I’m an Air Force veteran living in Texas, which is home to more former service members than any state in the nation. As a financial advisor, I spend my days providing personalized guidance to improve the lives of people navigating complex financial decisions. But I can’t understand why the same assistance isn’t available to those who have served our country.
I know from personal experience that many Texas veterans struggle to obtain disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Most VA personnel genuinely want to help veterans. But the sheer scale and complexity of the system can make clear guidance difficult to obtain.
Even in a major metropolitan area like Dallas-Fort Worth, veterans can struggle to find providers for medical treatment and disability claim examinations. Limited availability can mean long waits or onerous journeys for appointments. I’ve also heard troubling accounts of providers submitting inaccurate and, in some cases, allegedly fabricated information that can directly influence VA benefit determinations.
I’ve spoken with veterans who have waited years for decisions, only to have claims denied and find themselves paying out of pocket for medical treatment while fighting for the benefits they believe they are owed.
Some ultimately feel they have little choice but to hire private attorneys just to navigate the process.
Others give up because the maze of the VA benefits system is simply overwhelming. Many live in rural communities, where the nearest VA clinic is an hour’s drive. Others don’t know what benefits they’re entitled to. The more I discuss these issues with my fellow Texas veterans, the more I realize these experiences are the norm, not the exception, for veterans living in America today.
In short, the status quo leaves veterans to suffer from two huge shortfalls — one in the quality of assistance available to them, and the other in the number of people allowed to help.
Some believe that the solution is reforming the VA, which could help with quality. Others think expanding Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) or providing them with more funding or experienced staff is the answer, which could help with numbers. Those ideas are worthwhile, but it will take time and extraordinary effort to get them off the ground. Another option can address both shortfalls by leveraging resources standing at the ready right now: allowing private services to guide veterans through our complex VA claims-filing and benefits process.
If outside professionals can responsibly assist veterans with the complicated process of filing paperwork or accessing benefits, that means more veterans can receive the benefits they’ve rightfully earned. There are currently more than 70,000 veterans in the VA backlog, and about 40 percent of the VA claims our veterans submit are not initially approved.
In addition to asking who should help veterans, a better question is this: Why do we refuse to qualify the parties who are willing and able to help? If more organizations and professionals can assist veterans in navigating the system, if they can complement—not replace—the existing support network and reduce the current backlog, why would anyone stand in their way?
The answer, I’m afraid, is obvious: The current system is designed to benefit traditional VSOs and maintain the status quo.
When I served in the Air Force, success wasn’t measured by who completed the mission—it was measured by whether our mission was accomplished. We should treat veterans’ benefits the same way. The mission should always be helping veterans, not protecting outdated institutions or the status quo. Our veterans deserve a benefits system that makes good on its promises, and we give them one by welcoming every partner who is willing and able to help.
Will Thomson is an Air Force veteran, pilot, husband, father of two, and financial advisor who lives outside Dallas. After serving his country, he dedicated his career to helping families prepare for their financial futures and believes veterans deserve the same level of personalized guidance when accessing the benefits they’ve earned.
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