Mont36

Just one rule of thumb...You said that VA sent mail to old address...If you change your address at the VA Hospital, VA Benefits office does not update with that change of address...Dont know if you changed address but to anyone reading this make sure you contact both VA Hospital and the VA Regional office of your change of address. This sucks because you would think they both communicate with every update but no thats not the case. I work for the VA Regional office and I see so many claims with 4140 not returned due to claims not going to correct updated address....thus causing confusion...Good luck..

The VA has relaxed standards on stressors.....If you have a CAB (Combat Action Badge), CIB (Combat Infantry Badge), Purple Heart just for example would constitute not needing a VA Form 21-0781. Also if you have Iraq War service with dates also is another example....Be sure to go in the exam reflecting your worst day dealing with PTSD. Don't sugar coat it...Good Luck..

The problem with VSO's are that they are there to just move your claim forward and not have any knowledge or little knowledge. Im a Veterans Service Representative and I see it all the time where VSO will add more claims to your existing claims when it is a FDC claim instead of gathering all information in the beginning thus avoiding delay in your claim. Im sorry you are not aware of this and its not your fault but sometimes it happens this way. Rule of thumb always do a Intent to File first in order to preserve the effective date for pay. Example if you intent to file say 5/1/2015 and put in claim 4/1/2016, then you get rated on 12/1/2016, you will get paid back to 5/1/2015. Just FYI. Good luck.

Somehow the VA frowns upon private Psych doctors. They feel it is bias because a VA Psych is not saying the same thing as your private doctor is. Like you said the VA Psych primarily gives medicine. I don't understand why VA does this because if it is coming from a licensed doctor then what does it matter. If I were you I would ask the VA Psych to give their opinion based off what your private psych said. Show the VA psych the information that the private doc said and give their insight. Good Luck.

Were you denied before? If so did you submit new evidence? Just trying to see where this is going as far as not getting an exam.

Yes my back and knees are secondary to flat feet. Sorry about getting back to you so late.....

SempAye so are you saying that you are back in the development stage? Can you tell me what you are claiming? I want to see what could be the hold up. Thanks

I got in 5minutes ago. Could be something wrong with you server. Try clearing your cache.

Sometimes the VA can rate off of a recent exam if the diagnosis is there and exam isnt old. What are you claiming on this claim? This could help in seeing if what they could be doing or asking from you.

Make sure when he turns in his 21-0781, he gives a two month timeline of the events that happened so it can be verified. It clearly states this on the form. Many times when a veteran submits the 21-0781 for PTSD, they fail to give only two month range instead they give a year or six months as the timeline. Then we send the veteran a letter as a follow up to send the date range of two months again only to delay the claim. Once we get the two month date range along with the events that happened, a PTSD coordinator who specializes in verifying stressors will locate records in addition to units served, days of events and so on. If they are unable to verify, then it won't go further as far as PTSD, unless he has a Combat action ribbon or Purple Heart then he wouldn't need to fill the form out.......But make sure he follows what I just told you.....GOOD LUCK......

Hey Shannan. Question. Did you say you were OTH-Other than honorable? Did they do a character of discharge at the VA? I know that having UTH-Under honorable discharge puts you in the clear. But even having an OTH in your circumstance with the MST-PTSD is in your favor. I did a character of discharge at the VA where I work. The VA has to make the decision to overturn OTH or sometimes dishonorable discharges for VA disability benefits. If you have a valid reason for the discharge, which it looks like you do then it will all work out. What happens is the VSR that develops your claim will send you a letter with a suspense date of 65 days letting you know that we are aware of your character of discharge. Once the time is up the VSR looks or has looked in your file such as service treatment records and personnel records to verify what you were discharged for. Then the claim is given to a supervisor in order for them to make the determination as to grant you eligibility to disability benefits. You can definitely use the MST as your leverage for the discharge you received in order to get the benefits you are claiming. Also I hope other vets on here are reading this because I want to make a very important statement. WHENEVER THE VA ASK YOU FOR INFORMATION OR FROM A THIRD PARTY FOR YOU SUCH AS MEDICAL PROVIDER ETC...PLEASE TURN IN PROMPTLY...SO MANY TIMES CLAIMS ARE HELD UP BECAUSE OF THIS...LASTLY IF THE VA CALLS YOU FOR INFORMATION PLEASE PROVIDE THEM WITH THE INFORMATION AND DONT LEAVE ANYTHING OUT.....THANK YOU...GOOD LUCK.

Trust me when I tell you there are an increase in FDC claims thus going to cause a backlog on these claims. The issue is that that any VSR can develop a claim. So if a claim that is say 9 months old and not FDC and yours is 2 months old with FDC it just depends on what is going on with the claim. Sad but this is true then you got this new INTENT TO FILE mess that has come along to further complicate things which is effective March 24, 2015. The problem is there is not a team that handles just FDC claims. If they had a team solely dedicated to FDC then it would be faster process. I think the FDC has caused a misconception because although it is designed to expedite ones claim, if we ( I work for VA) develop for federal records, and they don't respond timely then that causes delays. Or if you claim special issues such as PTSD,Agent Orange, we have to request personnel records. With PTSD if you say an event happened, that caused you stressor on the VA FORM 21-0781, has to be two month range given to us in order to verify stressor causing PTSD from PTSD coordinator. So there are a lot of factors. One question, what are you claiming? That way I can give insight on what they may be doing or waiting on. Good Luck!!!

Well welcome to the world of ROANOKE. I have experienced ROANOKE for three of my claims. They are the ones that denied my Gulf War claim for IBS. They are overwhelmed. All of the VA Regional offices are overwhelmed. But the nice thing is that they are going paperless. The bad is the VA is requiring mandatory overtime to tackle claims. This is a cause for concern because you bring on more stress to employees and sometimes not so favorable decisions because of fatigue, instead of hiring more people in particular vets. But let me tell you this always turn EVERYTHING in at the beginning of filing a claim. The reason I say this is because it causes delays otherwise. For instance if you say you were seen at a private doctor, we (I work at the VA) have to go out for these records and give a total of 30 days.If we need your federal records, another 30-45 days. Federal records like Womack Army records for instance is horrible when it comes to requesting these records and them sending them to us not trying to bash no one in particular but things like this is a problem. I know first hand. I am going to tell you nothing but the truth here as others will on here with good intentions. So really sometimes it is up to you on how long it takes your claim. The fastest my claim has taken is 3 months cause I had everything turned in when I submitted claim instead of relying on VA to get records. Good Luck and hang in there!!!!!!

There are lots of factors behind the dates you see. When the VA develops claims, they have to do what is called a suspense. The suspense is there for tracking purposes in order to meet deadlines on veterans claims. The suspense is put there after requesting documents, exams, when ready to rate and paying the veteran. Hang in there and don't be discouraged because there is a reasoning behind everything. Like I always say whenever the VA ask you for something always turn it in to them as quickly as possible in order to avoid delays. GOOD LUCK!!

Deferred usually is further development of a claim or osp (on site provider) opinion on what the examiner put down in the examination report. I have seen where they have deferred issues due to needing personnel records for issues like mental conditions, service treatment records for proof of treatment in service when a veteran has more than one periods of service. So a lot can play into why a deferral is needed. But like Berta said, its better than denied cause this means someone is doing their job correct by crossing every t and dotting every I. Good Luck....