Fiduciary Services for Veterans With Psychiatric Disabilities
VA clinicians need to understand the basic steps in the fiduciary assignment process, how this process may affect veterans who have fiduciaries, and the differences that exist between the Social Security Administration system and the Veterans Benefits Administration.
Ultimately, assigning a fiduciary involves a complex decision weighing values of autonomy (veteran’s freedom to manage his or her own money) and social welfare (veteran’s safety if genuinely vulnerable to financial exploitation).
Author disclosures
The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to this article.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the U.S. Government, or any of its agencies. This article may discuss unlabeled or investigational use of certain drugs. Please review the complete prescribing information for specific drugs or drug combinations—including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects—before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.
