Denmaint7

Thank you both, I will cal vso to see what he can find out for me. I will keep the grup posted on any new news. Denmaint7

Hello Everyone, My question is, after calling "Peggy" and not really getting a clear answer that my sleep apnea claim is being addressed.. I got A letter from V.A.R.O. in April 2012 stating my sleep apnea claim will be addressed in "seperate corospondance."from my new claims. Back in Oct 2011, I was denied my sleep apnea claim. It was what I was medically discharged out of the ANG after 15 active AF and 14 ANG. I was on orders before during and after my sleep study. I was deplyed to Kunsan AB, Korea when my problems with apnea started. I have sent every order I was on during this and again, I was denied. Then last month, April 2012. I get letter that my "other" claims require another c&p for my added Lt knee and request for increase to my current 0% for my lt great toe that was crushed from an F-111F fuel tank during a load out excecise back in 1986. crew chief a/c mech. In this letter it specifically stated my sleep apnea will be addressed in seperate corrspondance??? Three mo ago I was told it was closed??? I want to find out if this is dis-information or could they have actually figured out it was service connected as I explained to them earlier with proof, and are working the claim. no show on ebenefits any where. I do have until 15 Nov 2012 to file a NOD on this claim. I want to believe something good will come of this curve ball. But I cant get any real answers thru the channels I am trying, ie ebenefits and the phone. I do not have a VSO per say. Any thoughts on the info/ letter I have reveived so far from v.a. on this claim. Thank you all! Denmaint7

Say what?

Papa, Sorry to here about your troubles with the "hacks" at our V.A. I too am getting the run-a-round. I can't help but think if there is over 900,000 + vets getting jurked around and frankly wished away... Why cant we "900,000" + petition them out of a job, and get our v.a. re vamped this election year. Just thinkin there has to be a better way to get treated fairly by the goverment we all served honorably . Just a old ticked off crew chief. p.s. We have the same interests too I see, good on ya Papa..... all the best. Denmaint7

Ron, Hello and "thank you" for your service to our great nation. I am currently in Fla for work , but will be moving back to Denver in June. Any advice on me getting plugged into the Denver R.O ? I will need a VSO or A lawyer. Is the Denver office a Regional Office? Thank you, Denmaint7.

I think we need to take this to the" DR Phils" out there. How can America knowingly allow the V.A. to play God with peoples lives and earned diginity and benefits. You bet your bottom dollar the general population and our resent oil spill showed how accountably can be if in the main stream medea. Most folks got a check and help within 90 days. In the V.A. world it is common still to have wwii vets waiting quietly and all the rest of us also waiting and playing to the pupit master. It just makes me mad and ashamed to have to work with the v.a.to get what me and my family earned. Sorry about my rant, to answer the question I personelly dont think any vet has gotten close to whats fair or "correct". The "first time" or multiple times requesting our fair due for what we have endured for our nation. I would love to see Hadit brothers and sisters on "Face the Nation" telling it like it is. That would be one to see! Denmaint7, concerned American

Can any one tell me what % can you get assistance with meds? I am currently 40%. I got medically dis-qualified and my one job I do have , I dont make enough for me and wife/ two kids. My meds are from private Dr. Can I qualify for some aid or something. I need a little help. 40 % Claim is not going to be paid until all my SSB is paid back 18 months from now. Thanks fellow vets, Denmaint7

Glad to hear that the V.A. can do good things for all the right reasons. I pray that R.O.'s mojo can rub off on all the others and get them to not be negitive, and do the right thing for so many deserving veterans out there. God bless, Denmaint7 aka... old crew chief/ USAF.

To Carlie and to All, Hello! Sorry I did not get right back with my answer to that question. I double checked my letters from VA, it simply said Sleep Apnea is denied due to " no service connection" I have this on my orginal claim almost two years ago, I am sure I will some day win this claim. This was the "condition" that forced the Air National Guard to Medically dis-qualify me for service. I had 26+ years in good service in USAF 12 years , the rest of my career was in the Guard. I was on active orders and overseas more in the guard. I was on active duty orders while at my sleep study. My civilian DR wrote A letter saying in his openion that my" chronic sleep apnea" was service related to to my military time line. I sent that and all the other information with ss# at the top of every page, to the RO. I had my C&P exam last week for my new claim for my left knee, service related and my lt great toe, currently at 0% for an increase. I just today... one week later..... wow... got a big letter from the RO, they want me to send in any additional information for my two claims I just mentioned. Strangely on the front of the document it reads IMPORTANT-reply needed within 30 days. It then list the two items. Then, it reads" The request for service connection for your SLEEP APNEA issue will be addressed in separate correspondence." Keep in mind, I have in the last two months recieved back a un favorble answer to my "Reconcideration letter" that I had all my evidence plus new letter from my DR stating service connection. I went to my C&P last week and had the same exammer, he found his mistake and openly... very openly admitted his fault for my toe. Great guy, great advicate for the vets. He was blown away after re-reading the notes in the V.A. computer that had the other TWO VA DR'S stating that my apnea was "Just as likely as not" service related. He sees no reason for this to be denied. I wonder how these folks look in the mirror. Why not get these easy claims done so productive work can be done for our brothers and sisters who do need a complex claim worked. I am not sure you guys, here my question... If I should give it some time to see these two claims thru, and if they will change there tune about my apnea claim, or go file my NOD. I do have 8 mo time to work with on that. I do not have a good VSO, and I am for now taking this bull by its horns. Your thoughts will be great everyone, thank you. P.S. I was able today, 03/20/12 , able to drop off A brief letter to the exammer at the VA clinic asking if he could write a letter on my behalf stating the VA DR's evaluation, of the evidence the V.A. has showing service connection. Thank you all, Denmaint7.

Hello carlie, I will post that info you asked about tomorrow afternoon 03/15/12. Thank you for the interest. I hope you might give some more insite as what I should do next. Thank you, Denmaint7

Hello all, I had my 2 nd C&P exam today. I hope me sharing this is as eye opening as it was for me, but I am new to this. Any hoo , I got to my exam, first is x-rays on my lt foot and my knee. I had asked to be service connected for my knee and increase from 0% on my lt foot. I went into my exam and saw the same DR as my first C&P exam.We talked about my knee and my toe. He was looking at his computer and told me he had made a mistake earlier during first exam and clicked that my injury did not affect my job. He said he ment to click that it does. As that my toe does impact my walking/ back and life. He was very appoligetic, I thought today would be interesting but it gets even more strange but in a great way. I told him we all make mistakes and his change would eventually get to my rating and adjusted acordingly.I then shared with him how I got a second V.A. letter saying how my sleep apnea is not service connected. Well, according to the" DR I saw today and his computer" I was found to be service connected was there conclusion when I saw them months ago! I need to send a letter with the information I got from him on the specifics and send them to my RO. He said they made an error on that claim also! I need to learn more from this site to know what I should do next. My VSO is A NO Show. Im going alone with hadit.com's help. I still have 8 mo to get my NOD in if needed. I hope another letter to the RO will fix there problem with me and the sleep apnea. The C&P Doc knows it's service connected. That made my day.... Like all of you I only want what is right, fair and service connected. lol I was in the AF my entire adult life till now. I will keep you all posted if this is of any interest to the hadit family. rdawg, hope you are well sir! Thanks

rdawg, Thanks for the info. I was in a lot of solvants and oils fuels while on the flight line since 1981. I was A crew chief on a lot of aircraft. I just found out my C&P is for my LT Knee and LT great toe I injured during my AD years, I will bring this info in case they can use it. I may be doing a NOD after this due to the V.A. not looking at all the evedance I presented them for sleep apnea. That was what I got put out of the military for! Go figure, I had two years on my enlistment! I was not aware of any of this V.A. stuff till now. What a kick in the $ss it's been , I have gotten more from 5 min on hadit than 2 years with my VSO. I have not gotten any substance from him at all on any thing. I dont even bother calling any more. I just wanted to thank you for replying back. All the best to you, Denmaint7

Hello all, I wanted to share this info in case it helps any one out there that's sent a reconsideration letter /info into their RO. I had sent in a reconsideration letter "with new evidence" to my RO 02/02/12 received. I got a big letter back from them saying" I sent no new evedance and my claim was closed". . I have not called or written anyone,...some time goes by, I was going to contact a lawyer that was recommended to me. Then out of the blue, I started getting calls from the V.A. I work nights so I missed the first ones. Called back, I got to speak to "Mr" Peggy and explained.what I had sent in new evidence and a letter from my Dr. explaining my chronic sleep apnea was evidant during my active duty service. It goes on to explain with my documents of military active duty service the dates all color coded and matched to sleep study and diagnosis.......weeks go by and all of a sudden my phone lights up! V.A. calling. After that was explaned to "Mr" Peggy another week goes by and... V.A. calling.... got asked what I was asking for. I explained again what my reconsideration letter was about and what was in it. I also mentioned my thoughts on them cueing them selves, referencing CFR 4.4 and 4.6. One hour later,I got another call asking to call 800-827-1000 back. I did call... they said they do not know why I was called. Then 5 min later I get another call from county office rep for RO calling to advise me of a schedualed C&P appontment in 5 days. I have waited a long time like all of us have, and you start to think nothing will ever move your claim and wham the phone goes crazy. I dont know what is in store for me at the C&P, but I will share if it is of value to you guys... I just found there timing was weird due to first receiving my $%&ew you letter. Hope my exam goes good. any advice. I have only had one so far. Denmaint7

Hello to all my friends here, I wanted to share this news as I just 03/05/2012,got a call from the V.A. but with 712 area code , not the standard 1-800 peggy. "They" asked to clarify what I was asking for in my "reconderation letter" to VARO. Even though I got last week a letter from them saying they were not going to re open my claim. They said I did not send any new evidence, therefore would not reopen. My problem is this ... I did send new letters from my DR stating chronic obstructive sleep apnea. "The very reason I got dis-charged last year! I also sent with color tabs to cordinated tabs to evedance showing me on active duty orders ,one over seas at Kunsan ab Korea. So, I guess it is now open after all. I hope this is a positive sign as the new evidence is abc 123 . I will continue to work on my NOD, I do have plenty of time 15 Nov, but I will get this ready to send soon. The V.A. rep said to wait to hear if they need any more clairfication at my RO. I dont know how long to wait but I will be pro active and get my NOD in order and see what you all think of this. Thank you all for your support and your service to the greatest country in the world. Please any tips and advice would help an old crew chief and his nerves! I want to bring it in safe and sound in one piece. Thanks you All, Denmaint7

Hello James, I wanted to post a letter to ask if your sleep apnea was turned down and did you try to do a "reconsideration letter" ? I did and waisted a lot of time. I was active duty then last 15-18 years were in Air National Guard, there I was discharged for having sleep apnea. I was on and off active duty orders for years...serving. Any way the V.A. first denied my first claim of S/A, then I sent in a re consideration letter "with new documents from my DR and copys of the orginal orders I sent in showing active duty service and apnea. I am really pissed as I now have to file a NOD, that will be more of the obvious information they already have. I do not have a good VSO, I am considering an attorney that was recomended. I could use some good advice right now. Thank you all for the support. Denmaint7