Claim Sharks Are Destroying VA Disability For Everyone (And How To Stop It)

Why the “maximize your rating” industry is giving Congress exactly the ammunition it needs to cut your benefits

The Problem Nobody Wants To Talk About

In October 2025, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Gade testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs with a message that should terrify every legitimately disabled veteran:

The VA disability system is broken. Veterans are gaming it. And Congress needs to cut benefits.

Here’s what he told them:

450,000 new compensation recipients entered the system last year
Total combat-wounded from the entire Global War on Terror: 50,000
270,000 veterans received tinnitus ratings last year alone—100 times the number of all GWOT amputees over 20 years
9 of the top 10 newly rated conditions are “easily exaggerated or totally unverifiable”

His proposed solutions?

Stop compensating “non-disabling conditions”
Eliminate conditions caused by “genetics, aging, or lifestyle”
Require active treatment for all mental health compensation

I don’t like Daniel Gade. But given the current state of play, he’s hard to argue against.

How We Got Here

The claim shark industry has spent the last decade teaching veterans to treat VA disability ratings like a game to win.

You’ve seen them. You’ve probably watched their YouTube videos:

“How to STACK VA and Social Security for $100,000 per year!”
“Play chess, not checkers with your VA claim!”
“From 10% to 100% P&T in 90 days!”
“Maximize your rating with our proven system!”

They sell courses. They sell templates. They sell “nexus letter services.” They position VA disability as something you’re entitled to maximize, not something that reflects your actual functional capacity.

And it’s working.

Veterans are learning the language. They’re learning what to say. They’re learning how to describe symptoms to hit rating thresholds.

And Congress is noticing.

The Real Numbers Tell A Disturbing Story

Let’s be honest about what’s happening:

450,000 new disability recipients last year.

That’s not combat injuries. The entire Global War on Terror produced roughly 50,000 combat-wounded over 20 years. We’re adding 450,000 NEW recipients EVERY YEAR.

270,000 tinnitus ratings in a single year.

That’s 100 times the total number of GWOT amputees. Are we really saying that ear ringing is 100 times more common and disabling than losing a limb?

Top 10 conditions are mostly unverifiable:

Tinnitus (ringing in ears—unverifiable)
Limited knee flexion (easily exaggerated)
Back strain (subjective pain)
Limited motion of arm (easily exaggerated)
Hearing loss (some verifiable)
Scars or burns (verifiable)
Sciatica (subjective pain)
Limited ankle motion (easily exaggerated)
Migraine (subjective pain)
PTSD (subjective symptoms)

Notice what’s verifiable on that list? Scars or burns. That’s it.

Everything else relies on the veteran accurately reporting their symptoms.

And claim sharks are teaching veterans exactly what to report.

What Claim Sharks Actually Teach

I’m not going to name specific organizations. But if you’ve spent any time researching VA disability claims, you’ve seen the playbook:

Step 1: Create Urgency

“You’re leaving $20,000 per year on the table! Don’t let the VA deny you what you deserve!”

Step 2: Promise Massive Payouts

“Veterans are collecting $100,000+ per year by stacking VA disability with Social Security! Here’s how!”

Step 3: Gamify The System

“The VA has rules. Learn to play by their rules. Play chess, not checkers!”

Step 4: Teach “Automatic Secondary Claims”

“Got a lumbar spine rating at 20%? File AUTOMATICALLY for bilateral radiculopathy, hip pain, knee pain, depression, and bowel/bladder dysfunction. Same injury, now you’re at 60-80%!” “When in doubt, file it and let the VA deny you. Filing costs nothing!”

Step 5: Sell The Solution

“Our courses teach you how to maximize your rating. Our templates show you what to write. Our nexus letters seal the deal. Just $500 per letter.”

Step 6: Show Testimonials

“I went from 10% to 100% P&T in 6 months using this system!”

This is not education. This is optimization.

And the difference matters.

The “Automatic Secondary” Problem

Here’s where it gets sophisticated: Many secondary conditions ARE legitimate anatomical or physiological connections. If your lumbar spine condition compresses nerves, you probably do have radiculopathy. If you limp from back pain, you probably have developed hip problems.

But “automatic” is the problem.

When you teach veterans to file for EVERY possible secondary connection WITHOUT considering actual functional impact, you’re teaching optimization, not documentation.

Legitimate question: “My back pain causes me to limp, which has damaged my hip. I have hip pain that limits my function. Should I file for a secondary hip condition?”

Answer: Yes. Document your functional limitation. See your doctor. Get it in your records.

Claim shark question: “I have a lumbar spine rating. What automatic secondaries should I file to maximize my rating?”

Answer: File for bilateral radiculopathy, both hips, both knees, depression, and bowel/bladder dysfunction. Don’t even think about it. Make the VA deny what doesn’t apply.

See the difference? One is documenting actual functional limitations. The other is systematically filing for every possible connection to see what sticks.

The Difference Between Documentation And Optimization

Optimization Says:

“What conditions can I claim? How do I describe symptoms to maximize my rating? What secondary conditions connect to my primary? How do I get to 100%?”

Goal: Highest possible rating.

Documentation Says:

“What actually happened? How did it impact my function? Can I sustain employment? What does my body actually allow?”

Goal: Accurate rating that matches reality.

Why This Matters: The Daniel Gade Problem

When claim sharks teach veterans to game the system, people like Daniel Gade testify before Congress with a simple message:

“The system is broken. Veterans are lying. Cut the benefits.”

And here’s the problem: He’s not completely wrong about the gaming. He’s just wrong about the solution.

Gade’s proposed reforms would devastate legitimately disabled veterans:

1. Stop compensating “non-disabling conditions”

Sounds reasonable until you realize “non-disabling” gets defined by bureaucrats who’ve never lived with chronic pain, tinnitus, or mental health conditions that make employment impossible.

2. Eliminate conditions caused by “genetics, aging, or lifestyle”

My MS is technically “genetic predisposition triggered by environmental factors.” Does that mean I don’t deserve compensation because my genes made me susceptible? Why are members of the military so much more vulnarable to contracting the disease?

3. Require active treatment for mental health compensation

What happens to veterans who can’t access treatment? Or for whom treatment doesn’t work? Do they lose compensation because their PTSD is treatment-resistant?

Gade’s solution punishes everyone because some people are gaming the system.

The Real Victims: Legitimately Disabled Veterans

Every veteran who uses claim shark tactics to inflate their rating:

Makes Congress more skeptical of ALL disability claims
Gives ammunition to reformers who want to cut benefits across the board
Makes it harder for legitimately disabled veterans to be believed
Damages the credibility of the entire VA disability system

I’m 100% P&T with 13 service-connected disabilities.

My rating compensates me more than $4,000 per month plus medications worth another $4,000+ per month. Over my lifetime, that’s worth more than $3 million.

I didn’t game the system to get there.

I have meticulously documented 30 years of progressive Multiple Sclerosis:

Rated 30% in 1992 after being paralyzed on my right side aboard a submarine
Increased to 70% in 2017 after 25 years of documented functional decline
Increased to 100% P&T in 2021 after submitting 347 pages of evidence

And even at 100% P&T, I kept working for four more years because my brain still functioned even when my body didn’t.

That’s not gaming. That’s progressive disability.

But when claim sharks teach people to “maximize ratings” and “stack benefits,” my legitimate disability gets lumped in with optimization schemes.

What Honest Documentation Actually Looks Like

I recently had a bowel accident in the middle of a grocery store while shopping with my wife.

Complete loss of bowel control. No warning. Had to clean myself up in the bathroom and leave immediately.

That’s not something you exaggerate to maximize a rating. That’s functional incapacity.

Here’s how I documented the incident in TrackMySymptoms:

“January 16, 2026, 3:23 PM – Acute bowel accident at grocery store requiring immediate cleanup and withdrawal from public space. No warning signs. Not ill, no unusual food intake. Shopping with spouse when complete loss of bowel control occurred. Required bathroom cleanup and immediate departure. Functional capacity for remainder of day: 22%.“

That’s documentation. Not optimization.

The question isn’t “how do I describe this to get a higher rating?”

The question is “can I promise an employer this won’t happen at work?”

The answer is no.

The Three Types Of Veterans In The System

Type 1: Legitimately Disabled

Body genuinely cannot sustain employment without accomodation. Progressive conditions. Documented functional limitations. Honest reporting.

These veterans need and deserve compensation.

Type 2: Optimizers

Using claim shark tactics to maximize ratings. Selectively describing symptoms to hit thresholds. Chasing 100% as a goal rather than documenting actual limitations.

These veterans are gaming the system and damaging it for everyone else.

Type 3: Somewhere In Between

Have legitimate service-connected conditions but are unsure how to document them. Worried about being denied. Tempted by claim shark promises of “guaranteed results.”

These veterans need honest tools, not optimization tactics.

Why TrackMySymptoms Exists

I built TrackMySymptoms because I spent 30 years documenting my disability progression through three separate VA rating increases.

I know what honest documentation looks like.

And I know what claim sharks are teaching veterans to do.

TrackMySymptoms does NOT:

Teach you how to “maximize your rating”
Show you how to “stack benefits” to hit $100k/year
Encourage you to “play chess not checkers” with the VA
Sell you templates on “what to say” to get higher ratings
Promise you’ll go from 10% to 100% P&T

TrackMySymptoms DOES:

Help you document symptoms as they actually occur
Generate reports showing patterns over time
Capture functional impact in language the VA recognizes
Provide evidence of what your body actually allows
Help you get the rating that matches your reality—no more, no less

The Question That Matters

Here’s the only question that matters when filing or appealing a VA disability claim:

“Has my condition genuinely worsened, or am I just trying to hit a higher number?”

If your answer is “my condition has genuinely worsened and I have documentation to prove it,” then file the increase.

If your answer is “I watched a YouTube video showing me how to describe symptoms to get from 70% to 100%,” then you’re part of the problem.

What Happens If We Don’t Fix This

Here’s the truth: if claim sharks continue teaching veterans to game the system, Congress will eventually listen to people like Daniel Gade.

And when that happens, legitimate disabled veterans will lose benefits because optimizers destroyed the system’s credibility.

We’re already seeing the warning signs:

Increased scrutiny on “unverifiable” conditions like tinnitus and PTSD
Proposals to eliminate compensation for “non-disabling” conditions
Calls to require active treatment for mental health compensation
Congressional testimony painting veterans as a “problem class”

The backlash is coming. And it will hurt everyone.

The Responsibility of 100% P&T Veterans

If you’re rated 100% P&T, you carry a specific responsibility:

1. Don’t Abuse It

Don’t exaggerate symptoms beyond reality. The rating reflects your body’s limitations, not your desire for maximum benefits.

2. Don’t Waste It

Just because you can’t sustain competitive employment doesn’t mean you can’t contribute in other ways when your body cooperates.

3. Don’t Lie About It

Not to make yourself look more capable than you are. Not to make yourself look more disabled than you are. Just document reality.

4. Don’t Brag About It

Social media sharing of how you’re retired at 23 living in luxury on your 100% paycheck makes the system look ridiculous. Stop it!

5. Speak Up Against Claim Sharks

Every time you see a veteran being taught to “maximize ratings” or “stack benefits,” you have a responsibility to say: “That’s not how this works. That’s not what these benefits are for.”

The Bottom Line

Claim sharks are destroying VA disability credibility for everyone.

By teaching veterans to treat ratings as something to maximize rather than something that reflects actual functional capacity, they’re giving Congress exactly the ammunition it needs to cut benefits across the board.

And legitimate disabled veterans will pay the price.

If you have a service-connected condition that genuinely limits your ability to work, document it honestly.

If you’re watching YouTube videos on “how to stack benefits” and “maximize your rating,” you’re part of the problem.

The difference between those two approaches will determine whether the VA disability system survives the next decade.

What You Can Do

If You’re Filing A Claim:

Ask yourself: “Has my condition actually worsened, or am I just chasing a higher number?”

If it’s worsened, document the progression honestly. If you’re chasing a number, stop.

If You’re Already Rated:

Don’t brag about “going from 10% to 100%” like it’s a victory. Don’t teach other veterans your “strategy.”

Each rating increase should represent something you lost, not something you gained.

If You See Claim Sharks In Action:

Speak up. Tell other veterans that “maximizing ratings” damages the system for everyone.

Point them toward honest documentation tools instead.

If You Run A Veterans Organization:

Stop partnering with claim sharks. Stop promoting “rating optimization” services.

Start teaching veterans that ratings should match reality, not aspirations.

The Contract We Served Under

Here’s something Daniel Gade and other reformers conveniently ignore:

The Code of Federal Regulations already defines what is and isn’t a compensable disability.

I have Multiple Sclerosis. According to 38 CFR § 4.124a, MS warrants a 30% rating minimum – no questions asked if claimed within 7 years of separation.

Why?

Because the incidence of Multiple Sclerosis is statistically higher among military members per capita than the general population. The military KNOWS this. The VA KNOWS this. That’s why it’s in the CFR.

But every single time benefits are discussed in Congress, bureaucrats want to remove MS from the list of compensable disabilities.

Gade ALWAYS attacks hypertension. “It’s just aging,” he says. “Veterans have the same rates as civilians.”

Then why is hypertension presumptive for Vietnam veterans under the PACT Act?

Because exposure matters. Service matters. The contract we served under matters.

This Is About Breaking The Contract

When you join the military, you enter into a contract:

We’ll put you in harm’s way
We’ll expose you to things civilians never face
We’ll ask you to sacrifice your body
And in return, we’ll compensate you if service causes or aggravates disability

The CFR defines that contract. It lists the conditions. It specifies the ratings. It establishes the rules.

And now, AFTER we served under that contract, reformers want to change the terms retroactively.

“Sorry, hypertension doesn’t count anymore.”

“Sorry, MS is genetic so it’s not compensable.”

“Sorry, tinnitus is too easy to fake.”

That’s not reform. That’s breach of contract.

People Who Put Their Lives On The Line Shouldn’t Have To Justify CFR-Defined Disabilities

If Congress believes hypertension shouldn’t be compensable, change the CFR for FUTURE service members.

If they think MS is “genetic aging” (it’s not), get some actual medical experts in a room, and study it. If the decision is made to remove it, it’s the wrong decision, but remove it from the presumptive list for people who haven’t signed their contract yet

But you can’t just change the rules retroactively for people who served under the current contract.

We didn’t sign up knowing the benefits would be stripped later.

What Happens When We Let Reformers Cut “Expensive” Benefits

My father died from Non-Hodgkins B-Cell Lymphoma tied directly to his Naval service in Vietnam.

He was FINALLY classified as a “Blue Water Veteran” late in his life—but only after decades of fighting for recognition. Only after it took Jon Stewart going on national television to SHAME the government into acknowledging Agent Orange exposure for sailors who never set foot on Vietnamese soil.

How many veterans died from Agent Orange exposure before Blue Water Veteran status ever passed?

How many widows never got DIC benefits because their husbands died before Congress finally admitted the connection?

How many children grew up without disability compensation because bureaucrats like Gade argued Agent Orange claims were “too expensive” to recognize?

These bastards don’t need much excuse to say “fuck those veterans.”

And that’s exactly what happens when we let “reformers” cut benefits in the name of fiscal responsibility:

Agent Orange: Denied for decades, thousands died waiting
Gulf War Syndrome: Called “stress” for years, still fighting for recognition
Burn Pits: Took 20 years and Jon Stewart to get the PACT Act passed

Every single time, veterans die while Congress debates whether their service-connected conditions are “real enough” or “expensive enough” to warrant compensation.

And every single time, it takes a celebrity advocate to shame them into doing what they should have done immediately.

This Is What Gade’s “Reforms” Actually Mean

When Gade proposes eliminating compensation for “non-disabling conditions” or conditions caused by “genetics, aging, or lifestyle,” he’s not just talking about tinnitus and sleep apnea.

He’s talking about MS. Hypertension. Cancer. Any condition that could be argued as “genetic predisposition” or “would have happened anyway.”

Just like they argued about Agent Orange for 40 years.

My Pops served this country in Vietnam. He was exposed to Agent Orange on a Navy carrier. He developed cancer. He died.

And for most of his life, the VA said: “Not service-connected. Blue Water doesn’t count. Sorry.”

That’s what happens when we let reformers chip away at benefits in the name of fiscal responsibility.

And here’s the brutal irony: the only reason Congress is even considering these changes is because claim sharks taught veterans to game ratings on OTHER conditions – the easily exaggerated, unverifiable ones.

So legitimatly disabled veterans with CFR-defined conditions lose benefits because optimizers destroyed credibility on subjective conditions.

The Hard Truth

I don’t like Daniel Gade’s proposed solutions. But I understand why he’s making them.

When 270,000 veterans receive tinnitus ratings in a single year – 100 times the number of all GWOT amputees – something looks broken.

When 9 out of 10 top conditions are easily exaggerated or unverifiable, the system has a credibility problem.

When claim sharks are openly advertising “10% to 100% in 90 days” strategies, Congress notices.

And when Congress notices, everyone loses.

TrackMySymptoms: The Ethical Alternative

I built TrackMySymptoms on one principle: Honest documentation protects the system for people who genuinely need it.

Not optimization. Not maximization. Not gaming.

Just documentation of what your body actually allows, captured in the language the VA requires.

$20/month for individuals (Patient ←→ Doctor)
$40/month for VA Disability Claims
$60/month for Social Security Disability (SSDI) Claims
Hardship pricing available if you’re between claims or financially struggling – just email me and we’ll figure something out

No courses on “how to maximize your rating.”

No promises of “10% to 100% P&T.”

No “stack your benefits” strategies.

Just honest tools for documenting honest reality.

Because ratings should measure loss, not victory.

Shane Murphy
Navy Nuke – Submarine Veteran (1988-1992)
100% P&T since 2021
Founder, TrackMySymptoms

Ready to document your reality honestly? Get started now →

P.S. – To the claim sharks reading this: You’re destroying the system for people who actually need it. When Congress cuts benefits because you taught veterans to game ratings, remember that you’re the reason why.

P.P.S. – To Daniel Gade: I understand your frustration. But the solution isn’t cutting benefits for everyone because some people are gaming the system. The solution is teaching veterans to document honestly and holding claim sharks accountable for the damage they’re causing.