A claims coach and a software subscription may both advertise "claim help," but they sell different units of work. A coaching package might buy three live calls and a review of ten pages per issue. Software might provide recurring tools, source-linked answers and drafts that you operate yourself. Neither price is comparable until you know who reads what, who writes what, what the law lets that person do, and what happens when the package ends.

Claim Raven sells DIY claim software and a self-guided program, so it has a commercial interest in this comparison. For reviews of individual sellers, see Claim Raven's claims coaching reviews, including VA Claims Insider and VetComm, and the broader comparison of claims help companies.

What the law allows

These rules apply to every seller in this category, whatever it calls its service.

Who may prepare a claim. Federal law says no individual may act as an agent or attorney in the preparation, presentation or prosecution of a VA claim unless VA has recognized that person for that purpose (38 U.S.C. 5901). VA's Office of General Counsel explains that preparing a claim generally includes advice given to a claimant about a contemplated filing, gathering evidence on a claimant's behalf, and filling out VA forms for submission. Unaccredited people may provide other services as long as they do not assist in preparing, presenting or prosecuting claims. Calling individualized work "education" or "coaching" does not settle which side of that line it falls on; what the person actually does with your records and filing does.

When a fee is allowed. Accredited claims agents and attorneys may charge only for services provided after VA sends notice of its initial decision on the claim (38 U.S.C. 5904(c)(1); 38 C.F.R. 14.636(c)), and only with a fee agreement and a filed appointment. VSOs and their accredited representatives may not charge at all (14.636(b)); VA says their claim help is always free.

Penalties. Federal law once made charging an unauthorized fee for claim help a crime. A 2006 law, Public Law 109-461, removed that language from 38 U.S.C. 5905, which now covers only wrongfully withholding a benefit.

Bills to change this. As of September 23, 2026, two proposals are pending and neither has passed either chamber. The GUARD VA Benefits Act (H.R. 1732), introduced February 27, 2025, would impose fines for soliciting, contracting for, charging or receiving an unauthorized fee for claim help; congress.gov lists a House committee hearing on it on March 18, 2026. The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act of 2026, introduced as H.R. 9105 on June 2, 2026 and S. 4646 on June 1, 2026, would, according to its sponsors, reestablish criminal penalties for unaccredited representatives who charge veterans for claim help, and clarify that only accredited individuals can assist with VA benefit claims. Check congress.gov for the current status before relying on either.

For you as a buyer, the practical point is simple: ask exactly what a person will do with your specific records and filing, and check any named person in VA's accreditation directory. A medical-evidence vendor may supply a clinician's independent DBQ or opinion, which is a different service from claims representation. Neither a coach nor ordinary software should be described as a medical examiner unless a qualified clinician actually does that work.

Compare time, records and resulting work

One public MB VA Claim Solutions menu shows what a coaching package can look like. Its Focused Start plan is $500 flat for one or two issues, with up to three live sessions: a strategy session, an evidence readiness review with a ten-page-per-issue records cap, a mock C&P rehearsal and a DIY filing roadmap. Its Focus Plus plan is $1,450 for three to six issues, up to six sessions and a 25-page-per-issue cap. The page says fees are flat, not tied to outcome and not a percentage of any benefit, and that the business does not file, represent you, complete VA forms or DBQs, upload evidence or contact VA for you. Before paying any coach, confirm in the written agreement the session length, the actual page cap, what a session produces and what correction or follow-up is included.

Claim Raven's pricing page shows a free account with one-time starter uses, Standard at $24.99 a month for document reading and statement tools, and Plus at $39.99 a month for medical-record analysis. Claim Raven Plus and Pathfinder include one Raven Cipher C-file read, however many pages the file has. Standard reads and extra Plus reads are $19 each. Pathfinder members read again for free. A free account needs to upgrade first. The software provides no human representative, individual coaching call, clinician examination or medical signature.

Claim Raven plan update, October 24, 2026: Plus is $39.99 a month or $359.99 a year and includes one Raven Cipher C-file read per member, including current subscribers. There is no per-page charge; upload-size limits still apply. The included read does not reset each month or year. Standard is $24.99 a month or $229.99 a year; Standard reads and extra Plus reads are $19 each. Pathfinder rereads are free while membership is active. Cipher lists leads with the record pages behind them for you to check.

Pathfinder is Claim Raven's guided software membership. It costs $59 a month, $139 every three months, or $499 for 12 months. It includes Plus access, a Strategy Brief, guided claim-preparation steps and one C-file read, with free rereads while access is active. The monthly and three-month plans renew until canceled; the 12-month plan does not renew. The membership has a full refund window of 60 days after the first payment, even if used. Existing customers keep their accepted contract terms. It does not include a human coach, clinician services or accredited representation. See current Pathfinder pricing and terms. MB's cited Focused Start menu is $500 for up to three live sessions on one or two issues. Compare the complete cost and whether you need human sessions or software you use yourself.

Some programs mix courses, software and live calls under one price. Ask for a written list of what is included, for how long, and what renews.

The quote-comparison worksheet

Copy this table for each option, including a free VSO appointment when relevant. Put the actual agreement beside the sales page.

Decision questionCoach or courseDIY softwareAccredited help or clinician
Who is the named person or provider? Accredited by VA, or licensed for a medical task?
What is read: all records, selected files, an exact page or issue cap, or nothing?
What will I receive: a call, notes, a source-linked report, an editable draft, a signed DBQ or opinion, or a filed claim?
Who selects conditions, writes facts, signs and submits forms?
What is the full fee over my expected use, including add-ons, renewals and financing?
How many revisions or questions are included, and when does access end?
Can I keep originals and exports? What happens to my uploaded health records?
What if the evidence does not support the result I hoped for?

A defined, available live conversation may be worth more to one veteran than months of software they never open. A subscription may suit another veteran who wants repeated self-directed questions and drafts, as long as its monthly limits fit the task. Those are judgments about fit, not claims about outcomes. Five months of Standard at $24.99 is $124.95 before tax or separate purchases; that arithmetic does not make it equivalent to a coach's time.

Keep ownership of the facts and the filing

Whatever you buy, keep your source records and the final version of anything that might be filed. Do not let a coach rehearse a "right answer" for a claim exam. A truthful description of your symptoms and how they affect you is different from scripting medical findings or exaggerating a worst day. VA's claim exam guidance explains what to expect; the examiner supplies the clinical assessment.

For software, check whether a draft keeps your own wording and states uncertainty rather than manufacturing a favorable conclusion. For a paid person, ask whether their written work is a suggestion, a signed professional opinion or representation. If a seller asks for a fee tied to a rating increase or back pay, compare the agreement with the fee rules above and discuss it with a VA-accredited representative before signing.

The no-cost baseline is substantial: VA's filing instructions and an accredited VSO's free claim help. You can use software to organize a question before a VSO appointment, or use no paid product at all. Paying a clinician is a separate decision, made when a real medical evidence gap exists.

Sources and method

Checked September 23, 2026: 38 U.S.C. 5901, 5904 and 5905 with amendment notes; 38 C.F.R. 14.636; VA's accreditation FAQs, directory and accredited help pages; congress.gov records for H.R. 1732, H.R. 9105 and S. 4646; the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee release; first-party MB VA Claim Solutions, Claim Raven pricing and Pathfinder pages. Seller terms are not accreditation or quality findings. This is general information, not legal advice.

Claims coaching and DIY software questions

Is a VA claims coach the same as an accredited representative?

No. Federal law says no one may act as an agent or attorney in preparing, presenting or prosecuting a VA claim unless VA has recognized them. Calling the work coaching or education does not settle which side of that line it falls on.

When can someone charge a fee for VA claim help?

Accredited claims agents and attorneys may charge only for services after VA sends notice of its initial decision, with a fee agreement and a filed appointment. VSOs and their accredited representatives may not charge at all.

Is it illegal to charge veterans for VA claim help?

Federal law once made charging an unauthorized fee a crime, but a 2006 law removed that language. As of September 23, 2026, two bills that would add fines or criminal penalties were pending, and neither had passed either chamber.

How much does VA claims coaching cost?

One public menu lists $500 flat for one or two issues with up to three live sessions, and $1,450 for three to six issues with up to six sessions. Confirm session length, page caps and follow-up in the written agreement.

Is there free help with a VA claim?

Yes. VA's filing instructions are free, and an accredited VSO's claim help is always free. You can also use no paid product at all.

What should I ask before paying for claim help?

Ask who the named person is and whether VA accredited them, what they will read, what you will receive, who signs and submits forms, the full fee including renewals, and what happens to your uploaded health records.