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Lymphoma And Dic Claim Question


ricosuave

Question

Hello all,

Recently my father, a Vietnam veteran, passed away from his service connected Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer. It is connected from his time in Vietnam, Agent Orange exposure. He was 100% disabled rated and all that from his cancer. We are currently about to go through all the forms for DIC and burial benefits with his VSO next week. However we have one concern. His VSO stated that his cancer had to be listed specifically as the cause of death to make the DIC process go smoothly and get approved.

His Lymphoma is listed as the cause of death on the death certificate but on that certificate it only says "lymphoma".....it doesn't spell it all out and state "non-hodgkins lymphoma".

This is what concerns us. How picky is the VA on specifics? Has anyone gone through this before, maybe with this same service connected disease and offer an opinion if the VA will deny my mother DIC? All the VA has to do is look at his medical records and see that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and was 100% disabled rated.

Maybe my family is just worrying too much. It just that my mother really needs that DIC to survive.

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Rico:

Sorry for your loss. Welcome to Hadit.

I think that you are ok but if you are nervous and your VSO has a point you can ask to have the death certificate corrected. Contact the people who issued the death certificate and explain your problem.

Good Luck

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"This is what concerns us. How picky is the VA on specifics?"

Very

"Has anyone gone through this before, maybe with this same service connected disease and offer an opinion if the VA will deny my mother DIC?"

I have 2 separate DIC awards and there are other widows here too.A search would briong up any NHL: DIC widows.

"All the VA has to do is look at his medical records and see that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and was 100% disabled rated."

Of course and they might do the right thing.

Odd to see this new post as I was thinking early this AM about one of my best friends.

He has AO non-Hodgkins but gets Section 1151 benefits.I wrote that claim for him. They awarded in mere months.100%.They misdiagnosed the NHL and almost killed him and shortened his life by their medical error.

I am concerned as to what his wife might go through if he dies of another disablity.

In your situation -if the lymphoma is listed on the death certificate as contributing cause of or direct cause of death- and there is absolutely no other type of lymphoma he had except for NHL, I dont think there will be any problem with the DIC claim.

Also- if he received VA comp at 100% for NHL for ten years prior to his death-the VA could award DIC on that basis too.

Was an autopsy done?

If so the autopsy would be a more definitive and detailed statement as to the cause of death.

Your rep makes a good point.

My husband's death certificate does not list the actual medical cause of my husband's death at all on it and I proved what is was to the VA recently but that claim took 7 years.

Still I feel the VA will recognize the lymphoma as meaning AO NHL and will not try to say it was some other type of lymphoma.

They would have to pull a lot of medical rationale out of a hat to do that- but then again-

I am living proof of how low the VA can go in order to get out of paying some DIC claims.

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Pete had good idea too- some Medical Examiners and/or coroners will not amend death certificate-

but many will with no problem.

It pays to check the state laws on that-

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Yeah, the lymphoma is listed as direct cause of death. He never was diagnosed with any other form of lymphoma.

Under direction from my Dad's VSO, who I had consulted with a few days before he passed away, I had called up my Dad's primary care physician (who signs the death cert.) within hours of my Dad's death and asked him to make sure the lymphoma was listed on the death cert.

I just thought he would spell it all out instead of putting just "lymphoma" on there.

Unfortunately the 10 yr rule for DIC goes against us as he was battling the cancer for 4 yrs and didn't get the full 100% disable rated until roughly 1.5 yrs ago.

No autopsy was done. But towards the end it was the VA doctors (who treated him the whole time) who recommended the cancer fight was over and pushed for Hospice care. I know if I do have issues with the DIC those doctors would go to bat for me and my Mom.

I'm glad to hear people think I'm ok with this as far as getting my Mom's DIC approved. Until I have the award in hand I'm going to be nervous.

-Rico

"This is what concerns us. How picky is the VA on specifics?"

Very

"Has anyone gone through this before, maybe with this same service connected disease and offer an opinion if the VA will deny my mother DIC?"

I have 2 separate DIC awards and there are other widows here too.A search would briong up any NHL: DIC widows.

"All the VA has to do is look at his medical records and see that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and was 100% disabled rated."

Of course and they might do the right thing.

Odd to see this new post as I was thinking early this AM about one of my best friends.

He has AO non-Hodgkins but gets Section 1151 benefits.I wrote that claim for him. They awarded in mere months.100%.They misdiagnosed the NHL and almost killed him and shortened his life by their medical error.

I am concerned as to what his wife might go through if he dies of another disablity.

In your situation -if the lymphoma is listed on the death certificate as contributing cause of or direct cause of death- and there is absolutely no other type of lymphoma he had except for NHL, I dont think there will be any problem with the DIC claim.

Also- if he received VA comp at 100% for NHL for ten years prior to his death-the VA could award DIC on that basis too.

Was an autopsy done?

If so the autopsy would be a more definitive and detailed statement as to the cause of death.

Your rep makes a good point.

My husband's death certificate does not list the actual medical cause of my husband's death at all on it and I proved what is was to the VA recently but that claim took 7 years.

Still I feel the VA will recognize the lymphoma as meaning AO NHL and will not try to say it was some other type of lymphoma.

They would have to pull a lot of medical rationale out of a hat to do that- but then again-

I am living proof of how low the VA can go in order to get out of paying some DIC claims.

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