43名立法者要求针对未经认可的公司采取行动,利用退伍军人的数据来收取残疾索赔援助费。 43 lawmakers demand action against unaccredited firms exploiting veterans’ data to charge for disability claim help.

由43名国会议员组成的两党团体要求联邦对指控退伍军人要求残疾索赔援助的未经认可的公司采取行动,在此之前,国家康复局进行了一项调查,披露Trajector Medical等公司利用退伍军人的个人数据进入VA系统并收取增加福利的费用,即使没有提供任何帮助。 A bipartisan group of 43 members of Congress is demanding federal action against unaccredited companies charging veterans for disability claim assistance, following an NPR investigation revealing firms like Trajector Medical used veterans’ personal data to access VA systems and bill them for benefit increases—even when no help was provided. 尽管联邦法律要求对初始索赔要求给予自由、经认可的支持,但2006年的一项法律修正案取消了刑事处罚,使营利性顾问能够在法律灰色地区开展业务。 Though federal law requires free, accredited support for initial claims, a 2006 law change removed criminal penalties, enabling for-profit consultants to operate in a legal gray area. 立法者警告这些做法侵犯数据隐私,破坏同意,并可能违反联邦规则,称其为掠夺性。 Lawmakers warn these practices violate data privacy, undermine consent, and may breach federal rules, calling them predatory. 他们敦促瓦努阿图议会、公平贸易委员会和联邦自由竞争委员会调查和支持《GUARD VA福利法》恢复处罚,尽管立法进展因反对相互竞争的共和党支持的法案而停滞不前。 They urge the VA, FTC, and CFPB to investigate and support the GUARD VA Benefits Act to restore penalties, though legislative progress is stalled by opposition to a competing Republican-backed bill.