Bill Overview
Title: GUARD VA Benefits Act
Description: This bill imposes criminal penalties and/or fines on individuals for directly or indirectly soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving any unauthorized fee or compensation with respect to the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The attempted commission of such offenses is also punishable by fine or imprisonment.
Sponsors: Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
Target Audience
Population: Global U.S. military veterans seeking VA benefits
Estimated Size: 19000000
- This bill is concerned with VA benefits claims, which directly involves U.S. military veterans seeking benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- The bill targets individuals who attempt to exploit veterans by charging unauthorized fees for helping with VA benefit claims.
- Families of veterans might also be indirectly impacted if these exploitative practices affect the household financially.
- Unauthorized representatives who exploit veterans would be directly impacted by facing criminal penalties.
Reasoning
- To simulate the impact of the GUARD VA Benefits Act, it's essential to sample a diverse group of veterans who may be impacted differently by this policy.
- The subset of veterans that are directly affected are those who might otherwise be defrauded by unaccredited representatives—likely a smaller group within the broader veteran community.
- Additionally, it is important to include family members who might be economically reliant on veterans' benefits, as they could be indirectly affected.
- Unaffected individuals might include veterans who don't engage with or need outside assistance for VA claims.
- With a limit on budget and program size, the policy aims to protect a specific subset of veterans, which means impact and benefit distribution will not be uniform across the veteran population.
Simulated Interviews
Retired Army Veteran (Texas)
Age: 68 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe this policy is necessary because too many of us get scammed.
- It should stop those predators from taking our money.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Veteran Services Advocate (California)
Age: 33 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This will help ensure veterans get the assistance they deserve without being scammed.
- Awareness is key; many don't even realize they are getting defrauded.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Air Force Veteran (Florida)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I didn't know people get scammed for these claims, so it's good that something is being done.
- It's important for benefits to go to those who have served.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
VA Legal Counsel (Virginia)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This law is a clear step forward in protecting veterans from exploitative practices.
- However, it should go hand-in-hand with increased VA resources to process claims efficiently.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Student and Veteran (New York)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It seems like a sensible measure to protect those who might not be as informed.
- Education about these scams is also critical.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired Navy Veteran (Nevada)
Age: 75 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I lost some money before because of these scams; glad to see this addressed.
- Veterans should use their own resources, but some get trapped.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Veterans Affairs Consultant (Oregon)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Good clarifications in the policy that will distinguish legal from illegal practices.
- Helps us better serve veterans without worrying about the bad actors.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retirement Benefits Manager (Ohio)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any action to prevent fraud in veterans benefits is beneficial.
- I think this should be part of a larger support framework for veterans.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Full-time Caregiver (Illinois)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad there will be laws protecting us from fraud.
- Veterans and their families sometimes don't know who to trust.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Veteran-turned-Entrepreneur (North Carolina)
Age: 37 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's an important bill to help prevent people from being taken advantage of.
- I haven't been affected but know some who were.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 2: $3000000 (Low: $2000000, High: $5000000)
Year 3: $3000000 (Low: $2000000, High: $5000000)
Year 5: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $4000000)
Year 10: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $3000000)
Year 100: $500000 (Low: $200000, High: $2000000)
Key Considerations
- The enforcement of criminal penalties may have deterrent effects, leading to reduced fraudulent activities.
- The net cost impact will depend heavily on the effectiveness of enforcement and the deterrence effect of the new penalties.
- Administrative changes within the VA and law enforcement entities may introduce initial costs but can lead to long-term savings.
- The bill's success could lead to better-quality services for veterans applying for benefits.