Privacy & SMS Terms

What we collect

When you start a claim with us, we collect identity information needed to file VA Form 21-22a and engage representation: full legal name, date of birth, last four of SSN, VA file number (if known), branch of service, mailing address, phone, email, your description of the claim, and your e-signature. We collect medical records only after we are formally engaged, and we store them in a per-veteran encrypted vault inside your dashboard. Each file is encrypted in your browser with a key unique to your case before it ever leaves your device. Plaintext medical records never enter our application database.

We do not sell, rent, license, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing. We share information with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the necessary recipient of your claim) and with our regulated service providers (transactional email, SMS carrier, secure file storage) strictly to operate the practice on your behalf.

Statutory protections

Records that pertain to your VA claim are protected under the Privacy Act of 1974 as applied to VA records by 38 U.S.C. § 5701 and 38 C.F.R. Part 1 Subpart B. We do not disclose claim records to anyone other than you, VA, or persons you authorize in writing.

Our representation is governed by 38 U.S.C. § 5904 (accreditation) and 38 C.F.R. §§ 14.629 (accredited persons), 14.631 (powers of attorney), 14.632 (standards of conduct), and 14.636 (fees). We file every executed Power of Attorney with VA OGC under § 14.631.

SMS messaging — terms & consent

By checking the SMS opt-in box on our intake form, you consent to receive transactional text messages from Veteran Claims USA at the mobile number you provided.

What we send:

• One-time sign-in codes for your secure case dashboard
• Appointment reminders for VA Compensation & Pension exams and case calls (typically T-7 days, T-1 day, T-2 hours, and a T+24h follow-up)
• Case status updates when VA decisions, exam notices, or evidence requests arrive

What we do not send: marketing, promotional content, third-party offers, or messages unrelated to your case.

Frequency: varies by case activity — typically 0–8 messages per month per veteran.

Carrier charges: message and data rates may apply per your mobile carrier's plan. We do not charge you to send or receive SMS.

How to stop: reply STOP at any time to any message. You will be unsubscribed immediately. You can also email claims@vetclaimsusa.com or call 1-833-VHA-1776. Reply HELP at any time for assistance information.

Consent is not a condition of representation. You can be a client without consenting to SMS — you'll receive the same updates by email.

Carrier participation: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular, and most regional carriers. Coverage may vary. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

How we secure your data

• Medical records (PHI): client-side AES-256 encrypted before upload, stored in a per-veteran vault. Each file has its own data key, wrapped by a per-case master key held in our secure server vault. Only the accredited agent on your case can decrypt — and every decryption is logged.
• Sign-in: magic-link only. No passwords to leak or reuse.
• Transport: TLS 1.3 with HSTS strict-transport-security enforced.
• Audit: tamper-evident log of every action on your case (uploads, status changes, SMS, email).
• Edge: managed firewall + DDoS protection on our infrastructure.

Your rights

You may request a copy of all data we hold about you, request deletion of data we are not required to retain by VA regulation, revoke your Power of Attorney in writing at any time per 38 C.F.R. § 14.633, and direct us to cease electronic communications. Send any such request to claims@vetclaimsusa.com.

Specific data we collect

We collect only the data needed to represent you before VA. Specifically:

• Identity: full legal name, date of birth, full Social Security number, VA file number (if assigned), branch of service, phone, email, mailing address.
• Claim details: conditions claimed, service dates, your narrative, supporting documents and medical records you upload.
• Communications log: emails, SMS, calls, and platform activity related to your case.

We do not collect precise geolocation, payment-card numbers, biometric data, browsing data outside the platform, or social-graph data. We do not use tracking pixels or third-party advertising trackers.

How we use your data

We use your data only to: represent you before VA; file VA forms on your behalf; communicate about your case; comply with federal recordkeeping rules.

We do not sell, rent, license, or trade your data for profit, money, advertising, or any other consideration. No data — identified, anonymized, pseudonymized, or aggregated — is sold or made available to advertisers, marketers, data brokers, or any third party for commercial purposes.

Who we share data with

We share specific data with specific recipients, only as needed to operate the practice:

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — VA forms, evidence, correspondence about your claim. This is the purpose of representation.
• Service providers — Supabase (database + storage), Netlify (hosting), Cloudflare (DDoS + DNS), Resend (transactional email), Twilio (SMS), Anthropic (Claude AI for document analysis). Each is bound by a written agreement that prohibits any use of your data beyond performing services for us, and requires the same security standards we apply.

We do not share data with marketers, advertisers, data brokers, social platforms, or insurance companies. If a court order or subpoena compels disclosure, we will notify you unless legally barred from doing so.

Data retention & deletion

Retention. We retain veteran case data for the duration of representation plus seven (7) years after closure. This is the minimum required under 38 U.S.C. § 5701 and 38 C.F.R. Part 1 Subpart B for VA records. We retain the audit log for the same period.

Dormant accounts. If you create an account but never sign a Power of Attorney with us, your data is purged within 90 days of last activity.

How to request deletion. Email claims@vetclaimsusa.com with the subject "Delete my data" from the email on file. We will confirm receipt within 5 business days and permanently delete 100% of your data — including any non-VA data you shared with us within 45 days of your request, except for the minimum we are required to retain under federal law. We will tell you in writing what (if anything) we are required to keep.

Data breach notification

If we determine your data has been or is reasonably believed to have been accessed by an unauthorized party, we will notify you within 60 days of discovery using the contact information on file. Notification will include what data was affected, what we are doing about it, what you can do to protect yourself, and how to contact us with questions.

Change of ownership or business closure

If Veteran Claims USA LLC is sold, merged, or closed, we will notify every active client at least 60 days before the transition. You will have, at minimum, one of these options:

• Securely download a complete copy of your case data.
• Transfer your data to a new accredited representative of your choice.
• Have all of your data permanently deleted.

Any successor entity will be contractually bound to honor this Privacy Policy and the prior representation agreement, including the no-sale, no-marketing, and no-third-party-sharing commitments.

Changes to this policy

If we change this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Service, we will email every active client at the email on file and post a dated notice on this page. Material changes take effect at least 30 days after notice. You can request deletion of your data if you do not agree to the changes.

Contact

Veteran Claims USA LLC
claims@vetclaimsusa.com · 1-833-VHA-1776