Filing a claim does not guarantee that you will be given any disability benefits. In fact, the amount of claims that are denied is quite shocking. Why would so many claims be denied when so many veterans are in need of aid? There is no easy answer to this question because there a number of different reasons that a claim might be denied. The process is very slow and there a large number of veterans filing claims. The sheer size of paperwork that must be filled out and processed is enough to keep the entire system backlogged for years.
Reasons for Rejected Claims
The reasons behind a rejected claim could go on forever. However the United States Department of Veteran Affairs has provided the top ten reasons an application is blocked. These include the following:
- Duplicate Claim
- Explanation of Benefits (EOB) was not filed from the primary health insurance plan
- Claim was not filed on time
- Claim is an exact match of a previously filed claim
- Claim was made for a service date that is not eligible
- The Other Health Insurance (OHI) was not submitted
- Submitting the same bill twice
- Service requested is not covered
- OHI must be clarified
- Medical diagnosis is missing, unreadable, or invalid
Many of these issues are checked by automated matching system to see if duplicates are being filed. It is not enough to just send in a claim that has already been denied. If you wish to do this, you must first notify the VA of your intent.
My claim has been denied, now what?
If your claim has been rejected, there are a number of likely explanations. Perhaps you did not include all of the necessary information or enough evidence that your condition is a reality. Perhaps you missed a deadline or filled out the wrong form. There is even the possibility that your claim is still being processed. Whatever the reason, if your claim has been denied, you do not have to give up! You can file an appeal and set up a hearing in an attempt to get the Office of Veterans Affairs to re-review and approve your claim. To assure the best chance at a successful outcome, have a legal professional at your side who will know what you must fill out and what information you need to provide. Working with an attorney can make the process easier and much quicker.
Contact Our Veterans Disability Attorneys
We welcome you to contact the nationwide veterans attorneys of Bosley & Bratch to discuss your situation and how we can help. Call (800) 953-6224 or fill out our online case evaluation form.