Claims and Appeals

If you have a claim or appeal with the Department of Veterans Affairs, my office can check on the status of your case or write a letter of interest on your behalf. Although my staff is unable to expedite claims and/or appeals, and does not have the ability to influence a case's outcome, we can help to ensure due process, which means that your case will be given appropriate consideration.

If you have any questions or concerns about your veteran's benefits, please call my Detroit office at (313) 226-6020 or (800) 851-0030 (in state) or write to my veterans constituent representative at:

Office of Senator Carl Levin
Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue, Suite 1860
Detroit, MI 48226-2594

How to File A Claim

The initial step is to visit or call the Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, you may wish to contact one of Michigan's many veterans' service organizations. These organizations are listed below. In many cases, these organizations have service officers who can assist you throughout the claims process.

Expediting a claim

The Detroit VA will expedite a claim only in the event that the veteran is terminally ill and has medical evidence to support the illness. The claimant must inform the Department of Veterans Affairs of their special situation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Michigan Regional Office
Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue, 12th Floor
Detroit, MI 48226
(800) 827-1000

VA Medical Centers

Some of the issues that veterans experience in reference to the VA Medical Centers include questions about treatment, fee basis cards, prescriptions and nursing care. My office can write letters of interest in these situations and ask the hospital to respond to the veteran's concerns.

Michigan's VA Medical Centers

Ann Arbor VA Medical Center
2215 Fuller Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 769-7100
Patient Representative: (734) 769-7100 x7908
Patient Registration: Please contact the patient representative.

Battle Creek VA Medical Center
5500 Armstrong Road
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 966-5600
Patient Representative: (269) 966-5600 x5990
Patient Registration: (269) 966-5600 x3887

Detroit VA Medical Center
4646 John R. Street
Detroit, MI 48201
313-576-1000
Patient Representative: (313) 576-1000 x3666
Patient Registration: (313) 576-1000 x3489

Iron Mountain VA Medical Center
325 East H Street
Iron Mountain, MI 49801
906-774-3300
Patient Representative: (906) 774-3300 x32020
Patient Registration: (906) 774-3300 x32666

Saginaw VA Medical Center
1500 Weiss Street
Saginaw, MI 48602
(989) 497-2500
Patient Representative: (989) 497-2500 x3012
Patient Registration: (989) 497-2500 x3115

Obtaining a Fee Basis Card

To obtain a fee basis card, you must contact the patient representative at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center from which you receive treatment.

The Veterans Affairs Medical Centers' Nursing Services

There are many factors that determine whether or not a veteran qualifies for nursing care. Overall, the VA is moving away from long-term nursing care. However, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center may, in certain situations, help place veterans in private nursing homes. A patient representative can assist with this process.

Prescription Assistance: This situation can be resolved by contacting the patient representative at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center where you receive treatment.

National Personnel Records Center

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) contains all service records from WWI to present. Often, a veteran will need records to support a claim, for Social Security purposes, employment and to obtain medals. Although my office cannot normally expedite the request for records, my staff can make these requests on behalf of the veteran.

It is important to note, however, that the NPRC suffered a fire in 1973 in which many service records were destroyed. Because of this, the NPRC is sometimes unable to provide original records. The center does, however, have resources by which a veteran's records can be reconstructed.

Obtaining a copy of discharge papers, service records and/or service medals and decorations:

Completing the NPRC's Standard Form 180, which you can download at the NPRC site, can process all of these requests. The length of time for each request to be processed depends on the type of request. You can obtain more information by accessing the NPRC's website.

Contacting the National Personnel Records Center:

Military Records Facility
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100
(314) 801-0800

Civilian Records Facility
111 Winnebago Street
St. Louis, MO 63118-4199

Michigan Veterans Organizations

Some of the national organizations that can provide assistance are listed below. All of these organizations are located on the 12th floor of the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in Detroit.

American Legion
1210 McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 964-6640

AMVETS
1227 McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 964-6920

Disabled American Veterans
1200 McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 964-6595

Paralyzed Veterans of America
1233 McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-9583

Veterans of Foreign Wars
1215 McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 964-6510

Vietnam Veterans of America
1231 McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-9568

 

FEDERAL AGENCIES

• Veterans Affairs
• FirstGov
  
• Centers for Medicare / Medicaid Services
• Equal Employment
  Opportunity Commiss'n
• Office of Personnel Management
• Office of Workers' Compensation Program
• Social Security Admin

PRIVACY RELEASE