Veteran services office seeks county purchase of Veteran AI licenses to speed claims help

Veteran Service Officer Travis told the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 9 that his office is recommending the county approve a vendor agreement to obtain staff access and 25 two-month 'veteran' licenses from a company called Veteran AI to help veterans prepare benefit claims and related documentation.

Travis said the office handled more than 1,400 in-person appointments and roughly 15,000 total veteran contacts last year, and that his office processed about $6.4 million in indirect income routed through county assistance while the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs paid about $18 million into the county. He said the VSO office spent roughly 84% of its budget last year and has received state reimbursements (about $25,000 in the prior year and roughly $11,500 submitted in January).

Travis described Veteran AI as an operator-run platform that provides staff tools — including templates and guidance for buddy statements, injury narratives, nexus letters and other claims documents — and allows download of a service record ('C file') to identify likely claims. He said the county would purchase a staff-level 'advocate' access for VSOs and 25 licenses the county can issue to veterans; issued licenses run for two months, after which veterans must opt to pay to continue. Travis said licenses do not expire at the county level and that unused county-purchased licenses remain available.

Commissioners asked for clarification about cost, duration and expected benefits. Travis said the main value is giving VSOs direct tools to accelerate claim preparation and to help veterans who are not technologically fluent; one commissioner and an attorney present described the platform as a potential time-saver for complex appeals work. No formal contract vote occurred; Travis said the item is being submitted for commissioner review as part of routine procurement and budgeted in his operations request.

The board did not take immediate action; staff were asked to include contract documentation and cost breakdown in an upcoming agenda packet so procurements and budget impacts can be reviewed publicly.

The next step: the Veteran AI contract will be routed through the county's normal procurement process and appear to the commissioners for formal approval and any required fiscal action.