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  2. Berta started following Blu Water Navy- Agent Orange 12 mile coordinates, Any New AO Diseases Added to Presumptives and Aircraft General Foreman (retired)
  3. Berta
    Right- nothing new - except the "sufficient" association of AO to Hypertension in the 2018 NAS report. I filed an accrued claim on that already. As member JBasser correctly reminded us- if the VA has deemed your HBP as "essential" meaning 'no known cause', and you are a AO exposed veteran, now you have a cause for it- AO. "The Board finds the the January 2019 VA medical expert opinion persuasive as it considers the facts of the Veteran’s case and most recent NAS update and provides rationale for the opinion provided. Therefore, as it the January 2019 VA medical expert opinion finds that it is likely that the Veteran’s currently diagnosed hypertension is related to Agent Orange exposure during service, service connection for hypertension, as due to herbicide exposure, is warranted." https://www.va.gov/vetapp19/files3/19117992.txt
  4. Buck52
    AllanSC2005 I think they can expedite the retro if you have an emergency or Homeless they can speed things up if you are in Dire Straits or about to lose your home ect,,,ect,,, call the 1-800 ask
  5. serpico serpico joined the community
  6. Today
  7. Buck52
    vetquest ,As I understand it we can find a Dr of our choice and call Tri West ...> if your approved by the VA mission act P-3 COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM. VA people had me fing=d a dentist and hand surgeon and I did and it took Tri West a good while almost 2 month about 40 days or so to get the ball rolling (I think things got put on a shelf and I called the VA that I have not heard a word from Tri West after they had me to find a Dr.) ..VA Called Tri West ask if there was a problem? Then Tri West called ME to set up my appointments an checked my schedule..and they worked around my VA Appointments and I got my community care appointments all set up for the Hand clinic..the Dentist was just a one time thing but I may have to go back if I want dentures made by them and not the VA...(As why I ask for the outside care VA dentures never would fit right after seeing 4 different VA Dentist. *Note* if you get approved for outside care find you a good Dr you like or have a good references then call Tri West and let them know you want to go with this Dr....they will call this Dr and ask when you can get these services and then they will call you and check your schedule before making the appointments..once you get in with the Dr you can set your on time/dates that suits you. Matter of fact I go for my 1st of 10 appointments today at 1:15 for my hand therapy. .if the 10 trys don't do it and I need more appointments then I need to call Tri West and make sure its ok ect,,,ect,,,.
  8. nancygail
    I appreciate all the info. This system is horrific. We are told something different by EVERYONE we talk too. In any case we submitted his paperwork a month ago. The DAV officer said he had never seen a packet as well done as ours in all his years of doing this. He thought he had a great chance of getting 100%. So there's that. Then, my husband was able to meet with our state congressman through a friend and he was going to help particalry with unemployability as that's the emergency right now. Then a VA person he spoke to said he was given false info and falst hope. He said he would most likely be denied first time. It's like hope is given by one person and taken away by another. He's currently being set up for dr. appointments for each of his conditions as part of the process. What we need right now is the unemployability. Now we've been told you need 60% to get it. He's 50 right now. We are still in danger of losing our home. He has gotten so much worse he cannot work or even function normally. So we have to wait and see if he gets rated higher before the unemployability? So were sitting and waiting at the moment not sure what will happen.
  9. allansc2005
    @hurryup, the last time I got a sizeable retro, it took about 5 months(lower 6 figures), and that was 2016. My understanding now is that there are 5 "signatures" required for anything over 20K, and anything100K+ can take anywhere from 3-8 months to approve, and into your bank account. There is a "process" for receiving a sizeable retro, but I can't seem to find out what it is. I would have thought Berta would chimed in on this thread by now, but nobody has seen her around lately. Allan 2-2-0 HUAH!
  10. Vync
    I don't think anything new has been added since the list was last updated online September 2019. Berta would have been all over it. Last I heard there were three new conditions being considered, but the VA did not appear to be in a hurry to approve them. https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/related-diseases
  11. hurryupnwait
    Well, I am completely convinced that more retro = longer wait time. I have two issues on appeal and one issue goes back to 1973. I do believe that when the RO staff sees that date they scratch their ass and bury the file. It has taken 8 years to finally get the claim certified to the BVA Yeaaa. I have been told that 7 - 8 years is the new norm to get a claim certified to BVA. I believe that those claims prolly have a retro amount that scares the giibbberrs out of RO people so it gets dusty and when people see a dusty file they think something is wrong with it, like a house that sits on the market too long. Even tho my attorney is Mr. Ken Carpenter, the claim has been lingering and collecting dust at the RO. I am also convinced that having an attorney does not speed up a claim. Having an attorney does help with having your i 's dotted and your t 's crossed. Regards
  12. Buck52
    Hey John999 Where in the heck you been? we've missed you on here buddy! I been wondering about you and your area you live if you had to fight some neighbors or something? Hope your doing ok?
  13. Buck52
    I agree John and when most of us Vietnam Veterans got out no information was sent to us about filing for these claims. I never knew a condition that happen in military we could claim later on in life and us older Vietnam Veterans are seeing more and more conditions come up as we get older.
  14. Vync
    I asked about this when I became 100% P&T and was told it was only effective going forward. It has been some years now, so I think I will ask my tax assessor again and ask them to point me to the law stating it could not be applied retroactive to the effective date.
  15. Vync
    If you let them handle everything, they will choose your neurologist or other provider. However, you can always call TriWest and ask them about other providers. That's how I ended up getting the specialist who treated me previously. The key is the providers must be in their network.
  16. john999
    I was discharged with some sort of mental condition and granted 10%. I knew this was a low ball since I was unable to work. I began the fight in 1972 after I got back from Vietnam. The VA lied to me about what happened to my IMO and most of my health records. I never even got a C&P exam. I was in the VA nuthouse for a couple of months and that is where they made the decision to deny my appeal for more that 10%. I went on for years appealing and being denied increases on the most flimsy exams. Typical exam would be one or two questions from a VA shrink: "Are you working" and "Do you hear voices or see things?. By that time I had to have been working or I would have starved. I did not hear voices or see funny animals. Therefore no increase. Finally, I got a exam shrink who actually asked me a few questions. I got increased to 30%. I knew it was possible to get increased at that point. I went at it seriously and got 70% and when I lost my postal job I got TDIU. It took 30 years. Thanks to help here on Hadit I got through the VA minefield. The VA system is really a disgrace and the VA tends to keep you in the dark. If we lucky few win our claims imagine the thousands who fail and give up.
  17. john999
    Hi john999, Thank you for your donation! We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Your donation includes 1 month of ad free viewing. If you prefer the ad free view, you can subscribe for a monthly or yearly subscription. Thanks Tbird/VA Disability Compensation Benefits Forums - HadIt.com Veterans
  18. john999
    I filed an appeal when I got TDIU but was denied the Chapter than includes P&T. It took about a year for p&t to be granted. If you were explicitly denied P&T as part of your claim then appeal that denial. I think I have appealed just about every decision I ever got from the VA because they are almost always do not afford complete relief. A few years after I got TDIU I was granted another 60% for a separate condition. The VA did not immediately grant "S" like they should have done. I had to file a CUE to get that benefit. If you don't ask for it you often don't get it. The VA is sloppy and lazy. If they make a mistake that costs you thousands of buck they don't miss any sleep. The VA is just a machine. We hope to be the monkey wrench.
  19. Berta
    In this BVA decision a veteran was service connected for peripheral artery disease (circulation problems due to his AO IHD ( Ischemic heart disease.) He was exposed to AO and the decision shows how much evidence he needed: "In this case, the Veteran has submitted a medical opinion from Dr. H.S. in support of his claim. In an August 2016 letter, Dr. H.S., a physician with a family practice and previous emergency room experience, indicated that he reviewed the Veteran’s complete claims file, and concluded that the Veteran’s service-connected IHD and the PAD had a common etiology of the Veteran’s exposure to Agent Orange. Dr. H.S. explained that IHD is often referred to as “hardening of the arteries,” which was caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries within the heart. The plaque buildup resulted in the heart not getting enough oxygen, which resulted in decreased heart function and lowered blood flow to the body. Progressive narrowing of the arteries due to atherosclerosis often subsequently affected many areas of the body. One such complication is PAD and/or vascular disease, which is a narrowing of arteries in the lower extremities due to atherosclerosis. Dr. H.S. noted that the March 2014 VA examination report indicated that the Veteran had peripheral arterial and vascular diseases that had been present for many years, including a right femoral to left femoral artery bypass graft (in 2013). Dr. H.S. further explained that that there was a high prevalence of vascular disease among veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and that chemicals in Agent Orange have been shown to contribute to the development of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. Three journal articles were submitted as support for his contentions including one from Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology about the development of vascular inflammation and promotion of atherosclerosis in mice; one from Journal of Preventative Medicine & Public Health about Agent Orange exposure and prevalence of diseases in Korean Vietnam veterans; and results of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000 regarding the prevalence and risk factors for PAD in the United States. The Board finds Dr. H.S.’s opinion to be competent and credible, and as such, entitled to significant probative weight. See Gabrielson v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 36, 39-40 (1994). The opinion was rendered based on review of the Veteran’s claims file, subject matter expertise, and citations to peer-reviewed medical literature. See Nieves-Rodriguez v. Peake, 22 Vet. App. 295, 302-04 (2008) (holding that it is the factually accurate, fully articulated, sound reasoning for the conclusion that contributes to the probative value of a medical opinion). The Board acknowledges that the March 2017 VA examiner found that the Veteran’s PAD was less likely than not related to his HID, status post coronary bypass graft. The examiner indicated that the bypass grafts were taken from areas that were not near the femoral arteries, and that it was unlikely that the femoral artery was damaged during the angioplasty. The examiner also noted that the Veteran had a number of risk factors, including being male, a smoker, hypertension, hypolipidemia, atherosclerosis, and increasing age. However, under the “benefit-of-the- doubt” rule, where there exists “an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding the merits of an issue material to the determination of the matter,” the Veteran shall prevail upon the issue. Ashley v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 52, 59 (1993). In this case, the Board finds that there is “an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding the merits of an issue material to the determination of the matter.” As such, this is a situation where the benefit of the doubt rule applies. Ashley, 6 Vet. App. at 59; 38 U.S.C. § 5107; 38 C.F.R. § 3.102. Resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran’s favor, the Board finds that the Veteran’s PAD of the bilateral lower extremities was caused by exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange, and the claim of entitlement to service connection for PAD of the bilateral lower extremities is granted. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 5107; see generally Gilbert v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 49 (1990); Ortiz v. Principi, 274 F.3d 1361 (Fed. Cir. 2001)." https://www.va.gov/vetapp19/files4/19127582.txt
  20. john999
    These claims are often based on who is the bigger pitbull, you or the VA. They know if they just dream up any reason to deny you half of vets quit right there. So this is a long distance race. These VA docs are not punished for writing up reports that make you look like 18 year old Olympic swim team member. Persistence is key, plus all the good advice you get here on IMO/IME format.
  21. john999
    Has the VA added any new AO presumptives to the list as of this date? I think they are trying to time it so that they add new conditions when we are all dead. This would be perfect financial management by the VA.
  22. Berta
    What do the doctors attribute the circulation problems to? This link contains the list of Agent Orange Presumptives: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/ It also contains the Blue Water Navy Agent Orange info- You would have to prove exposure to AO in the Navy and have a disability on the list of presumptives. I am glad you don't have diabetes. An IMO doctor found my husband had PAD (peripheral arterial disease and PN from AO DMII. I proved he had Diabetes MeIIitus from AO -15 years after he died.It had been a malpracticed condition.It seems that diabetes is a prime cause of possible circulatory problems.But there are many other reasons. If you worked on C 123s, as this link describes, and have an AO presumptive, you could file a claim on that basis: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/c-123-aircraft/
  23. allansc2005
    @GB, Grouper are just delicious IF you catch the right size and species of them. Also, though gators have been seen in the canals, they rarely come out on the beaches, or swim the ocean. Unlike their saltwater cousins crocs, gators generally hate salt water. We actually have a "pet" gator named Charlie who swims one of the canals, he keeps the snakes in check, and for what ever reason, he just doesn't go after humans. Allan 2-2-0 HUAH!
  24. GBArmy
    allan That fishing sounds awesome! How is Grouper? and are there gaters showing up to take your lunch once in a while?
  25. allansc2005
    @Buck, while I did know the IU will go bye-bye, will my P&T remain after getting 100% Scheduler? Also as far as the fishing is concerned, most of us who live in Palm Beach either live ON or near the ocean, so I can step out on my porch or balcony and throw a line out and catch a few Grouper. Red Snapper requires heading out to the Gulf stream. Allan 2-2-0 HUAH!
  26. shrekthetank1
    Even so you can still try to fight the EED as your condition has not gotten better!
  27. Berta
    https://www.hillandponton.com/blue-water-navy-vietnam-map/ The map, to the right has a way you can put your Deck log coordinates in it to it to see if your ship was within the 12 mile limit per HR 299. If you have an Agent Orange Presumptive and fall within the 12 mile limit, do not hesitate to file the claim. Make sure you use the new VA claims forms. The VA will not extend the BWN claims stay.It will be lifted on January 1, 2020. This applies to Blue Water Navy AO widows as well.
  28. John728 John728 joined the community
  29. GBArmy
    Great advise from vetquest here. People get so cranked up being denied that they jump to go to CUE, when another path will have a better chance because CUE is such a harder standard to accomplish. So, if at all possible, you want to do a supplemental or HLR route AT THE SAME TIME. It is legal, easier presumably than the CUE, and can happen at the same time. Probably quicker results as well. It wakes the VA up that there is a CUE also in the system so they really aught to get their act together on giving you a fair shake.; they really try to not to lose a CUE appeal. And as vetquest said, it keeps your claim open in case you need to appeal later.
  30. Dennis G. Cochrane Dennis G. Cochrane joined the community
  31. Dennis G. Cochrane
    I was in the Navy from Oct. 1965 to Oct. 1969. My question is........................ I am a bi-lateral amputee due to poor circulation to my legs and could this have been caused from Agent Orange exposure? I am NOT diabetic. Dennis G. Cochrane
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