Philip Rogers

Peter, when a schedular award of 100% is awarded for a psychiatric condition the VA is "required" to consider HB and failure to do so leaves that issue open retro to the date of the schedular award. If they awarded you HB at a later date I'd look to a CUE for an EED. They owe you!!!!!! I see two choices, either appeal should the DRO deny or if you want to settle quickly, offer a compromise of a lesser date. jmo pr

Venturing an educated guess, I'd say they are asking for a clarification of something in the '06 exam report or are requesting a current C&P exam or maybe both. jmo pr

It should be the date it hit the USPS mail, in other words the date you mailed it and have a receipt for, which if it was express mail should have been 12/15/05, unless that was a Sunday or holiday. Watch the VA, they're slippery little devils when it comes to "misinformation." pr

What on earth do you guys do w/all your money? I can't imagine living on just my SS but w/VA, I have more than enuf. I carry Part 'B' and pay for one of my meds the VA doesn't carry but I choose to take and am still able to have a savings acct. jmo pr

Generally the VA acknowledges additional conditions found by acknowledging them and calling them NSC. If they failed to do that you have a fair chance of winning. jmo pr

Glad you guys ain't runnin' things. What or who next???? Didn't Hitler start that way and before long all rights are gone, for everyone. jmo pr

Sandra, please post your email. Thx. pr

I recommend it. I've done it and it's worked well for me and other claims I've helped with. If nothing else it reminds them of the curent law/regs and that they are not dealing w/a Bozo, so they can't use their usual BS decisions and get away w/it. jmo pr

Thanks Berta & Johnny K! He's not a vet but has been a PTSD counselor for 25 yrs, for the VA and a damn great one. Just doing a little research to see what his options might be. Sounds like he might be able to get workers comp and then FERS. I'll need to do more research. Thanks again! pr

A friend works for the VA and has 5 yrs to retirement but is having some serious mental health problems. He pays into a federal retirement program, not Social Security. Would he be better off going out on medical retirement/disability now or to wait 5 yrs and retire, if he could stand it? Thanks. pr

Peter, I missed that. Good on you! Congrats!!! pr

Here's a link to the case I was referring to previously: http://www.va.gov/vetapp06/files5/0634442.txt pr

It looks pretty normal to me, but what do I know. Pulse rate is 68, which is good. If you're really worried about the chest pain go to an emergency room. jmo pr

Sorry but mine was initially approved and then denied, at the quality review board, and it took me 10 yrs to win again but I won retro 7 yrs. Don't spend the money yet. jmo pr

Ya know VN service may just mean served during the VN conflict. My ex's father's gravestone says VN on it and he was in Korea in the mid 60's - never set foot in VN. I think it could just mean that you served during the conflict period. Serving during a period of war has specific VA benefits, such as pension eligibility. Just a thought. pr

Yup, you're P&T. pr

Don't know if anyone has posted this yet. pr http://www.military.com/veterans-report/ag...to-hypertension

Sledge, I'm fairly sure an ALJ can go back to 1988 as an established disability date. Berta, sorry, not trying to point out errors, just want all to be using same proper terms. pr

I believe it's called "staged rating," not staggered! A google search for "staged rating" will bring up lots of VA decisions. As in: Where, as here, the issue involves the assignment of an initial rating for a disability following the initial award of service connection for that disability, the entire history of the disability must be considered and, if appropriate, staged ratings may be applied. Fenderson v. West, 12 Vet. App. 119 (1999). pr

Could you mean "staged" ratings, where the vet gets 30%, then maybe 50%, then maybe 60%, etc., based on medical history? This is sometimes done on EED's. pr

Kris - you're right, it makes no sense. I don't believe Panic Disorder requires a stressor letter or verification of stressors, as that is specific to VA PTSD claims. It only makes sense if the VA is CUE-ing themselves on the Panic Disorder and trying to convert it to PTSD, which someone coud be doing but unlikely. However since they are treating you for PTSD maybe they are processing a claim for PTSD in an effort to give you that increase. I'd contact your claims manager and ask or just give them another stressor letter. I don't believe your first stressor letter was needed unless it started out as a PTSD claim. jmo pr

Or like rats in a maze prefer to hit the denial button over the approval button!!!!! jmo pr

Kris - I'm unclear what you're receiving 50% for. Is it PTSD??? pr

Ham & eggs, chopped with juices - ummmmmm, delish!!! Loved them! I think that's where Dr Seus got "Green eggs and Ham," because that's what they looked like! Heat tabs . . . what were they? We had 'em cold, which is why few liked Ham & MF's. Grease was too much. Ahhhhh, sweet memories. In the late '70s I used to have a case shipped to me from an Army/Navy store in Fayetteville, NC to my home, in NH, via UPS, once a month. I loved those things. jmo pr

Free - I figured RDIF was something like that. I've found it best not to allow any company access to your bank account, thru on-line or e-payment methods. I, personally, setup one credit card, with a low credit limit, thru which I make all on-line payments. By doing it thru a credit card the payments have many protections both creditor account access and debit cards lack. I think what is most irritating, for me, is sometimes you're trying to correct some low amount withdrawal and it takes hours. I figure my time is worth something and on a couple of occasions have just written it off rather than having it drag me down trying to recover a relatively small amount of money. In the mean time I ceased any debiting of my bank account. I also transfer automatic deposits to another account, at another bank, immediately. On the personal side, I hope you are adjusting to your loss, as best you can. You appear to have things under control. pr