About

---

MY STORY...  Hi, my name is Cliff Bayuk, and I am an accredited VA Claims Agent (click here to confirm accreditation status). Looking back, I realize I've spent my entire professional life preparing for this role.

My military career began as an enlisted reservist with the 192nd Special Operations Air Force Reserve unit in Middletown, PA, while awaiting Officer Candidate School. I earned my commission into the United States Naval Reserve in 1985 and served seven years of active duty as a Surface Warfare Officer before transitioning to the United States Coast Guard in 1991.

My subsequent 17-year Coast Guard career was wide-ranging: I earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, oversaw two military treatment facilities, taught at the USCG Academy, and served as Chief of Operations at the Coast Guard's basic training facility in Cape May, NJ.

The most rewarding role of my career was serving as President of the Coast Guard's Disability Evaluation System (DES) — a high-stakes environment where medicine and law converge to ensure that injured or ill service members are discharged fairly, accurately, and with the compensation they deserve. I transformed the Coast Guard's DES into a high-functioning, transparent, and humane process that genuinely served every Coastguardsman who came through it. During that same tour, I co-led a joint-services team that wrote the Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) policy for all branches of the Armed Forces.

After retiring, I continued this work as a business process consultant to the Department of Defense and the VA. In that capacity, I helped create the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) — a landmark reform that resolved long-standing inefficiencies between the military and VA disability systems — and played a key role in establishing the Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR), a specialized appeal board giving veterans discharged at 0, 10, or 20% disability the opportunity to have their cases reconsidered for retirement-level benefits. I joined the PDBR as a voting board member in 2012 and concluded my federal career there in 2022, having served over 70,000 veterans and adjudicating nearly 25% of cases to retirement-level disability compensation.

Since then, I have built a coaching practice, and in January 2025 — after three years of study and preparation — I became fully accredited by the VA as a claims agent, authorized to represent veterans before the Board of Veterans' Appeals and to assist with disability compensation claims and appeals.

I am guided by three principles: patience, persistence, and do it right the first time. If we work together — and I hope we do — you will hear me say this often. And you will know that I am with you, fighting for your benefits, every step of the way.

I'm a VA-Accredited Claims Agent — federally authorized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to represent veterans, their dependents, and survivors throughout the entire VA benefits process.

• Claim Preparation & Filing. I gather your medical records, service history, and supporting evidence to build the strongest possible initial claim — whenever possible, through the Fully Developed Claim (FDC) process for faster decisions.
• Appeals & Decision Reviews. If your claim is denied or under-rated, I represent you through the full appeals process.
• Direct System Access. I work inside the VA's Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), monitoring your claim in real time so I can respond the moment anything changes.
• Strategic Analysis. I look beyond the obvious — identifying every service-connected condition you may qualify for, including secondary conditions that flow from a primary disability.
• Always Current. I maintain my accreditation through ongoing exams, background checks, and continuing education in VA law, so you always have a qualified, up-to-date advocate in your corner.

 You earned your benefits. Our nation owes you its gratitude — and more than that, it owes you follow-through on the promises made when you took your oath of service.

The VA claims process shouldn't stand between you and what you're owed. Whether you're filing for the first time, reopening a denied claim, or appealing a rating that's too low, you deserve someone in your corner who knows the system, knows the evidence, and takes the time to know your story.

I've been on the inside of this system for decades. I know how it feels to be confused by it, frustrated with it, or angry at it. I'm here to help you work with the system rather than against it — and to use the benefits you've earned to move forward with confidence in the next chapter of your life.