Hill & Ponton Attorney Kate Kovarovic is conducting a short, anonymous survey on how the VA disability claims process affects veterans’ mental health and well-being. The survey takes about 15-30 minutes and will help inform a presentation for military psychologists on how advocates can better support Veterans throughout the claims process.

If you’ve gone through the VA disability claims process, please consider sharing your experience and encouraging fellow veterans to participate. The survey closes on October 23.

Take the survey here

In September 1969, Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris was with the Army Special Forces in Vietnam when one of his team sergeants was killed near a heavily defended enemy position. Morris went in to bring him back. He took out several bunkers along the way, was shot three times, and still managed to return with his fallen teammate.

The Army initially gave him the Distinguished Service Cross. Many felt that this did not properly acknowledge Morris’s selflessness and bravery that day. As a result, years later, Congress ordered a review to find soldiers who might have missed out on the Medal of Honor because of prejudice, and Morris’s case was reviewed again.

In 2014, forty-five years after the battle, then-President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor. Morris did what he needed to do in 1969. It took decades, and someone willing to look at his case again, for the record to be set right.

Benefits decisions can be similar. If you think the VA made a mistake with your claim, you can ask them to review it.

Read Melvin Morris's full story at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society below.

Select any condition below, and we'll send a detailed information packet to your email, covering your diagnosis and how it may affect your VA claim.

Many veterans assume the VA can revisit a rating whenever it wants. It can't. Fortunately for veterans, the VA can propose a reduction only under specific legal conditions and must show that the reduction is justified.

Before the VA lowers any rating, it needs a thorough exam showing that your condition has actually improved and that the improvement is reflected in your daily life and your ability to work. Feeling better on exam day isn't enough.

Once a rating has stayed at the same level for five years:

This applies to any service-connected condition, from back and knee injuries to PTSD.

After a condition has been service-connected for 10 years, the VA can't sever that connection except in rare cases, such as fraud or proof that you didn't meet basic service requirements. Your percentage can still change, but the connection stays.

If a rating has remained at the same level for 20 straight years, the VA can't lower it unless there was fraud.

If a proposed reduction would lower your combined rating or monthly payment, the VA must notify you in writing first. That letter is a proposal, not a final decision.

One exception: if lowering one condition doesn't change your combined rating or your payment, the VA can make the change without advance notice. Read every decision letter, even when your check stays the same.

Find the date each of your current ratings took effect. Those dates tell you which protections apply. Your decision letters are on VA.gov, and you can request your full claims file with a Privacy Act request. If a reduction is already on the table, see whether you can stop it.

If you’re facing challenges with your claim and need assistance, reach out for a free case evaluation.

This 11-minute video shows you how to get protected status and, just as important, how to keep your rating safe if it is ever challenged. Many veterans don’t know that protection is not automatic.

There are specific rules that determine if the VA can change your rating. After watching the video, you’ll likely understand your own file better than most veterans.

The Omnipod is a tubeless, wearable insulin pump sold in three versions: the Omnipod 5, the Omnipod DASH, and the original Omnipod Eros. Each “Pod” is a single-use, disposable unit that adheres directly to the skin, holds a reservoir of rapid-acting insulin, and delivers it subcutaneously through a small, soft cannula that is automatically inserted upon activation. A Pod is worn continuously for up to 72 hours, then discarded and replaced.

In 2026, Insulet initiated two separate voluntary Medical Device Corrections after discovering that Pods were leaving its manufacturing line with damaged insulin-delivery tubing. The first covered certain Omnipod 5 Pods, and the second expanded to Omnipod 5, DASH, and Eros Pods.

The FDA ultimately classified both as Class I recalls, the agency’s most serious designation, reserved for situations in which use of the product may cause serious injury or death. In the aggregate, the two actions cover more than 8.2 million Pods. Damaged tubing can cause Pods to under-deliver insulin, sometimes without triggering an alarm, which can lead to dangerously high blood sugar and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Act now. You may qualify if you were using an Omnipod 5, DASH, or Eros Pod and were treated in an emergency room or admitted to the hospital for DKA on or after July 1, 2024.

Contact us today at (855) 494-1298 to learn more about your options or to begin your claim.