As a veteran, you serve and make sacrifices for your country. When returning stateside, your service is met with benefits. Unfortunately, when some veterans attempt to get the assistance they need medically for veteran benefits, they are met with resistance and denials. Below are the ways to obtain the right documentation to get the benefits to which you are entitled. 

Prove your status

Before you can receive any benefits as a veteran, you must first verify your status as a retiree or veteran of the United States Armed Forces. A copy of your discharge form is the DD Form 214 that you received upon your discharge. On this form, your military record is outlined such as:

• Branch(es) in which you served
• Service years and areas
• Medals and honors received during your career
• Type of discharge received

With this form, you must also supply a copy of your identification to prove that you are the person on the DD Form 214. You can use your government-issued photo identification such as your military ID, driver’s license, or passport. 

Deployment orders and reports

Should you have outstanding wounds from one of your deployments while serving in the military, be prepared to have documentation at the federal level available. Any claims you have from your treatment during your service or wounds you suffered should have been documented and verifiable for the Veteran Affairs office. Documents such as deployment orders, unit rosters and reports are credible documents that can verify your deployment and what you experienced while you were on a mission. 

If you have witness statements for identifying your medical needs and injuries while serving, they must come from reputable sources, such as your commanding officer that can be verified through unit rosters or through medical staff assigned to the area you were deployed during your service. 

Medical recommendations

If you have been receiving health care or treatment from a physician not affiliated with Veteran Affairs, you may need a medical recommendation for specific treatments. Sometimes, the effects of the wounds will have lasting effects on your daily life, even after being discharged from the military. When you obtain these recommendations, the medical staff must write these documents specific to your symptoms, experiences, and needs. 

Keep documentation together

Over the course of your military career, you probably received many of these documents that you need for veteran benefits. It is important to keep a copy of these records with you to be available any time you need to claim your benefits. This will make the process easier and allow you to have a higher chance of  getting approved for your benefits and getting quicker access to these benefits.