godeep

While I cannot complain about the nearly 6 mos. my claim took from beginning to end at the Oakland regional office, it looks as though that facility is rife with errors, appeals and claims backlogs. Even though I was awarded 90% TDIU P&T, they got three things wrong with my case that's on a de novo appeal. The following points out the difficulty that office and others are having: http://www.baycitizen.org/veterans/story/va-staff-errors-delay-veterans-benefits/ http://www.baycitizen.org/veterans/story/send-immediate-help-oaklands-va-say-bay/

This is one of the awards that I've been waiting to see here! Hard work, patience and paying it forward by helping others gained your just reward. Hearty congratulations, Carlie!!

Great news! Enjoy your award in good health!!

Isn't it fantastic to close on this? Believe me, those of us that have received our awards live vicariously through each new completed case. We remember our own euphoria well! Hearty congratulations!! Semper Fi

I have requested a de novo DRO appeal, and received the USPS receipt that they have the NOD letter. I sent it to them and my VSO and to SSDI (I have since been awarded SSDI) April 12th. It has not shown up at eBenefits as an appeal, however. Here is a redacted copy of my NOD:

Wow, that's a lot of stuff to respond to! First of all, the evidence is that the sensorineural hearing loss in your right ear is mild and uncompensatable both then and now. The hearing loss in your left ear is conductive and is a result of an incomplete tympanum, hence the drainage. That is in your service record. I suggest that you see an ENT physician and talk to him about Meniere's Syndrome. Endolymphatic hydrops is nothing to mess around with, and it's symptoms are vertigo, nausea, fluctuant hearing loss and tinitus, all usually of significant severity. I'd say off the top that it's unlikely that you'll get that diagnosis based on what you've provided here, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't pursue a medical opinion. Hope this helps!

"It pays a seperate ammount from regular disability but also is counted as 10%, if my understanding is correct." ED is paid as SMC-K and is $96 a month. There is no 10% assigned at all.

I am also correct. Things change, electronic record or not.

My DD was in the credit union on the 29th.

eBenefits is up and running just fine. As for banking information, this is mine: Commercial Banks, (National Bank Trust Companies). Nothing to get too excited about. It's a tempest in a teapot, folks.

I think that as veterans we're used to complaining when things don't go as we expect them to, Chu Lai. In my humble opinion, I think it might have been better to keep eBennies in beta until the entire thing was ready to rock and roll. The way they're releasing it piecemeal has raised expectations to unreasonable levels.

It does?? On my eBenefits page the banking info is generic and there are no acc't numbers, My credit union for DD isn't named. Look folks, eBenefits is a work in progress. It's a HUGE undertaking that we as veterans ought to be patient with. Some have come to rely on it for purposes it was unintended for, as well. I for one am thankful that I was able to view it all the way through my claim. Just sayin '...

Not me. It has worked for me well beyond my expectations since I enrolled in DEERS.

Week of March 28, 2011 If the federal government closes for business on April 8, veterans may find some VA services unavailable. The unofficial word is that administrative support and claims processing will likely be the hardest hit. So far there has not been any indication of what would happen to VA health care and social services. It is safe to assume that most VA health care services would continue. But the question of what that means to veterans seeking medical services remains unanswered. Not only has the VA not released any "official" guidance on what affect a federal shutdown would have on their services, nobody is willing to offer any comments on the subject. Read more here: http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2011/03/shutdowns-impact-on-vets-still-unknown/

It definitely has to do with priorities, IMO, and I understand that. I need my C-file for the SSDI people, but I don't expect it any time soon with the current backlogs.

Absolutely! At VA Palo Alto, the residents rotate between Stanford Hospital, Childrens Hospital and the VA. Their lab coats all have the big red STANFORD embroidered on them, and they're very considerate and helpful.

Not necessarily. Things change, and that is why they redundantly ask for your dependent status as well.

Watch your bank account. You're very close, but it could take 16-40 - something days. Mine was in notification for 3 days.

I am 90% TDIU P&T with none of my individual ratings above 50%. I think this is the VA's way of getting away from SMC awards. I feel like I was lowballed on a few of my ratings, but even with increases in a number of them, I still don't reach 100%. I'm having a few more tests and will request the records and decide after reading them whether I'll file for reconsideration or not.

I too have a FOIA in to get a copy of my C-File, and I'm delighted that it's on eBenefits as a claim, as is my dependency claim. That indicated that they got the requests and that they're being worked. With the tremendous backlog of claims. I don't expect it to go any faster than my claim did (6 mos.)

Probably not. I get travel pay for driving to Palo Alto from San Jose, but not to the San Jose Clinic, 20 minutes from me.

Whoa!

Hi Berta! Yes, the PAD was adjudicated separately from the PN under Arteriosclerosis Obliterans, Secondary to DMII. Both involved bilateral combining. Here is the VA CFR on Arteriosclerosis Obliterans: CFR 4.104-12 which I'll quote in part:<br style=min-width: 0px; "><br style="min-width: 0px; ">7114 Arteriosclerosis obliterans: <br style="min-width: 0px; "><br style="min-width: 0px; ">Ischemic limb pain at rest, and; either deep ischemic ulcers or ankle/<br style="min-width: 0px; ">brachial index of 0.4 or less 100 (percent disabilty rating)<br style="min-width: 0px; "><br style="min-width: 0px; ">Claudication on walking less than 25 yards on a level grade at 2 miles <br style="min-width: 0px; ">per hour, and; either persistent coldness of the extremity or ankle/<br style="min-width: 0px; ">brachial index of 0.5 or less 60 (percent disabilty rating)<br style="min-width: 0px; "><br style="min-width: 0px; ">Claudication on walking between 25 and 100 yards on a level grade at <br style="min-width: 0px; ">2 miles per hour, and; trophic changes (thin skin, absence of hair, <br style="min-width: 0px; ">dystrophic nails) or ankle/brachial index of 0.7 or less 40 (percent disabilty rating)<br style="min-width: 0px; "><br style="min-width: 0px; ">Claudication on walking more than 100 yards, and; diminished peripheral <br style="min-width: 0px; ">pulses or ankle/brachial index of 0.9 or less 20 (percent disabilty rating)<br style="min-width: 0px; "><br style="min-width: 0px; ">Note 1: The ankle/brachial index is the ratio of the systolic blood pressure at the ankle (determined by Doppler study) divided by the simultaneous brachial artery systolic blood pressure. The normal index is 1.0 or greater. <br style="min-width: 0px; ">Note 2: Evaluate residuals of aortic and large arterial bypass surgery or arterial graft as arteriosclerosis obliterans. <br style="min-width: 0px; ">Note 3: These evaluations are for involvement of a single extremity. If more than one extremity is affected, evaluate each extremity separately and combine (under §4.25), using the bilateral factor (§4.26), if applicable. <br style="min-width: 0px; "><br style="min-width: 0px; ">Here's a link to the VA CFR 38 Book C Cardiovascular rating information:http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/bookc.html#i<br style="min-width: 0px; ">