Rethinking Missouri’s approach to veteran support

By Alec Wade

Read it in Missouri’s Springfield News Leader

(Photo Credit: Canva)

Missouri is blessed to call itself home to a vibrant community of more than 340,000 veterans. These men and women have dedicated years of their lives to serving our country with honor and it is our profound duty to ensure that they receive care and support as they transition back to civilian life. Unfortunately, reality has rarely lived up to the promise of this commitment. Veterans often face a daunting bureaucratic labyrinth when dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), particularly when it comes to securing VA disability benefits. For those that have paid the price of freedom with their physical well-being, they have sadly been confronted with a claims process that can overwhelm even the most well-informed individuals. With the VA backlog now standing at more than 330,000 claims, the expertise and guidance offered by qualified private consultants has become a necessity for many who may otherwise struggle to navigate this maze alone.

These agents — in addition to Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and VA accredited attorneys — play an indispensable role in helping veterans understand and fulfill the intricate requirements of the VA benefits claims process, ensuring that their applications are thorough and timely.

However, a debate ensued in Jefferson City this most recent legislative session over the extent to which these private consultants should be involved in the process. Some questioned their role since current VA statutes do not offer private consultants who receive a commission for assisting veterans with an initial benefits claim a pathway to gain accredited status and have introduced legislation that would ban them. Such measures, however well-intentioned they are, overlook the crucial support these professionals provide and would do nothing to help combat the complexities and inefficiencies within the VA that veterans applying for disability benefits must confront.

Fortunately, the legislative session ended before this bill could be passed. But with the issue likely to be taken up again in 2025, legislators should pivot and focus on improving the process for veterans in Missouri instead of limiting their options. Allowing for a regulated framework that would establish rigorous standards and guardrails for private consultants would be a better path forward. By implementing these measures, legislators would not only ensure that these agents are both effective and ethical in their practices, but it would also enhance the quality of support available, ensuring that veterans receive reliable, efficient assistance.

Fortunately, the status quo will allow veterans to continue utilizing the assistance of private consulting agents in the interim, although the importance of getting this issue right long-term cannot be overstated. According to government data veterans in Missouri already receive VA disability compensation at a rate below the national average and the well-being of this community may hang in the balance.

Our veterans have given much in service to our country; it is only fitting that we provide them with the best possible support in return. That means finding ways to enhance and expand, not limit, the resources available to them.

Alec Wade, U.S. Army (Retired), is a Purple Heart Recipient and former FBI Special Agent who lives in the Springfield area