The Veterans News Hour
News and talk show about military veterans issues, including VA benefits and all related topics.
Guest, Holly Ferrell, National Appeals Director for Veteran Warriors
Holly Ferrell is Veteran Warriors’ National Appeals Director and oversees all veteran caregiver related matters. In this role, she handles cases of various natures: those who have had their applications denied; those who have been discharged; those who are attempting to resolve issues with the VA staff; those veterans and their caregiver who are attempting to decide whether to apply and whether they meet eligibility; those veterans who require assistance with applying; those who are looking for other resources or possibly that their veteran requires more care; and any other related matters.
With her clinical background, the majority of her time is spent assisting veterans whose Caregiver Program applications have been denied and those that have been discharged from the program with properly drafting their appeals, including assisting the veteran and caregiver with gathering the proper documentation and medical records to prove they were wrongfully denied. On a case by case basis, Holly will represent a veteran and their caregiver with their appeals either onsite or via teleconference. There are often times where she is required to help open the dialog between the veteran and the VA to discuss potential administrative errors on a Veteran’s Eligibility Assessment, misconduct, or other wrongdoing by VA. She has oversight of all the organization’s cases regarding the public law’s clinical and administrative eligibility for the Caregiver Program, requiring her to spend a lot of time discussing options with veterans or caregivers regarding Program eligibility and whether there may be other more suitable programs.
When Holly is not assisting other veteran families, she enjoys spending time with her family. Holly’s husband is a post 9/11 Army veteran, which allows her to relate closely with the veteran caregiver community. Daniel and Holly have four children, three boys and a little princess, and one four-legged fur-child. With two of their four children knowing life before the military discharge and two only knowing the veteran lifestyle, she has strived to ensure her children are well rounded, compassionate, and understand that their lifestyle is not typical for many of the peers. She and her family frequently help other families who are attempting to transition out of the military to navigate the veteran family lifestyle, particularly with navigating the VA and adapting to a new way of life.