mcarter985

Thanks all for your help. I'm going for it!

Good morning! I'm thinking about going after an increase for my PTSD rating (currently at 50%). If I do this, will the VA look at my other ratings for possible decrease? For background, I'm 73, I've had my ratings for about 9 years (Tennitis at 10%, Heart Disease at 60%, and PTSD at 50%. Total is 80%. Thanks in advance for your help!

I'm currently rated at 80% and thinking of filing for a claim for Sleep apnea. I'm currently getting 10% for tinnitus, 50% for PTSD and 60% for Coronary Heart Disease (Agent Orange presumptive). Will the VA take another look at my previous disabilities if I submit a new claim. I'm 68 if that matters. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for responding Gastone. I received the original notification for the claim awarding me 50% on May 12, 2015 and submitted the NOD on November 12, 2015. As part of the NOD requesting a DRO I submitted a counseling statement from the local Vet Center (what I considered N & M evidence). I think things went to hell in a hand basket was when my DRO was shifted from San Diego to Saint Pete (on August 5, 2016).

A bit of history...I filed for PTSD (medic in Vietnam) about 2 and a half years ago in San Diego. I got my decision fairly quickly and got 50%. My counselor at the Vet Center told me I should file an appeal for 70% and submitted his write-up with it (wasn't available when I initially filed) I requested a DRO review. Soon after, I moved to Florida and a few months after that I received notice that my DRO request was at Saint Pete's RO. I haven't heard anything for about a year and a half and e-Benefits just states the appeal is in process. Should I just consider it lost in the shuffle and submit a new claim or just continue to wait? Also, I always thought a DRO stays with the RO that made the original decision...is that true? Thanks!

I sometimes think I'm lucky in that the claims I've had (or most of them) came back in my favor (with tinnitus being one of them). At my C & P exam for the tinnitus, I told the audiologist I was a combat medic in the Army so because I was exposed to gunfire he wrote it up so there was no mistake about it along with my description of the noise (a single tone in both ears). I got my 10%. I would think being around aircraft would be a no-brainer for tinnitus.

This should be a fairly fast claim. I had a heart attack, found 100% blockage in one of my arteries in the emergency room and had a single stent put in. Ended up spending 4 days in the hospital. Found out about AO when doing research why this happened to me...no one in my family has ever had heart problems. Went to the VA with my medical record, proof of "on the ground" in Vietnam, submitted my claim, had a C & P about a month later and then was awarded 60%, Whole thing lasted 3-4 months...fast in the VA world. If memory serves, I got 100% for a single month and then it adjusted to 60% thereafter going back to the day I submitted the claim. I second the recommendation to get on e-Benefits so you can stalk your claim and find out quickly what your award is by printing out the letters after your claim is complete.

I submitted a DRO Review request to Janesville and on the cover letter I stated the decision I was appealing came out of the San Diego VARO. We have moved from California to Florida. Anyway, the appeal went to St.Pete in Florida. I thought a DRO should be sent to the office that made the decision. How do I get it to San Diego?

I normally use Chrome when I do anything on e-Benefits but lately I've been getting errors also when attempting to log in. After a few days of frustration I tried Internet Explorer (IE) and that works fine. If you're already using IE then I'm not sure what the problem is. Whoever wrote the code for e-Benefits could get a job with the CIA and teach agents how to torture their subjects!

Good morning everyone! Just a quick question...I submitted a DRO request for a claim I think should be rated at 70% (vs 50% as awarded) and also submitted "new and material" evidence with it. It was receipted for at Janesville on the 17th of November. How soon would it appear in eBenefits? I'm too familiar with how slow things are but just looking for some sort of a timeframe. Thanks in advance!

Thanks Mark...I'll do that and you have a great Veteran's Day too!

Thanks Buck!

Thanks again! Now, a final question...I'm really going for a DRO Review/Reconsideration based on new evidence (a Vet Center Letter they did not receive in time). Do I still use the NOD form for that and stipulate a DRO Review on the form? Or is that just a simple letter requesting the review?

Thanks Buck and Broncovet. I'll send it to Janesville and see what happens. I do want San Diego to process it. I went into eBenefits and changed my address there and every other Government site I could think of but will also include it with my appeal.

Hi Buck...already moved to Florida and just want to be sure my NOD goes to the San Diego RO.

So, it isn't just me that's confused! Good to know! Which intake center should I send it to...the one in GA (San Diego made the rating decision) or the one in Janesville (I live in Florida now)? Thanks for your answer!

Good morning! I'm submitting my NOD for an increase in the awarded rating (I received 50% and think I deserve 70%). I'm also submitting additional evidence the rater did not have access to. My original RO in California (San Diego) handled the claim but we have since moved to Florida. In my reward letter it states to send the NOD to the RO that issued the decision yet it also states to send all correspondence to one of two Evidence Intake Centers. If I'm supposed to send it to an intake center which one should I send it to...for California it's in Janesville, WI and in Florida it's in Newman, GA? I'm in Florida now but the decision was sent from San Diego RO. Should I send it to everyone?

Thanks Broncovet!

Thanks for the answers all!

Good morning...I recently was rated at 50% for PTSD (was a medic in VN). I believe it should have been 70% so my question is if I submit a NOD will the VA look at my other disabilities (rated 80% overall) or just the PTSD claim? Thanks in advance!

Thanks Berta and Gastone...I don't understand why the C & P should trump my treatment's notes as the doctor at the C & P made a determination after 20 minutes whereas the Vet Center folks have known me for months through treatment but I understand that's just the way it is.

Good Morning...I have no clue which forum to put this question in so decided to use the PTSD one as it concerns for PTSD claim. Anyway, I received a 50% rating for PTSD (going for a reconsideration with new evidence). I received my first check with the increased rating (now 80%) but still haven't received the retro (claim submitted back in November). My VSO tells me it can take months but I received previous retros within a couple of weeks of the rating decision. I got the PTSD rating decision from the VA on May 12th. Is this the new normal?

Good Morning all, I received my rating decision for PTSD and got 50% for it. The local Vet Center I've been going to for help promised me a letter to support my claim but I still don't have it (should get it next week). When I mentioned the rating I received the counselor was a bit upset and thought I should have been rated at least 70%. I would like to submit a Reconsideration for the rating level and submit the Vet Center letter along with it as new and material evidence. My question is how do I do that? Submit a DRO? Is there a specific form for reconsideration? If I submit a DRO would I state I wanted a reconsideration somewhere on the form? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated! For what its worth I was a medic in Vietnam with an Infantry outfit in 1969 with a combined rating of 80%...10% for tennitis, 60% for CAD (Agent Orange Presumptive) and 50% for PTSD. Thanks!

Thanks GP...that notation was already on there prior to my C&P last week so that should be before the decision. I do have to submit a letter from the Vet Center (hopefully I'll get it today) so I hope that doesn't slow things down. I need it for my claim because the C&P results looks like 30%.

My PTSD claim (submitted in November) shows "Administrative Review" in addition to "Gathering of Evidence." What exactly is an Administrative Review? I had my C&P late last week. I've never seen that notation before. Thanks in advance!