iceturkee

i believe you are correct on the 50 percent thing.

there may be truth to this. last week when i picked up my pain meds, the pharmacist said the va was cracking down because younger veterans were abusing the meds. the computer picked me up for a urine drug screen (which i had in early march and was negative) and an ekg (which i had done in december and was negative). took a supervisor to agree to release the meds to me.

i am so sorry to hear this. because i enlisted for the army security agency option, i took my basic at fort jackson. was in the second company of all women to complete our training there. maybe, it was a good thing i was never stationed at mcclellan.

i miss those commercials.

on the reverse token, i have very high arches. and i remmember having feet problem in the army, going to sick call and getting diagnosed with high arches. a few years ago, high arches were noted on a foot and ankle exam done by the va. my primary says they can contribute to my service connected back pain. any thoughts whether or not i could get service connected for my feet? thanks.

when i was awarded aid and attendance for my pension, they used the date of my c&p exam as the date of my claim so i got no retro. i filed an NOD and about a month later, they changed the date back to when i filed and awarded me retro.

that's a month old. basically the VFW is trying to get congress to permantely end squestration for veterans. they held a joint meeting with the house and senate committees on veterans affairs.

didn't know she is a retired one star. have much respect for any woman who makes flag rank.

NOD?

as you meet the schedular criteria for consideration to individual unemployability, and we concede based on your employment and education history, and your level of service connected disability, that ir would likely be difficult for you to obtain and maintain gainful employment, entitlement to individual unemployability is granted. for the record, i earned my degree before enlisting in 1974. after the military, i spent 11 years working as a reporter.

i had the same experience. but i was able to convince the VA to give me another appointment, which they did.

leon, i can tell you from my experience that the fact i had depression issues while in the navy helped me. my claim was secondary to my service connected back issue, having lived with chronic pain over 30 years. i got 30 percent. if i wanted, i probably could have filed a disagreement and gotten 50 percent out of it. i didn't because i got unemployability a few months later.

it took me from 1988 at 10 % until 2011 to get to 100% unemployable. i never stopped researching and fighting.

i earned my college degree before i first enlisted. this was one of the reasons the raters used to award IU.

i am changing my power of attorney to paralyzed veterans of america. the local service officer called me this morning and we had a nice 20 minute conversation. i mentioned this legislation to him as a concern and he thinks its highly doubtful it would ever happen.

PR, i am 100 percent because the VA determined i was unemployable because of my back. shortly after, i applied for SMC (aid and attendance) and was denied. with all of this talk about IU possibly going away at 65, it has had me thinking whether or not i should apply for a back increase.

can't believe no one here is service connected for their back and or use an electric wheelchair. in any event, my primary care doc messaged me this morning that she found a note from the ortho doc (from last may) which he stated i was wheel chair bound. i had fallen twice, my back was hurting real bad, had routine xrays of both my thoracic and lumbar spines and sent me to ortho on a consult. he raised big concern about the vertebral slippage and mentioned the problems i was having. i'm trying to find out if its worth my while to ask for an increase based on the severity of last years lumbar mri and being wheel chair bound. thank you.

i am currently 40 percent for my thoracolumbar spine. last may i had an mri of my lumbar spine (for pain clinic) and as you know showed 5 herniated discs, a grade one vertabrae slip, spinal and foraminal stenosis, 2 torn discs and multi-level arthritis. when i had my ortho c&p in october 2011 for my IU, they used the results of a routine lumbar xray which showed only arthritis and they kept me at 40 percent. i have also been wheel chair bound since 2005 for my back and inflammatory arthritis. i am considering filing for an increase based on the mri findings and (hopefully) a statement from my current primary care doc that i am use an electric wheelchair due to the severity of my back condition. i also have radiculopathy. would i have a good shot at an increase to 60 percent or higher? thanks.

and why should it be? the president (because of the va scandal backlash) asked for a 9 billion increase in the va budget. that's increase, not decrease. until the president says otherwise, the va is still exempt from the sequestration.

PR, i was self employed for a number of years (and didn't report my social security) so i didn't have enough work credits over 10 years to file. i did double check when i filed for my SS at 62 and was told the same thing.

no. first, there is a chart for you to check (depending on your birthday) when you reach 100 percent of your social security. i opted to take my social security at 62 too and as far as i know, that is the rate i will be paid until i die.

there is a press release on VFW.org from march 6 regarding their efforts to end any va involvement in future sequestrians. the national commander addressed a joint meeting of the house and senate veterans affairs comittees. my 2 cents, given the public opinion toward the va right now and given the fact the president asked for a 9 billion increase in the va's fy2016 budget, i strongly believe this will go by the way side at some point before the end of the current fiscal year. of course, when dealing with congress anything is possible.

from what i have read, some of the veterans agencies (VFW) have been in contact to ensure the va continues to be protected from any further budget sequestation (of which this is proposed). best i can tell va is still exempt as the president hasn't announced it has changed. there is some movement on capitol hill to permanetly remove the va from any further sequestrations. the option as currently proposed would end unemployability when the veteran reaches 100 percent of his social security age (between 65 and 67). for me it would be next february when i turn 66. this is not included in the president's curent va budget for fy 2016. i am a retired reporter and i spend countless hours on my computer doing research, which is why i am fairly current on this.

my ortho c&p for my IU lasted less than 15 minutes. the doctor clearly told me the VA had made a mistake sending me (wheelchair bound because of my back) in for an exam. he wrote same.

but i do know his medical history and what he is service connected for. if i didn't love my one bedroom handicapped accessible apartment for what i pay a month, i would have moved years ago. thanks.