Exposed Vet Productions

Special Monthly Compensation offers pathways to significantly higher VA disability compensation for severely disabled veterans, with key court decisions improving access to these benefits.

• Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) ratings can progress from S to L to M to N to R1 to R2
• VA's SMC calculator is broken, incorrectly calculating benefits in 13 out of 19 regional offices
• Aid and attendance (SMC-L) can ...

Selecting the right representative for your VA claim can determine whether you spend years fighting denials or receive timely approval and the benefits you've earned.

• Veterans have three main options for representation: Veterans Service Officers (VSOs), accredited VA appeals agents, or attorneys
• VSOs provide free services but vary greatly in quality and accessibility
• Ensure your representative has proper...

Bethanie Spangenberg, former VA C&P examiner and CEO of Valor 4 Vet, breaks down shocking VA denial patterns and provides strategies for veterans to fight back against illogical denials.

• Copy-pasted medical opinions appearing in denials across different regional offices 
• VA examiners citing general risk factors without considering veterans' specific medical conditions
• Cases where non-medical VA staff...

Veterans are facing incorrect payment dates for PACT Act claims, with the VA Inspector General finding errors in roughly one quarter of the claims examined, resulting in $6.8 million in improper payments and shortchanging an estimated 2,300 veterans.

• VA has received 2.44 million PACT Act-related claims since August 2022, approving 1.59 million and awarding $5.7 billion in benefits
• Inspector General estimated VA wil...

We explore the complex world of military toxic exposures and how veterans can navigate VA claims related to these exposures, with special focus on the PACT Act, asbestos, Agent Orange, and other harmful substances service members encounter.

• PACT Act covers toxic exposures including burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune water contamination, and extends presumptive conditions
• Environmental hazards like silica (desert...

Alex Graham joins us fresh from the NOVA Conference in Minneapolis to share insights about veterans' claims and the evolving landscape of VA benefits advocacy.

• VA computer systems often reject valid benefit combinations like dual aid and attendance awards
• The VA M21 Manual is treated like biblical law despite changing 135+ times per year
• Recent Loper ruling shifts power from VA Secretary to judges for in...

Migraine headaches require meticulous documentation for successful VA disability claims because they are purely subjective conditions with no objective tests to verify symptoms. Bethanie Spangenberg of Valor 4 Vet explains the critical components of the Migraine DBQ and rating criteria.

• "Prostrating" is the magic word determining VA ratings—meaning attacks causing extreme exhaustion, powerlessness, debilitation...

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects thousands of veterans, with approximately 35 veterans committing suicide every day due to PTSD-related issues. We explore the realities of PTSD among veterans, sharing real stories of how this mental health condition impacts lives and discussing effective approaches to treatment.

• Combat exposure is the primary cause of PTSD, but non-combat trauma can also trigger the condition
•...

Bethanie Spangenberg, CEO of Valor 4 Vet and VA appeals agent, joins us to examine peripheral neuropathies and potential changes to the VA's rating system that could dramatically affect veterans' disability claims.

• Peripheral Nerve Conditions DBQ covers nerve damage including carpal tunnel syndrome and surgical nerve damage, but not diabetic neuropathy or radiculopathies
• VA currently rates nerve condition...

We discuss Tennessee's House Bill 342 which would allow unaccredited individuals to process veterans' disability claims in exchange for up to five months of back pay. This legislation poses serious risks to veterans seeking benefits they rightfully deserve through their service.

• House Bill 342 allows anyone to help veterans with claims regardless of qualifications or training
• Claim sharks could receive fi...

We dissect the VA's approach to rating neurological conditions, revealing how ALS claims are structured to maximize benefits while other similar conditions receive less comprehensive evaluations.

• Bethanie Spangenberg shares concerns about proposed VA changes to neurological rating criteria that could negatively impact veterans
• ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) is the only disability presumptively service-connect...

John, Ray, and Bethanie break down the complexities of the VA Aid and Attendance benefit and walks through the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) process required to qualify for this additional compensation.

• Aid and Attendance benefits are available to veterans and surviving spouses of deceased veterans who were service-connected
• The DBQ requires in-person examination by specific medical professionals (MD, DO,...

We dive deep into the respiratory Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) for veterans, explaining how sinusitis, rhinitis, and other conditions are evaluated for VA disability ratings.

• Sinusitis ratings range from 10% to 50% depending on symptoms like headaches, obstruction, and drainage
• Going to a C&P exam without a prior diagnosis puts veterans at significant disadvantage
• Near-constant sinusitis with h...

Bethanie Spangenberg explains the VA's Ear Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) and breaks down how veterans can approach ear-related disability claims beyond hearing loss and tinnitus.

• The ear has three parts: external (pinna and ear canal), middle (pressure system with eustachian tube), and internal (balance center)
• Ear conditions DBQ covers inner ear, middle ear, outer ear and infections, but ...

The endocrine system functions as a complex network of glands that regulate hormones controlling everything from metabolism and growth to immunity and reproduction. Our expert breaks down how thyroid and parathyroid conditions develop, progress, and impact multiple body systems.

• DBQ Discussion

• Endocrine diseases typically occur in patterns of three, with one condition often developing 10-15 years after the previous one

•...

The VA has implemented major changes to GERD disability ratings, creating new hurdles for veterans seeking compensation while facing a $2.8 billion budget shortfall.

• As of May 19, 2024, GERD has its own diagnostic code (7206) and is no longer rated under hiatal hernia criteria
• Veterans now need documented esophageal stricture or esophagitis through invasive testing (EGD, barium swallow, or CT scan) for a compensabl...

Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy affects up to 50% of long-term diabetics yet remains largely undiagnosed and misunderstood. Bethanie Spangenberg explains how this condition impacts the body's involuntary functions including heart rate, digestion, temperature regulation, and bladder control.

• Autonomic neuropathy differs from peripheral neuropathy by affecting involuntary body functions rather than intentional movements

...

Veterans navigating the VA disability system for skin conditions need to understand the intricacies of how these conditions are rated and documented to maximize their benefits.

• DBQ Discussion

• Eight key characteristics of skin disfigurement determine rating levels including length, width, contour, texture, and inflexibility

• VA considers only face, neck, and hands as "exposed skin" regardless of what clothing y...

Bethanie Spangenberg from Valor 4 Vet joins Ray and James to discuss C&P exams, stateside Agent Orange exposure claims, and strategies for successful VA disability claims.

• VA tends to order C&P exams more frequently than necessary
• C&P exam formats have evolved from general worksheets to structured Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs)
• James Cripps shares his groundbreaking case as the first ve...