Nod Form 21-0958 And Call Option?

[TiredCoastie]

There was a box on the standard NOD form that asked if I would ike to receive a telephone call or email from the RO which explained that they would attempt to call twice at the phone number provided. I checked the "yes" block and gave them all the contact information. Guess I'll be carrying around a copy of my NOD for a while. Also guessed it couldn't hurt to have someone call and acknowledge they're actually reading the form.

What can someone expect from this type of contact from the RO? Didn't see anything posted in the forums...

[FormerMember]

Did an IRIS to find out why VA did one claim and "accidentally" dropped the other three last week. Mind you, I haven't had the MOPH representing me since I fired them in 08. At the bottom of the IRIS is "cc: MOPH". VA couldn't find their own ass with a methane detector. Sent in an update to have them remove it and added more info. It's still there.

A sends

cp

[john999]

AskNod and Megh

I think I mentioned it already but the reason I was getting these messages that my claim for increase for DMII was delayed was due to 5103 Waiver Request Review whatever the heck that means. I called the Gimp at the 800 # and he told me it was due to the fact that I had not answered a letter from the VA asking if I had any other evidence to submit. I never got this letter. I told the guy at the 800 number that I had no more evidence. He typed it into my record and had me swear that it was true. He said this would get my claim off the dime because they had been waiting since July for an answer to the letter they did not send me. I mean I have been at the same address for 25 years. This is the kind of crap that f**ks up the whole system. What does it matter if they have automated claims system if they make such mistakes? I had asked via IRIS and on the phone twice before and they could not tell me anything. They did not know what 5103 Waiver Review Request meant. This claim will not break or make me but the VA made dumb mistakes just like this when I was trying to get TDIU. They could not find my DD214. They did not have proof of my final day at work etc. They had all this stuff in my file but were to lazy to look inside the file. I had been SC for 30 years and yet no DD214. Then at one point in my AO claim they questioned if I had been "boots on the ground in Nam". Thank God it was right on my DD214. Dumb and Dumber even with Ebenefits. Really , should be angry with the VA personnel who tell me these things, but I am just grateful like a dog that they may finally get it right. First they take away my ability to earn a living and then they take my peace of mind, and I end up being grateful they have not F'ed up worse. I know the actual people of the USA respect and want to help us vets, but the institution set up to do this treats us like dogs and cats. NO, dogs and cats have the ASPCA. We just have the VSO's.

John

[71M10]

The design of the NOD form clearly shows that the VA is planning on having this fed into a database and probably will try to have text analysis do the initial route and review.

The inclusion of a box for a phone call is a hoot. IF they call, it will only be to tell you how great they are and that you are so wrong to appeal thier wise decision. No one will ever have the file open or even have read the decision that is going to make that call, which is so sad because if they actually appropriately explained decisions or had somone LISTEN to why the decision was wrong they could do things so much faster.

[FormerMember]

Because I enjoy watching paint dry, grass and trees grow and observing the progress of my VA claims, I called the 800 Prize Redemption Line on Monday 23 Dec. After a relatively short period of 42 minutes, I was greeted by Robert in Salt Lick City's prestigious RO. He was able to find out that I had filed a claim on August 12,2012 for "scarring" and several other issues. Well, not exactly. It was a CUE for reducing a rating with no warning. The others were filed two months later .VA had lumped them all together and denied the CUE but closed them all out. Robert could not "see" the October filings so I asked him what he was looking at (i.e. VACOLS, WARMS, etc.) He said he was using VA's latest tool that is relatively up to date for these things--------------drumroll, please--------------Ebenefits. That's what you are dealing with. If you want to find out what's up ( or not up), try IRIS. Robert even suggested as much after ten minutes of trying to explain why he was "knowledge-challenged" and limited to reciting what I was looking at at the same time.The blind leading the deaf...

[TiredCoastie]

It will certainly be interesting if someone does call or email. I have no idea what to expect, but the "we're great and you don't rate" line sounds like one anyone us might expect at any point. My personal guess is that they'll try to play "stump the chump" and try to see if I can say something that would hurt my appeal...or provide something they can take out of context. It's hard to get someone on the phone who actually knows what they're talking about. Every once in a while, you do. It was the 800 number that helped me find out that my retro payment for my initial claim was hung up on a nonreceipt processing error. But what day or call do you get the operator with a clue?

So taking that experience in them calling us, it will be pretty interesting if it actually occurs. The form said that "the VA" would make two attempts at the number provided and asked for specific time windows each business day that would be best to call. So at least someone in DC who approved the form's new format was pretty serious that it would happen. The implementation, of course, is always the hardest part. Seeing as the form says "VA" and not "RO," makes me wonder if some central location will make the call - like the way that the 5103 waiver was delivered this last go-round - and you know how much of any of our C-files will be available.

Maybe I'll check the state laws for recording phone calls, then be ready to have my own record of any conversation.

[FormerMember]