callahan: Yeah, it's just yet another example of why the Veteran Service Office holds so much value for a veteran. So I wanna give you an opportunity to share a success story where maybe you or someone in your office had a, made a significant impact on a veteran's life.

Joseph Hedberg: One of the more recent ones I had. Was a veteran who applied for benefits in the year 2006, and the majority of them were denied. And they were seeking a few things associated with the PACT Act. And I reviewed some of the things that he'd claimed in the past and was going through the records. And I went through the original decision letter where the examiner and the adjudicator said, there's nothing on file.

You would never, you never reported these injuries in service. And so I said, Hey, your original decision letter says this, but I found your back injury and service I you did three weeks of physical therapy for your back, and the notes are all in here. So for that original examiner and adjudicator to say there's nothing on record is.

Totally false. And we submitted a supplemental claim and we used those records to say, Hey, your letter stated this. The records show differently. And when that veteran went in for that comp and pension exam, the doctor reviewed it and said, this should have never been denied to begin with. And that veteran got a reasonably high rating for their back problem, and it was really great.

Another one was a widow with DIC. 

Jamie Callahan: And DIC again means 

Joseph Hedberg: DIC is the death indemnity compensation we discussed in part one. So if you haven't listened to part one, go back and listen to that. She, her husband, she kept saying he served in the Pacific fleet and that meant that he served in Vietnam and I.

Doesn't, just because he was stationed in Hawaii and was in the Pacific fleet doesn't always mean you went to Vietnam. And she's I'm sure he did. He must have gone to Vietnam. There was no Vietnam service medal or campaign medal on his DD two 14. And this was. Prior to another important act, the Blue Water Navy Act of 2019, that states that if you serve 12 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam, you qualify for the agent Orange benefits.

Where it used to say you had to have been boots on ground, you had to have been there and he had passed in 2017 from a lung cancer condition. I went through and I looked up his records and saw the ship and sure enough, the ship did two days in the blue water of Vietnam and you just need one. And we submitted that and she was able to collect her DIC payment from that.

So 

Jamie Callahan: that is so awesome and amazing. So Joseph, I want to just say thank you so much for coming on the podcast. The Veteran Service office will likely be back probably many times because right now during the part one and part two, we are sharing with you a very small fraction of all of their incredible services and their amazing wins.

Joseph, I'm gonna give it to you to close. 

Joseph Hedberg: Any veterans out there listening, I encourage you to talk with your local veteran service officer wherever you may be. Find out what benefits you have available to you. You can even just set up an appointment for a general meeting if you say, I know that I am 50% service connected.

What else? Am I entitled to that? I'm not getting, and your VSO should be able to bring that up with you, whether that's adding your dependent spouse, which is something you can do at 30%. If you're a veteran with a spouse and dependent children under the age of 18, you can add your spouse and children for an increase in monthly compensation you receive.

Oh, you can always just go in and check in just to meet your VSO and just. Say, if I have any questions, I know I can work with you and just do that. I encourage everyone to call their VSO and set up an appointment just to, ballpark where you're at with benefits or what could be available to you.

There's no harm in asking for them or trying to get the benefits that you're owed. 

Jamie Callahan: That's great. So when we roll out this podcast, we'll make sure to include all of the contact information for the Veteran Service offices in the state of Oregon. 

Joseph Hedberg: Perfect. 

Jamie Callahan: But until next week, thank you all and we will chat again.

Alright. Thank you for listening to the Team Senior podcast. We're here every week sharing new and relevant information. Remember that we're just a phone call away. Team Senior can be reached at 5 4 1 2 9 5 8 2 3 0. Again, 5 4 1 2 9 5 82 30. Until next time, this is Jamie Callahan.