Ohio bill would protect veterans from predatory claims assistance

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Backed by groups like the Ohio Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Veteran Assurance Network, two state lawmakers have proposed a new bill to crack down on what they characterize as predatory practices by unaccredited, for-profit claims assistance agencies.

State Reps. Daniel Troy (D-Willowick) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma) said that too often, those unaccredited agencies are giving veterans bad advice, charging excessive fees, and, in some cases, disappearing without fulfilling their obligations.

Their proposal, House Bill 961, also called the V.E.T.E.R.A.N. Benefits Protection Act, would require those agencies to be accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in order to operate in Ohio, and would penalize certain unethical practices under Ohio’s consumer protection laws.

“As legislators, we often talk about honoring our veterans,” Brennan said Monday. “Today, we have an opportunity to honor them in a very practical, tangible way: by protecting them from fraud, by ensuring they receive honest guidance.”

Brennan and Troy, an Army veteran, said their bill would bring Ohio into compliance with federal law.

“We’re seeing this growth in this country of these cottage industries popping up that basically say, ‘Oh, we can help you get a better Medicare supplemental program’ or ‘We can help you access this,’” Troy said. “The federal law says you need to be accredited, but then there’s no penalty if they bypass that particular requirement. Too much of this free enterprise is starting to take serious advantage of our vulnerable populations.”

Supporters like Tim Hauser of the Veteran Assurance Network said the men and women who have served in uniform must navigate a benefits system that is confusing, overwhelming and too often exploited by people who are not acting in their best interest. Hauser said he considers H.B. 961 not only a regulation on claims assistance, but a suicide prevention bill.

Iraq War veteran and state Rep. Ty Mathews (R-Findlay) is currently H.B. 961’s only Republican co-sponsor. He said while he wants to see how the bill looks after the committee process, he also wants “to strike a balance between keeping veterans safe from scammers and giving them the ability to choose which route to effectively receive their claim.”

While county veteran services make no promises about what they can deliver, private claims assistance agencies will sometimes imply they can get a veteran a lot more out of their benefits, but at a price.

Brennan said those are “promises they cannot legally guarantee” and such promises would also be prohibited under H.B. 961.

“When in doubt,” Troy said, “contact your veteran service commission.”