iceturkee

maybe you can clarify something for me? in order to get a&a with disability compensation, must my service connected disabilities preclude me from performing my daily living activities? or can it be general health? thanks phillip! :-)

i have a question about a&a and smc. for years, i received a&a with my nsc pension because i have deformed hands and have trouble with daily living activities. the va has paid for me to have a nurses aide come to my house 8 hours a week for over 4 years. now that i am 100 percent and receiving disability compensation, i wonder if this can be transferred? i did have an ortho c&p a few years ago in which the examiner opined that my service connected back condition would preclude me from completing a majority of daily living activies. on my most recent ortho c&p, the examiner opined that my back condition beside my other disabilites made me unemployable. any help would be appreciated. thanks.

or in my case the c&p examiner wrote it would be highly unlikely for me to return to the workforce, even in a sit down job, because of my depression.

the way the va determines ratings for the spine is criminal.

good deal harv. glad you got an answer before christmas! :-)

now, that my IU claim has been adjudicated, it took st pete (RO) about 6 weeks to rule on my behalf.

it becomes more and more obvious the va would like all of us to go away so they can screw with younger veterans who haven't learned yet. i have also learned that as a retired reporter (who still has a few friends in the biz), i have a feather in my cap most veterans do not have. for that alone, i am more than grateful. my heart aches for those who give up. my heart applauds people like berta who refuses to roll over and play dead.

the money was in my account this morning.

the va initiated it for me this august.

i know florida, where i live, has a seperate id cards for veterans rated 100 percent, p&t. will the va give me a different card? if not, what card would i need to get for base privileges?

the dav sent me forms for the dea and clothing allowance (for my back). i don't have any dependants so i can't use the educational benefit. but, did i understand i will now have exchange and commisary privileges?

i just got my DAV letter, the VA granted me IU with an effective date of Oct 29, 2010. letter also said i was entitled to dependant educational assistance. Yippee!

that is correct!

i believe you need to complete a release of information request for copies.

my regional office told me up to 45 days after the exam. i've hit that mark and still haven't received mine. i think it depends on your regional office.

just remember, i didn't submit the claim. the va initiated after a statement made by the doc who did my exam for depression. to refresh your memory, she said it would be highly unlikely i could return to full time work due to the chronic nature of my depression and the fact i suffer from long periods of social isolation. the va had already sked the c&p exams before sending me the forms to fill out for IU.

you didn't misread, i am eligible for both and currently receive the pension because it is the greater benefit. the 60percent is 40 for back and 30 for depression. the a&a is for rheumatoid arthritis.

it will probably take 2 to 3 weeks before that exam is posted in the system.

since i have inflammatory arthritis, i have been able to get emergency dental work done at my local clinic. both my primary care doc and dentist swore me to secrecy but it can be done.

compensation and pension

good question.my longtime ortho doc did many of my exams after he left the va and even when he came back. a former vso told me i had grounds to have the last exam he ever did for me thrown out due to conflict of interest.

i had a commanding officer who didn't like me and sent me to bethesda for a medical evaluation since i had been waived from doing physical fitness test. i already had had one med board (for my back) which found me fit for full duty. i saw a doctor who asked why i had been sent.told him my story. he noticed i had earned a meritorious service medal and wrote in my record i should be continued to be waived from pft because how dare my command call me a liar. he actually wrote, from what i can tell, she is totally fit to continue working as a journalist.bought me a few years too until a new duty station brought the inevitable medical discharge.

my ortho exam for IU lasted, maybe, 15 minutes. the doctor couldn't do a physical exam because i'm in a wheelchair and there were no nurses to assist me standing up. my general med exam lasted about 40 minutes.doc asked alot of questions and did a very brief physical exam, again because of the wheelchair.