KMD89 VA Claims Consulting is an education business built around founder Dewayne Kimble's experience as a former VA Rating Veterans Service Representative. Its current offer is much narrower than the individualized consulting packages VA described in a 2024 warning letter. Today, the site emphasizes free YouTube education, books, webinars, a $199 monthly membership, a $275 private general Q&A session, and group training.
The private-session page now says the call is not a how-to consultation for a veteran's specific claim. Current terms say KMD89 does not review veteran documents, represent anyone before VA, or provide legal, medical, or mental-health advice.
That narrower scope is meaningful, but the website has pricing and configuration inconsistencies. A membership checkout shows a $199 line item and a $0.00 order total. Another live membership page shows repeated legacy prices of $97.99 and $297.99. A customer should confirm which page and terms control before entering payment information.
I built Claim Raven, which competes for veterans seeking claims education and self-guided tools. Treat that as a financial conflict. Claim Raven is not an accredited representative, law firm, or medical provider. I did not buy KMD89's membership, attend a private session, or inspect nonpublic content. This review uses public sources checked August 27, 2026, including current KMD89 pages, terms, privacy policy, store policies, testimonials, VA guidance, and the June 2024 VA warning letter.
TL;DR
- KMD89 Consulting LLC, doing business as KMD89 VA Claims Consulting, is a Florida company founded by Army veteran and former VA rater Dewayne Kimble.
- The current homepage advertises a monthly educational membership at $199. It includes live Q&A, a private community, a resource vault, and early access.
- The checkout page shows a $199 item but a $0.00 order total. A legacy membership page displays $97.99 and $297.99 monthly offers. Confirm the amount that will actually recur.
- A private Q&A is advertised at $275. The page says it covers general process questions, not how to handle the customer's specific claim.
- Current terms say KMD89 does not review veteran documents, represent veterans, file claims, or provide legal, medical, or mental-health advice.
- Subscriptions automatically renew. The terms say cancellation can occur at any time, takes effect immediately, and is prorated based on the recurring payment date. The page does not explain the proration calculation or processing deadline.
- The online store sells books from about $29.99 to $59.98. Its 30-day physical-goods return policy does not clearly govern memberships, digital access, or Q&A sessions.
- VA sent KMD89 a warning letter dated June 13, 2024 about then-advertised consulting, customized educational packets, document review, and prices from $2,699 to $5,699. The warning was not a judgment or final finding.
- Current pages appear materially narrower than the services VA described. No public KMD89 response or VA closure letter was located.
- KMD89 claims a 5.0 Google rating, but the page does not link a count. Company-hosted testimonials are reviewed or edited before posting and cannot establish a typical result.
- Claim Raven costs less for recurring self-guided tools: free, $14.99, $24.99, or $39.99 monthly. Its $500 Pathfinder beta covers a year and includes a C-file analysis. Neither company represents the veteran.
Strong medical opinions won 89.7% of the time in our analysis. Weak ones won just 3.7%.
- Know what makes a medical opinion harder to dismiss.
- Use your own statement where it can carry real weight.
- Catch common C&P exam problems before they hurt your claim.
KMD89 at a glance
| Question | What the current public sources say |
|---|---|
| Entity | KMD89 Consulting LLC, doing business as KMD89 VA Claims Consulting |
| Location | Apollo Beach, Florida |
| Founder | Dewayne Kimble, Army veteran and retired VA rating specialist |
| Primary current model | General VA claims education |
| Membership | $199 per month on current homepage and checkout line item |
| Private Q&A | $275, general educational questions only |
| Books | Approximately $29.99 to $59.98 in the current store |
| Group training | Quote-based |
| Automatic renewal | Yes |
| Cancellation | Anytime, immediate, with proration language |
| Representation | No |
| Document review | Current terms say no |
| VA warning letter | June 13, 2024 |
| Source check | August 27, 2026 |
Who is behind KMD89
The KMD89 about page identifies Dewayne Kimble as owner and founder. It says he served in the Missouri Army National Guard and U.S. Army, later worked for VA as a Rating Veterans Service Representative, and created the company to educate veterans about disability compensation.
The page also identifies DJ Johnson as an Air Force veteran and former VA rating specialist. Former raters can offer valuable insight into how VA adjudicators read evidence and apply rating criteria. That experience is not the same as current VA accreditation, legal representation, or medical qualification.
The current terms identify the legal seller as KMD89 Consulting LLC, doing business as KMD89 VA Claims Consulting, at an Apollo Beach, Florida address. That is the name a customer should expect on the agreement and payment record.
What KMD89 sells today
KMD89 currently has several product lanes:
- more than 1,000 company-claimed free educational YouTube videos;
- a $199 monthly membership;
- live webinars and general Q&A;
- a $275 private general Q&A session;
- books and book bundles;
- free downloads, including AI prompt resources; and
- custom-priced group and corporate training.
The unifying theme is education rather than done-for-you claim work. The homepage tells veterans they do not need a middleman and should learn how VA evaluates evidence. The private Q&A page repeatedly says the session addresses general VA-process questions and is not a how-to consultation for the customer's specific claim.
That is a clearer boundary than an offer to review a rating decision and build a customized claim packet. It also narrows what $275 should buy. A customer should not expect the facilitator to read the C-file, select conditions, draft a statement, recommend an appeal lane, or tell the veteran exactly what to submit.
The $199 monthly membership
The current homepage and checkout line item identify an “Exclusive VA Claims Mastermind Q&A Monthly Membership” at $199 per month. Marketing says it includes:
- live Q&A access;
- a private community;
- an educational resource vault;
- early access to new material; and
- ongoing education about VA rules and process.
At $199 per month, the annualized cost is $2,388 if the price stays constant and the customer remains subscribed for twelve billing cycles. That does not mean a one-year commitment exists. It is the multiplication a buyer should perform before treating a monthly number as inexpensive.
Ask how many live sessions occur each month, whether recordings are available, who answers questions, how quickly community questions receive responses, and whether content remains available after cancellation. Also ask whether personal claim facts may be discussed in a group setting and what moderators remove.
The checkout error and conflicting membership pages
The membership checkout showed a $199 line item but a $0.00 “Order Total” when checked. That could be a display bug, incomplete configuration, deferred charge, or another checkout condition. A reviewer cannot tell from the page.
The older veteran membership page remained live and displayed repeated monthly offers of $97.99 and $297.99, plus coupon references, while linking customers back toward the newer site.
These inconsistencies do not justify assuming the customer receives free access or may choose any legacy price. They justify pausing before checkout. Ask KMD89 to confirm:
- the amount charged today;
- whether the first month differs from renewals;
- whether a trial or coupon is applied;
- the exact renewal date;
- which membership tier is being purchased; and
- whether the order total will update before payment authorization.
Take a screenshot and save the confirmation. Do not authorize a recurring payment from a page that does not clearly show the amount.
The $275 private Q&A
KMD89's private Q&A is a Zoom session with a retired VA rater. The company says the veteran should bring general questions about how the system works. It expressly says the session is not a claim-specific how-to consultation.
Before paying $275, ask:
- the call length;
- whether Dewayne Kimble, DJ Johnson, or another person will attend;
- whether the session is recorded;
- whether follow-up questions are included;
- whether the fee is refundable if the veteran misses or reschedules;
- whether the facilitator will view any personal documents; and
- what topics are outside scope.
The price can be worthwhile for a veteran who wants concentrated access to a former rater and has prepared general questions. It is poor value for someone expecting personalized review, filing strategy, document drafting, or representation that the page says it will not provide.
Books, store prices, and return policy
The separate KMD89 store displayed these examples when checked:
- Complete VA Claims Mastery Collection: $59.98;
- VA Compensation Blueprint: $29.99 sale price, with $32.99 shown as regular; and
- a signed paperback: $29.99 sale price, with $34.99 shown as regular.
The store has a 30-day return policy for qualifying physical goods, with exceptions such as sale items and gift cards. That policy does not clearly govern the main-site membership, webinar access, Q&A sessions, or digital resources.
Treat the store and consulting platform as related but distinct purchase flows. Confirm the seller, refund policy, and privacy notice attached to the item in the actual cart.
Subscription renewal, cancellation, and proration
KMD89's main terms say subscriptions continue and automatically renew until canceled. They authorize recurring charges without separate approval for each renewal.
The cancellation section says a customer can cancel at any time by contacting the company. It says cancellation takes effect immediately and “will be prorated” based on the recurring payment date. That wording appears customer-friendly, but it leaves the actual math unclear.
Ask whether proration means:
- an automatic refund for unused days;
- a credit against another purchase;
- only a final partial charge;
- a manual calculation after emailing support; or
- no refund for the current month, with immediate access loss.
Also ask when the request is considered received and how long a refund takes. Save the email or ticket because the terms do not describe an online cancellation button.
Current boundaries: no documents, filing, or representation
The main terms now say KMD89 is exclusively an educational platform. They state that the company does not:
- provide legal, medical, or mental-health advice;
- represent veterans before VA;
- review veteran documentation; or
- affiliate with VA or a VSO.
The private Q&A page similarly says no specific how-to instructions are provided. That is a major limitation and a risk-reduction boundary.
The veteran remains responsible for checking the advice against current law, applying it to the facts, selecting forms and review lanes, meeting deadlines, and submitting accurate material. If you need someone to review a rating decision or C-file, ask an accredited representative rather than assuming a paid general Q&A includes it.
The June 2024 VA warning letter
VA sent KMD89 a warning letter dated June 13, 2024. VA cited then-public advertising for one-to-one consulting, customized educational packets, DBQ and nexus-letter review, rating-decision review, and step-by-step instructions. It said advertised prices ranged from $2,699 to $5,699.
VA stated that KMD89 was not listed as a recognized organization and that the site did not identify an accredited agent or attorney. The letter requested action and explained VA's view of the rules.
The letter is not a court judgment, fine, or final adjudication. It proves that VA raised concerns about the public offer as it existed in June 2024. It does not prove that every service was unlawful or reveal whether KMD89 sent a private response.
Current pages look materially different. The company now says it does not review documents, give specific claim instructions, represent customers, or guarantee outcomes. No public response to the warning or VA closure letter was located, so a reviewer cannot say VA approved the revised model.
What changed after the warning
The historical package described by VA was expensive and individualized. The current offer is lower-cost recurring education, general Q&A, books, and training.
That difference suggests KMD89 narrowed or repositioned its service. The current public language is more consistent about educational limits than many claims-consulting sites. At the same time, the brand still uses “VA Claims Consulting,” and homepage copy says the company shows veterans exactly what evidence carries weight and walks them through a path from confusion to being rated.
A customer should ask what changed operationally, not just in the disclaimer. Does staff refuse to open personal decisions and DBQs? Are private sessions kept general even when a veteran describes specific facts? Were the $2,699 to $5,699 packages discontinued? Did VA respond to the change?
Clear written answers would make the current service easier to assess.
VA accreditation and free alternatives
VA accreditation authorizes individuals and recognized organizations to assist in preparing, presenting, and prosecuting claims. VA's current FAQs explain the role and consumer protections.
KMD89's former-rater experience can make its general education informed. It does not itself create authority to represent a veteran. Verify any person claiming that authority in the VA accreditation search.
VA's get-help page says accredited VSO representatives can generally help gather evidence, file claims, request reviews, and communicate with VA for free. Accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge only under applicable rules.
Use KMD89 education to improve your questions if you find it valuable. Use an accredited representative when you need individual claim work.
Privacy: a general education boundary with marketing data
The KMD89 privacy policy says the company collects contact, billing, payment, device, usage, IP, geolocation, and marketing data. Stripe handles payment data. The policy says KMD89 does not process sensitive personal information.
That stated boundary fits the current terms, which say the company does not review veteran documents. It also means a customer should not upload a C-file, medical record, VA decision, SSN, or detailed trauma account into a community or form unless KMD89 clearly provides a separate approved process.
The policy says information is generally retained no longer than 60 months after account termination, subject to deletion, anonymization, legal needs, and backup limitations. It describes cookies, Google Analytics, marketing, and targeted-advertising practices.
The terms also say the service is not tailored for HIPAA, FISMA, or GLBA-regulated interactions. That is another reason to keep sensitive records out of general Q&A and membership channels.
KMD89's separate Shopify store has an older privacy policy dated July 24, 2023. It contains unfinished template elements and broader advertising or sharing language. Check which policy applies to a book purchase versus the main membership.
Public reviews, YouTube reach, and site inconsistencies
KMD89's homepage says it is rated 5.0 on Google but does not provide the count or a direct review profile. Company-hosted testimonials describe knowledgeable education and favorable rating outcomes.
The testimonial disclaimer says submissions are reviewed before posting, may receive grammar edits or shortening, are not paid, and are not necessarily representative. That is useful transparency and also confirms why testimonials cannot be treated as an all-customer outcome study.
The homepage claims more than 1,000 free videos and 166,000 YouTube subscribers. The about page displayed “0+” videos and “0” five-star Google reviews when checked. The zeros may be a broken counter or template problem rather than a substantive contradiction, but they show the site is not fully quality-controlled.
YouTube audience size proves reach, not claim success. A former rater can explain the process accurately in many videos while still making an occasional outdated or overbroad statement. Open the cited regulation and confirm the publication date before relying on any video for a deadline or eligibility rule.
What public reviews can and cannot prove
Positive KMD89 testimonials may show that some viewers and buyers found Dewayne Kimble clear, credible, and educational. They do not show the percentage of all members who renewed, canceled, received a rating increase, or felt the $199 monthly price was worthwhile.
The absence of a strong independent complaint corpus also does not prove universal satisfaction. Membership communities often produce feedback inside private spaces that search engines cannot see.
Claim Raven's public reviews have the same limits. As of August 27, 2026, Claim Raven displayed 4.3 out of 5 from 54 logged-in accounts: 35 five-star, 8 four-star, 6 three-star, 2 two-star, and 3 one-star ratings. Some users praise the breadth of tools and support. Others report information overload, a lost draft, or a C-file above the upload limit. Logged-in status establishes an account, not causation of a VA award.
Use reviews to identify product strengths and friction. Use the contract, curriculum, source quality, and your actual learning needs to decide whether to pay.
KMD89 versus Claim Raven
KMD89 centers a named educator, videos, live Q&A, books, and community. Claim Raven centers software, document analysis, source-linked research, claim tracking, and guided workflows. Neither represents the veteran.
| Issue | KMD89 | Claim Raven |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Education, content, membership, and live general Q&A | Self-guided educational software and AI tools |
| Free option | Large YouTube library and free resources | Free tier with tracking and starter tool use |
| Monthly price | $199 current membership | Lite $14.99, Standard $24.99, Plus $39.99 |
| Annualized monthly cost | $2,388 at 12 months | $139.99, $229.99, or $359.99 on annual plans |
| Private session | $275 general Q&A | No equivalent one-to-one former-rater session |
| Document review | Current terms say no | Raven Eye, Raven Scan, and Raven Cipher analyze user-provided documents |
| Representation | No | No |
| Community or live Q&A | Yes | Support and software guidance, but not the same former-rater membership format |
| Cancellation language | Immediate and prorated, with unclear calculation | Cancel online; 14-day first-payment refund |
| Fixed guided option | Not identified | Pathfinder beta: $500 for 365 days |
Claim Raven is the stronger value for veterans who want to work directly with their own decision letters, C-file, medical records, research questions, and evidence inventory. Even the $39.99 Plus plan is about one-fifth of KMD89's monthly membership price. Claim Raven's annual Plus price of $359.99 is less than two months of KMD89 membership.
KMD89 has the advantage when the buyer specifically values Dewayne Kimble's public teaching style, former-rater perspective, live general Q&A, or community. Claim Raven does not claim that software replaces a knowledgeable human educator.
Pathfinder is the closest structured comparison. It costs exactly $500 for 365 days, paid in full or through six payments totaling exactly $500: five payments of $83.33 and a final payment of $83.35. It includes Plus-level access and one Raven Cipher C-file analysis. It has a full-payment Fair Exit Promise through day 60 and a published access-based refund calculation after that. It remains self-guided and does not file or represent the claim.
On privacy, Claim Raven is designed to process claim material and discloses the consequences. It says VA login credentials never reach its servers, VA access is read-only, AI requires opt-in consent, and tool-specific retention differs. It also warns that raw images or PDFs may reach a contracted AI provider before text masking is possible. KMD89's policy takes the simpler route of saying it does not process sensitive information. A veteran should respect that boundary and not place claim records in KMD89's general channels.
Who may be a good fit
KMD89 may be worth paying for if you:
- learn well from Dewayne Kimble's free videos;
- want live general Q&A with a former VA rater;
- will actively use the community and vault each month;
- do not expect personal document review or representation;
- confirm the correct recurring price before checkout; and
- understand how immediate cancellation and proration work.
Who should probably choose another path
Choose another route if you:
- need an accredited person to review and handle your claim;
- want document analysis or a C-file review;
- expect a $275 session to provide specific filing instructions;
- cannot reconcile the checkout total and membership prices;
- need a clear self-service cancellation button and refund formula; or
- would not use enough live content to justify $199 every month.
Questions to ask before paying KMD89
- Is the current membership exactly $199 per month?
- Why does checkout show a $0.00 order total?
- Are the $97.99 and $297.99 pages active offers or legacy pages?
- How many live sessions occur each month?
- Who answers member questions?
- Can I view recordings after cancellation?
- What is the exact proration formula?
- How do I prove the cancellation timestamp?
- Is the $275 session refundable or reschedulable?
- Will staff refuse to read personal documents during private Q&A?
- What services were discontinued after the June 2024 VA letter?
- Did KMD89 submit a response, and did VA reply?
- Which privacy policy governs the item I am purchasing?
- Can I participate without sharing any sensitive claim details?
Bottom line
KMD89's strongest asset is a large body of free education led by a former VA rating specialist. Veterans can test the teaching style before spending anything. The current paid offer also uses clearer educational boundaries than the individualized packages VA described in 2024.
The main weaknesses are commercial clarity and price. The $199 monthly membership can cost $2,388 over a year, the $275 private session remains general rather than claim-specific, the live site contains conflicting legacy prices, and checkout displayed an impossible-looking $0 total beside the $199 item. Cancellation proration also needs a worked example.
Claim Raven is the better value for veterans who want lower fixed costs and tools that work directly with their own documents. An accredited VSO is the better free option for individual claim preparation and representation. KMD89 makes the most sense when a veteran has already found the free content unusually helpful and wants ongoing access to that specific educator and community.
Sources and limitations
KMD89 sources checked August 27, 2026:
- KMD89 homepage
- KMD89 about page
- KMD89 services
- KMD89 membership
- KMD89 membership checkout
- KMD89 private Q&A
- KMD89 group training
- KMD89 terms
- KMD89 privacy
- KMD89 disclaimer
- KMD89 store
- KMD89 store refund policy
- Dewayne Kimble YouTube channel
Government sources:
- VA warning letter to KMD89, June 13, 2024
- VA accredited-representative FAQs
- VA accreditation program
- VA: Get help from an accredited representative
Claim Raven comparison sources:
This review does not assess KMD89's private member library or a completed private session. It does not decide whether any prior service violated a law or whether VA accepted changes after its warning. Public prices, terms, policies, and pages can change. Confirm the checkout total and controlling terms before purchase.