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Sc Ptsd With Tdiu

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pipeman043

Question

Hi there,

I haven't been able to locate an answer to my question so

I'll ask it here....

I am currently recieving a Non SC pension from the VA.

I initially applied for SC but like everyone else have been denied.

The SOC stated among other things that the C&P examiner determined

that the Board certified VA staff Psychiatrist who had been treating me

for PTSD didn't know much and in one visit the C&P examiner decided that

despite all the other evidence to the contrary that I didn't meet the criterion

according to the DSM-IV. I did the NOD and was denied again. my appeal has

been sent to the BVA and I have asked for a travel board hearing so I expect

that the file will be remanded to the RO. I had applied for SSDI and SSI as well.

the RO didn't bother to get the records from SSA or even include the treatment

records from the Vet Center that has been dealing with my PTSD for the last

nine months.

Having provided that background material the question is...

Will the VA have to give TDIU for SC PTSD considering they already decided

that I am total and permanent for my other health issues, which I claim are secondary

due to the PTSD...( Cardiac, Past MI, COPD, GERD, ect.) thats why I get the NSC pension.

This is such a messed up affair, the RO has determined that all my stressors are

verified, and they have the documentation to prove everything I have told them.

The SSA decided that I am medically eligible for SSI but get too much money from

the VA. Since I have been unable to work for several years I no longer qualify for

SSDI due to lack of recent work quarters. I honestly believe what many others

have said in the past, that the VA tries to run you down till you lose the will to

fight or end up dead before you can win. I count my blessings that I am fortunate

to be getting something from the VA, although the price paid to be eligible is a bit

extreme.

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Cavman,

Been to two C&P's one for the PTSD and the other for COPD

both were denied for SC. As to the other items, I have been

going to the VAMC since my Heart Attack so they already

had all my medical records in their own files. Plus they

got copies of the medical files from my outside cardiologist

that I made sure they mailed directly to the RO and to the

VAMC. The VA diagonosed the GERD themselves so it was

hard for the RO to deny it. I have had three stents put into

my heart arteries, each one due to restenosis and the VAMC

has those records as well. I have found that the best bet is

to be proactive and keep them supplied with a papertrail

Good Luck in your endeavor!

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Pipeman,

If there is any evidence that you sent the VA and it was not listed on any rating decision or Statement of the Case (SOC), then the VA must address those evidence in a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The only way to have the BVA address those evidence instead of your RO is to waive the regionl offices jurisdiction in the matter. If yoiu don't waive the jurisdiction, then your claim will more than likely be remanded back to your RO so they can consider the evidence and grant the benefits sought or issue the SSOC.

You might want to get another evaluation from another shrink who confirms your first diagnoses of PTSD. I suspect with this evaluation and the evidence the VA did not address for what ever reason, it will sway the benefit of the doubt in your favor and the regional office will award service-connection for your PTSD and all secondary condition related to it.

Will the VA have to give TDIU for SC PTSD considering they already decided

that I am total and permanent for my other health issues, which I claim are secondary

due to the PTSD...( Cardiac, Past MI, COPD, GERD, ect.) thats why I get the NSC pension.

VA will award IU if the evidence show you are unable to work soley due to service-connected disabilities. Generally, the VA will not consider IU unless you submit VA form 21-8940. It also depends on what individual rating percentage is warranted for each disability. For example, if your PTSD alone warrants 100%, then IU becomes a moot point; however, you may then be eligible for SMC due to your other secondary condition. It just depends what the individual rating are.

I honestly believe what many others have said in the past, that the VA tries to run you down till you lose the will to fight or end up dead before you can win. I count my blessings that I am fortunate to be getting something from the VA, although the price paid to be eligible is a bit extreme.

If the VA was out to scew you in this situation, then they wouldn't have awarded you NSC pension, would they?

I suspect that once you obtain the second evaluation and resubmit the evidence that you said was never mentioned in thier rating decisions and SOC, you'll prevail in your claim. Maybe the evidence that wasn't discussed or taken into account never made it to where it should have been. This does happen and is unfortunate when it does, but it will all get worked out.

Vike 17

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  • HadIt.com Elder
Hi there,

I haven't been able to locate an answer to my question so

I'll ask it here....

I am currently recieving a Non SC pension from the VA.

I initially applied for SC but like everyone else have been denied.

The SOC stated among other things that the C&P examiner determined

that the Board certified VA staff Psychiatrist who had been treating me

for PTSD didn't know much and in one visit the C&P examiner decided that

despite all the other evidence to the contrary that I didn't meet the criterion

according to the DSM-IV. I did the NOD and was denied again. my appeal has

been sent to the BVA and I have asked for a travel board hearing so I expect

that the file will be remanded to the RO. I had applied for SSDI and SSI as well.

the RO didn't bother to get the records from SSA or even include the treatment

records from the Vet Center that has been dealing with my PTSD for the last

nine months.

Having provided that background material the question is...

Will the VA have to give TDIU for SC PTSD considering they already decided

that I am total and permanent for my other health issues, which I claim are secondary

due to the PTSD...( Cardiac, Past MI, COPD, GERD, ect.) thats why I get the NSC pension.

This is such a messed up affair, the RO has determined that all my stressors are

verified, and they have the documentation to prove everything I have told them.

The SSA decided that I am medically eligible for SSI but get too much money from

the VA. Since I have been unable to work for several years I no longer qualify for

SSDI due to lack of recent work quarters. I honestly believe what many others

have said in the past, that the VA tries to run you down till you lose the will to

fight or end up dead before you can win. I count my blessings that I am fortunate

to be getting something from the VA, although the price paid to be eligible is a bit

extreme.

My thoughts will only be on the SSDI issue - you need to appeal the denial. You want to get to the ALJ level. You may want an SSDI attorney to assist you. If you were not represented by an attorney and have been diagnosed w/PTSD you can appeal any tolling issue. You need to establish an earlier disability onset date that should be the day after the last day you worked and earned more then $8k-$9k. A friend just won his - he filed an SSDI claim around 2002 and the ALJ found him really screwed up and established his disability onset date of 12/1/97. The ALJ then thanked him for his service.

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Pipeman-

reading over all your posts I have two questions-

Have you been given a clear cut PTSD diagnosis?Or diagnosis of anxiety disorder?

Do you have proof of the stressor(s) inservice that caused the PTSD (or anxiety)?

If a vet has PH, CAR, CIB or anything denoting combat on their DD214 the VA concedes exposure to stressful events of warfare.

Others need proof of the nexus or link of their PTSD to a specific stressor event during their service.

Edited by Berta
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To clear up these two questions and one from the other thread...

first shrink I went to @ the VA said no doubt PTSD and wrote right

in the narrative that I was advised to apply for SC compensation.

Kept seeing him for several months. Suddenly he was gone and I

was assigned to a new staff shrink. He said he was unsure if it was

just PTSD or a depressive disorder NOS with anxiety components.

So they send me to see someone for a PTSD eval. That guy was

downright hostile to me and acted like I was taking up his valuable

time so I just shut up and left. They then schedule me for a C&P

but cancel it two weeks later and then call me on the phone with

a new appointment the following day but not at the VAMC but

rather at a vet center 60 miles away. I arrive 15 mins prior to

appointment set for 10:00 and wait. at 10:25 this gal rushes in

says she will be with me in a min or two, that she needs to grab her

coffee and messages. I am called in 8-10 mins later and she starts

peppering me with questions. We didn't hit it off right from the get go

and things went downhill fast. She said this isn't working and that the

interview was over. I was back on the road by 10:50. She wrote a

wicked nasty eval saying that I had a personality disorder, nothing

more. So I had applied for SSDI and SSA and they sent me for

testing. that guy says yes I have PTSD and that the MEDs they

have perscribed are masking some of the symptoms. Meanwhile

things in my life are not going so hot... Had an bad anxiety attack

and was refered to vet center(different one) so I send them a letter

telling them my situation. They have me come down and it's now

been over 9 months every other week I go plus still see the VA

shrink. Vet center sent report to the RO and to BVA about how

badly I was affected by the PTSD. RO ignored the report and certified

my appeal to BVA. After two months of no word, I email to ombudsman

and find out that my appeal was sent to the DAV even though my POA is with

the AL. So I raise a stink. that was in July. TODAY they said that

my appeal just returned from the AL and that it had a october 05 docket date

and that they were currently working on November 04 dockets but they had my

letter requesting a travel board hearing and didn't know how long it would

take for the remand but to be patient...

As to the stressor letter and all the various items that needed to be developed,

yes they all checked out and they have ample documentation, plus photos and

court hearing transcripts. they have no wiggle room in that regard, so in

the SOC it says that while all my stressors have been verified, there are

conflicting diagnoses and the question of equipoise does not enter the picture.

They didn't even look at the vet center reports or the SSA paperwork.

So as I see it I will simply have to wait it out till the board sees the evidence,

in maybe a year from now

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