Updated: 6/10/2010 9:48:01 PM
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In the state of Tennessee as many as seventy percent of veterans may not be receiving the health benefits they deserve.
"Right now in Tennessee there is just a backlog of veterans getting benefits," said Campbell County Veteran Service Officer Kevin Walden.
Mr. Walden and his staff have managed to deliver more Veterans Administration benefit dollars per veteran than any other county in the state. On a list of all 95 counties in Tennessee, Campbell County ranks first by drawing more than two-thousand dollars per veteran.
Datasheet: Monetary Awards given to veterans by county
"We do feel the V.A. does overwhelm the veteran," said Mr. Walden. "We take all that away. When a veteran comes in here, or a widow to file a claim, all they do is sign their name and we do all the paperwork," said Mr. Walden.
The Campbell County office can file a benefit claim in about two hours. But it can take months or years to win approval from V.A. to increase the amount of benefit dollars going to an individual veteran. In the video portion of our reporting we hear from one Vietnam veteran who went from receiving nothing from the V.A., to cashing a benefit check for close to three thousand dollars every month. But that change did not come without a drawn out fight that included a folder as thick as a phone book holding rejection letter after rejection letter from the V.A.
"The VA has a big backlog," said Donald Samuels, Assistant Commissioner for Cemeteries and Administrative Services with the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs. "They have an antiquated technology program but that is changing. Plus they don't have sufficient employees because of the increased workload," said Mr. Samuels. But he also suggests leadership within the federal agency recognizes some of the shortfalls in getting benefits to veterans. Mr. Samuels told Ten News that increasing efficiency is a priority for the V.A.
"The normal person, it's just overwhelming for them and they wouldn't even complete (the benefit forms)," said Mr. Walden.
Veterans seeking an advocate to help them work through their options should try to contact their nearest veteran service officer by using the following number: 1-800-827-1000.