#Middlebury #Veterans #DisabilityBenefitsQuestionnaireScam
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
The Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General recently issued a fraud alert. They don’t do that very often, but this one is important: the Disability Benefits Questionnaire.
The DBQs are those forms you give to your health care provider that, along with information from your provider, lets the VA evaluate your disability claim. The fraud involves trying to get money out of veterans in exchange for getting a provider to fill out the questionnaire and getting the claim filed.
You do not have to pay to have that done. It’s free at the VA or through their accredited representatives.
Per the alert, it’s the initial filing that’s free. Later, if there’s an appeal, yes, there might be fees for that appeal. Apparently, the scammers are asking for a percentage of any payments that you get or fees to file your first claim.
And there’s more: The scammers might want to send you to a different health care provider, claiming you’ll have a better chance for higher benefits, likely by “finding” a diagnosis to get a better claims decision. For this reason they might even tell you to stay away from the VA exams. Worse, you might be asked to have your benefit payments deposited into the scammer’s bank account.
To avoid the scammers, if you want help from a genuine accredited rep, go to the VA’s database to see if your proposed rep is listed: www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp.
If you have an accredited rep and there are fees, discuss them in advance and check to see if those fees are legit: www.va.gov/ogc/accreditation.asp.
Remember: Even if your rep is on the up and up, you’re responsible for the accuracy of the information in your disability claim. Don’t take chances. If you submit fraudulent paperwork, it’s a federal offense.
Want to know what the VAOIG has been doing in your state and what they uncovered? Go to www.vaoig.gov/reports/data-dashboard and click on your state. That will give you all the reports they’ve done near you.
