I served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1975 to 1977, and was proud to do my part. Like every veteran, I believed the benefits I earned would be there when I needed them. What I didn’t expect was to be targeted by a company that twisted the system designed to help veterans into a way to profit from our earned benefits.

Last year, when I sought help for post-traumatic stress, I was contacted by a company promising quick results and expertise with my VA disability claim. What they didn’t say was that their business was unaccredited and that their business model was dependent on charging veterans for services that should be free.

The company pitched itself as an expert with insider knowledge of the VA system. They rushed me through paperwork and spoke as if they were working directly with the VA. At no point did they disclose that charging me to file an initial claim was against the law, or that I could have received free, accredited help from my County Veterans Service Officer, or other Veterans Service Organization such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars or Disabled American Veterans.

After reviewing my award letter, the claim shark hit me with a bill to pay them six months of my VA benefits and demanded I pay within three months or incur interest charges. Hidden contract terms even gave them a claim on future benefits, which I never understood before signing. For a veteran living on $1,600 a month, that unexpected bill meant draining my savings. Even after I paid, company representatives continued to call me incessantly.

My Story Is Common Because of a Loophole

Unfortunately, my story is not unique. Claim shark companies take advantage of a legal loophole created when Congress stripped criminal penalties from the law in 2006. The VA can send warnings, but it lacks the enforcement tools to stop these sharks — which has allowed untrained and unaccountable claim sharks to flourish into a multibillion-dollar industry. Veterans face misleading promises, hidden contracts, and bills they cannot afford — with zero recourse when things go wrong.

California can change that. SB 694, by state Sen. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), would give our state the tools to protect veterans and hold claim sharks accountable. SB 694 would make it a misdemeanor to provide claims assistance without proper VA accreditation. It also would protect veterans’ private information, stop companies from charging for filing initial claims, and prevent price gouging for filing appeals or other follow-up claims.

Claim shark companies say bills like SB 694 take away a veteran’s “choice.” From my experience, that’s not true. No one ever told me I had free, accredited options. I only learned about my options after I had already signed a contract and drained my savings. That isn’t choice. That’s deception.

For veterans living with PTSD, physical injuries, or financial stress, the VA process can feel overwhelming. Claim shark companies know and exploit this. They make promises of special access and getting benefits approved faster, but all they really offer is a bill. SB 694 will help make sure veterans are protected from the same trap.

To my fellow veterans: you earned your benefits, and you can get free, accredited help filing for them. To California’s lawmakers: pass SB 694. Close the loophole. Stand with veterans, not with claim sharks.

About the Author

John Ryan is a retired U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He and his wife live in Kern County, where John currently works at his local church and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and the NEEDS Center. 

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