manning01

Question I have an initial Compensation claim in since Sept 2010 that is collecting dust at the Phoenix VARO. I noticed when I was checking out the ebenits appointment calendar that there was a C&P exam/Rating Review scheduled in the Topaz Clinic back on Mar 21 2012 at 1100hrs. Now I was never informed of this exam and never went there but yet it says appointment kept. Is this a C&P exam update? I noticed on my claim history it shows logged into there an entry on March 22nd the day after labled "VA Exam Results (Addendum-Audio). Now I do have a claim in for Tinnitus after being on F-16 Fighters for over 20 years and the VA Audiologist she wouldn't make an opinion since she didn't have all the paperwork from the VARO during my hearing exam back in Nov 2011. I also seen in the C&P exam history it shows that exam on March 21st was requested on March 20th at 1503hrs and it was returned to the VARO complete on March 21st a 0914hrs. I assume this was a paperwork thing between the VARO and the VAMC Phoenix and nothing to worry about? Also I did go out and get a local Audiologist with a Doctor Degree that is in the same office as my ENT. I recieved a very good opinion from him "Bilateral Tinnitus is most likely caused by or a result of Military Service, In particular the reported mortar blast" and sent that in around that time. Maybe they seen that and told her to make a proper decision.

Currently at 18 Months for my initial claim and still waiting.

T8r Question on the FDC process doesn't it have to be connected to a already compensated condition i.e. secondary etc or can it be used for a totally new condition a vet wants to file a claim for. I wanted to try the FDC to file for IBS since I've been diagnosed with it by the VA and is a presumptive to my Gulf War Service/OIF. I have copies of everything they would need and they already have my SMR with my C file at the VARO. Sounds like a better way verse the normal claims process I'm at 19 months on my initial compensation claim. It took my file sent from the VARO in Phoenix to a tiger team in OH to find out they missed sending out my requests for records back in Sept 2010 so Cleveland sent it all the way back without doing anything. I assume if I do claim this IBS it might slow down my C file for the other items not like it's moving anyware soon at the rate they are moving??? Any help is appreciated. JT

Awesome great news and "Congrats"!!!! John

USMC89 thanks for the info on the rating results that was good info to pass along to everyone. Can't wait to see what the C&P exam said all these pointers will help all of us a lot, thank you. John

I didn't know they had to have this device to measure your ROM. I had mine done in Pennsylvania at the WBVAMC and the C&P PA never used it. Hummm wonder how he got the measurements he got but he didn't force me to do anything I couldn't do. He'd always say stop when it starts to hurt etc don't hurt yourself.The MRI's really help with the radiologist results, it did for me.

Is there anywhere this is posted on the internet so we can get more info on this? I did a quick google search nothing came up.

Hi Shock Your lucky my initial claim since I retired from the Air Force in 2010 is going on 17 months with no end in sight. But glad to see your close and hope you see that well deserved money soon. John

Yes I'm close only 24 miles away in Phoenix. I took a drive down there yesterday to talk with my VSO from AMVETS they are in the same building on the first floor. He had me fill out a new 21-4138 to say I submitted everything I need and to ignore the two 4123's open in MAPD system and process my file as is. I even had him resubmit my VA medical record I had a copy of with all info pertaining to my claim. What surprised me was on Ebenefits today they already showed logging in that paperwork, wow the next day and it's in there they must be trying to break a record. Everytime in the past it took atleast 2-4 weeks before it showed up in there. Also my records were sent to Cleveland VARO to a tiger team there (farmed out). So my VSO emailed the VSR rater personally to ask her to close out the open records and to process my file as is, hopefully she will do that, but as you know it's the VA. She probibily already put it back in the mail to be sent back here to AZ for more development. That way they have one less file to process especially coming from anouther VARO and that 4138 will get lost between here and OH. Oh the fun of waiting on a initial claim 17 months and counting. John

Thanks John hey I have the same first name cool. Do you happen to know something like the two 4142's Doctor records requests that they never set out in 2010 can I tell them in writting to forget it and process the claims as is since they already have all records from outside Dr's I personally sent in since then??? It would be a waste of time for them to send them out and get the same thing back and delay putting it back into Decision in 2-6 months however long they drag it out. John

Can I ask please what you put in the search line to get the results you get Berta? Everytime I search I end up getting independant management systems for IMO in Phoenix AZ not at all what I'm looking for???

Thanks J I was hoping if anyone knew if I could tell them in writing to skip those two 4142's I sent in back in 2010 since I do have the copies of my medical records from the Dr they need so they don't go into a 6 month hold just for them and place it back in que for decision???

Nobody has had an issue like this????

I hope one of the experts here can give me some guidance on my claim. I submitted my first OIF compensation claim back on Sept 7th 2010 did all the C&P exams Nov 2010 "yes that's fast for the VA" and was put into decision Dec 2010 at the Phili VARO. That is where the nightmare has begun. Since then we moved from PA to AZ in April 2011 so it took a month for it to arrive here and the Phoenix VARO back my claimback into development till Oct 2011 (5 months) why who knows when the Phili VARO had it in decision. Then they put it into decision late Oct then farmed it out to a Tiger Team in Cleveland OH VARO on Nov 1st. Then it sits from then over the Holidays till Jan 17th 2012 and it said closed today on Ebenefits YAY sucess, YA right. After asking my VSO he said they deferred my entire C file decision due to missing two 4142's even though the DOMA system says it's done but MAPD says no. Then the VA rater she entered two Doctors names in the report one was my VA doctor in PA and the other I have no Idea who that doctor is. I checked my copied 4142's I submitted with the claim and that one Doctor is not there so the RVSR made a big mistake and the other my old VA Doctor I sent in all the VA records with her name on it that deals with my claim. So now they are sending my whole package back to Phoenix AZ and starting over again in gathering documentation after 14 months of waiting. Is there a way I can just resend in my VA doctors notes to cover the claim and tell my local VARO to ignore any oustanding 4142's I had sent to them back in 2010 update MAPD and get my claim back into decision as is? I really don't need that VA doctors notes anyways to validate my claim and the other Dr name is an error, go figure that can't even get that right. This is crazy I waited all this time and it finally made it to a RVSR and they didn't even update their system correctly so now due to their incompetance I pay for it again by waiting months longer. I hope I can just tell them to ignore my two 4142's outstanding and process as is, I did sign the VCAA to state I have no more documentation to send them back in Oct 2010. Any ideas??? Flustrated

Pete I emailed her today and got a response in about 15 minutes with all the paperwork needed to fill out and send in. They are still saying they need more volunteers. Thanks again for the info to contact them it's appreciated! John

Thanks Pete I'll try that email tomorrow I really appreciate the help. John

Wow this is great information thank you. But I'm not understanding one thing should I just file a claim for undiagnosed Gulf War Illness state my symptoms that are similar to IBS and let them figure it out and not tell them I have IBS? Sounds like I should do that instead of claiming the direct illness especially when I don't have a hard diagnosis of IBS?

Man this is great news for me so I have time now to get my claim together in the next few months. I thought I had ran out of time. Thanks for the GOOD NEWS....

Has anyone else had success contacting them? I tried the email for the nurse it is no longer active a message came back that said to email two other emails one of which is dead also. I put in a email to them but it's been a week and no word. Right now I don't have long distance on my home phone trying to save money so email is the best I can do for now .

Congrats John

Hi John999 From what I read the presumptives also cover us OIF veterans also here is it pasted from the VA website: For VA benefit purposes, Gulf War service is active military duty in any of the following areas in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations any time during the first Gulf War starting August 2, 1990 through the current conflict in Iraq. This includes Veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2010) and Operation New Dawn (2010 and continuing). I do have the doctors notes and the endoscopy report with pics that he did on me showing issues that he can't explain why it's there. The labs and biopsies all can back negative for the usual gluten/celiac disease etc but yet a show signs of diffuse atrophic mucosa and nodular mucosa in my upper GI tract. This GI doctor is not a VA doctor and is very well known in the Phoenix area so I feel he has covered most of the bases ore than a VA Dr would. So all I can think of is it's something from my vacinnations (anthrax, small pox, maralia pills etc) or other factors from my deployments to OIF, Northern Watch (ONW), Southern Watch (OSW) and surrounding countries all those years since the GW. I was on active duty during the GW but my unit didn't deploy. I had my C&P's done for my neck and hearing back in Oct 2010 a couple of months after retiring from the USAF. I just don't want to over state my claim but make it short and sweet but solid enough to make their job easier to process it when it comes up to be rated. I don't want to file it right now my C file was transferred from Phoenix to the Cleveland VARO to a tiger team there to decide it on November 1st 2011. It was supposed to be decided on and sent back to the Phoenix VARO by Dec 30th 2011 but I know that was a pipe dream in their system my AMVETS rep looked at.

Has anyone done a successful claim i.e get compensated for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) a presumptive to SW Asia service? I went to OIF twice, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait and now I have IBS and wish I didn't this, it is a pain to live with but not even nearly as bad as other things discussed in the forums. I was wondering since this is a presumptive illness according to Gulf War/ OIF guidlines do all I need to do on the VBA 21-4138 is state what I have and I state it as a presumptive to my servcie in SW Asia? There is nothing in my SMR I just attributed my issue before I retired last year to just getting older and being sensitive to certain foods but now it getting worse and I heard it doesn't have to be in my SMR since it's presumptive? I also heard the claim eligibility was extended so once my first claim for tinnitus and my neck fusion due to an injury sustained in Iraq is completed (submitted since Sept 2010) I'd like to submit and hopefully do it right the first time. Any ideas is greatly appreciated in steering this VA greenbeen the right way.

Here out in AZ at Luke AFB they already have that Biometric Identification systems (DBIDS) scanner when you go through the gate for us that have a retired ID not sure how they handle none ID holders. They are not issuing vehicle decals anymore atleast not out here at Luke AFB. I was told the AF stopped doing that due to the yearly cost and AT concerns and is supposed to be USAF wide. But that causes trouble when you go to a Army Base etc and they still issue the decals and you have to go get a temp pass every time.

Glad to be of some help. Hopefully if anyone else sees the post they might be able to use this info also.