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CHAPTER 1 -- What is a Veterans Consulting Service?
Veterans who are seniors represent a large portion of the US population over age 65. Most of these veterans are not aware of some or all of the long term care benefits available to them and there is a need in the community for making them aware of these benefits. An individual who provides information about veterans long term care benefits can be a great asset to veterans or their families.

Becoming a veterans benefits consultant is a way for attorneys, financial practitioners, care managers, home care providers and facilities to attract new clients or residents. Generally, once a veteran or a family member has been made aware of potential benefits, the veteran or a family member will eagerly seek out a consultant who can explain these benefits in more detail.

An individual acting as a consultant must be very careful not to violate federal statutes and VA regulations pertaining to representation of veteran claimants. Consultants who are not attorneys should refer clients to veterans service organizations. Consultants should not mislead the public into believing that they work for the government. For the most part, individuals who are not attorneys cannot become involved in the claims process for veterans benefits in any way. In addition, no one -- except under very limited circumstances -- is allowed to charge a veteran for filing a claim for benefits.

This chapter offers guidance on what we believe constitutes a compliant veterans benefits consulting practice.

A recent survey indicates about 21% of all families in the United States are providing long term care for a loved one. This is another marketing opportunity for your services. Strategies in this chapter also help you to approach and bring into your business, these people as well.

Veterans or their families are vitally interested in receiving the benefits they feel they deserve. With the help of our promotional ideas in Chapter 3, you should be able to attract a number of veteran households who want to learn more about their long term care benefits. Typically, once they know you have information that could help them, they will call you. It takes very little effort on your part to set up an initial meeting or a consultation.

One way to enhance your current operation and to attract seniors and their children to your services is to form a long term care planning or life care practice. You can still help provide veterans benefits, but by broadening your services to include long term care planning, you will solve a lot of the fee charging and claims prohibition problems created by providing only veterans benefits consulting.

Once you bring interested people in, you will have two challenges in managing your consulting service. The first challenge -- if you are a financial products person or an attorney -- is that some veteran households do not have enough assets or income for you to help with estate planning, legal issues or asset reallocation.

In addition, if you are an attorney or financial practitioner you may also be limited in your ability to charge fees and you might have to spend a lot of time helping people without any compensation. There are various strategies for you to help all veteran households to get their benefits but spend most of your time with those families that need direction with asset allocation, legal help, tax planning or estate planning. These are the people who will provide you income.

The second challenge is for consultants -- who are not attorneys -- to avoid being involved in filing claims and for all consultants to avoid charging fees for the filing of claims. There are a number of strategies -- including expanding your practice to provide long term care planning -- for consultants who are not attorneys to avoid becoming involved in the claims process.

It is especially important for home care providers or assisted living facilities to hold onto their clients while waiting for the claim to come through but at the same time, not provide assistance with the claim. We offer strategies for you to do this as well.

The consultant’s ultimate goal is to get aid and attendance claims through in a matter of months instead of years. We discuss strategies for this issue as well.

Promotional and marketing tools discussed in this chapter include:

• The use of brochures and booklets
• Seminar marketing
• Internet marketing
• Network marketing

Much of the information in this chapter is based on the use of the marketing strategies listed above that are available through the National Care Planning Council’s "Veterans Benefits Consultants Package."