Motoman172

Unfortunately this link is no longer active and I have not been able to locate another calculator... Pen, paper and your fingers and toes...

Hello everyone. I told you I would come back when news changed. My claim closed today and my AB8 shows 90% I'm thrilled.... But it's been a long long long time. I filed my claim in 6/2011 Received provisional denial 7/2013 C&P exams 8/2014 Decision made 9/2014 Prep for notification 10/10//2014 Claim complete 10/30/2014 Baltimore VARO Thank you all for your support and encouragement Now I wait for the envelope and retro... God Bless

Hey Marine, What VARO are you out of? Mine has been in Prep for Notification since 10/10/14 Filed my claim in June of 2011

@US VET Good Luck to you too brother. I am going to hold my breath until I see the claim "Complete" It did move again to "Preparation for Notification" and that is where we are today... I am hopeful but realistic that it's not over until it's over... 3 years, 4 months, 24 days and counting...

UGH... now it went back to Pending Decision Approval AGAIN............ UGH

Update... My claim has finally moved to "Preparation for Notification" Estimated Claim Completion Date is 10/29/2014 to 12/15/2014 Looks like it's really almost done :)

Update!! Well I have just passed the 1209th Day and counting... My claim is still sitting in Pending Decision Approval... The only thing that has changed is the "start date" Originally it began on 9/9/2014 but was restarted on 9/19/2014 and yesterday it had a new start date of 10/6/2014 All that has been going on in the news and still no forward momentum I received a letter from the DAV at the begining of September showing me rated at 80% but still my claim bumps back and forth and dates change in ebenefits with no end in sight. I found this today for those interested in the behind the scenes complaints http://nebula.wsimg.com/188245fc577daf891c016eb9efa4260f?AccessKeyId=1FBD76F67BF87C8DD859&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Update... Things began moving quickly in August with my final 2 C&P exams handled the same day. Well it is now Sept 17th 2014. I received a "unofficial" letter from the DAV dating September 3rd stating my rating was increased to 80% total with one contention defered. I would be happy with that if my claim were finalized. According to the letter the Baltimore VARO rated my claim on Sept 2nd. eBenefits showed me in "Preparing for Notification" but then the next day it was back to "Pending Decision Approval." So here I am still waiting. I am glad to see my claim is finally making some movement after sitting stagnant for so long... I also came across this today which maybe why Provisional claims are finally starting to move http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-13-03699-209.pdf How are the rest of you fairing? My original claim was entered May 23rd 2011. Please relay your experiences "Is that Light I see at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train?"

Update: Still no change... I have since passed the so called 1 yr mark from my provisional. The "Administrative Review" is still showing but below where it shows completed claims the Provisional rating doesn't show the Appeal link anymore. VA has not scheduled the 2 C&P exams needed in the provisional, so I don't see how they can deny me appeal when the final rating comes down... Anyhow I had another issue come up. I required back surgery on my SC back and was out of work for a month. I called Peggy and she stated that I could not apply for the Temporary 100% until I was discharged. So I did that, that was June 24th... I am scheduled to go back to work tomorrow but my claim has not been looked at yet. I once again called Peggy and for a financial hardship rush i would have to be in foreclosure on my home.... Seriously?? Anyone else have any luck with the Provisional denials? Been interesting watching the VA squirm in congress... Its all totally unacceptable... Delay Delay Deny Deny Until they all Die!

Update: Still no change... I have since passed the so called 1 yr mark from my provisional. The "Administrative Review" is still showing but below where it shows completed claims the Provisional rating doesn't show the Appeal link anymore. VA has not scheduled the 2 C&P exams needed in the provisional, so I don't see how they can deny me appeal when the final rating comes down... Anyhow I had another issue come up. I required back surgery on my SC back and was out of work for a month. I called Peggy and she stated that I could not apply for the Temporary 100% until I was discharged. So I did that, that was June 24th... I am scheduled to go back to work tomorrow but my claim has not been looked at yet. I once again called Peggy and for a financial hardship rush i would have to be in foreclosure on my home.... Seriously?? Anyone else have any luck with the Provisional denials? Been interesting watching the VA squirm in congress... Its all totally unacceptable... Delay Delay Deny Deny Until they all Die!

Alishape, My situation is similar to yours in that I am dealing with Baltimore and they sent my claim to Hartford CT. My original claim was filed in 2011, I received provisional last July. They denied all of my contentions. Two said they required exams and my request for increase to current rating was not even listed. Even though I already received the C&P exam for that one. There was paperwork missing including a NEXUS from a specialist. I became frustrated when I could not electronically upload any documents to the then Closed claim. I too called Peggy and was told to send my letter to both offices. They did place my claim on the under review tab and I can now upload documents but a lot of what was submitted is still not listed... I also wrote letters to House commitee, congressmen and yes even to the President. it has been 9 months since my provisional and I have yet to receive ANY C&P exams. Two of my contentions cannot be denied because they were both diagnosed while on active duty and it states such in my records. The C&P on my back which I can view on ebenefits has the doctor listing total ROM only at 95 out of 270 with listed NEW radiculopathy. I have doubled up by paying to go to a civilian back doctor for a more indepth review. I see the provisional ratings as nothing more than the VA's ploy to remove numbers off the backlog. If they send out a denial for all claims then the numbers come off their backlog and they look like they are addressing the backlog. Reality is that veterans who have been waiting years on claims are taken off the roles and stuck on an invisible list that NO one can see. Out of sight further out of mind! I have until July... then my provisional becomes permanent and I will be forced to appeal it. That could take another 3 years... I have called peggy every 3 months since to inquire about scheduling my exams but nothing... they know nothing can't help me and tell me Baltimore is reviewing it. I am just tired of being drug around. Congress is talking about amnesty for illegals and they cannot even take care of our veterans... BS!!!!!!

The entire "provisional" rating policy is nothing more than a ruse. By denying claims that require the C&P exam and further evidence the claims come off of the visible list that everyone can see of veterans awating claims to an invisible list that no one can see. It's a shell game. I filed a claim in 06/2011 and I have received a provisional rating in July 2013. It denied all of the conditions I claimed, some stating they required a C&P and completely leaving off the request for an increase on my lower back. It is now January 2014 and I have still not received word of any C&P scheduling. In July my rating becomes final and then I will be forced to appeal which could take many more years. WTF is going on???

Here is my situation and please if anyone has any suggestions let me know... Im 44 yrs old and currently I am rated 20% for traumatic cataract right eye, 10% for DDD and 0% for missing piece of skull. In 2008 I took my kids to a free veterans health screening at local NFL team, they told me they would mail me my results... Well two weeks later they called me... They said My cholesterol was almost 400 and I needed to see a Dr right away... So I went to local civilan doctor who set me up an appointment with Cardiologist.. Before the appointment came I got sick and the doctor took a chest X-ray, she was concerned because one of my arteries to my heart looked like it was partially blocked. We knew it was only a couple of weeks before my appointment for Cardiologist so she just told me to show him the x-ray. Before I could get into the Cardiologist I had a heart attack...I was 42 yrs old then... I had a stent placed in and am on 4 types of medication including crestor for my cholesterol. Issue is this, I reopened a claim on my DDD for an increase and at the time I also signed up for myhealthyvet... When I looked at the previous blood tests that had been done every single one of the cholesterol tests were high going back to when I was 30 yrs old yet NOT a single VA doctor ever said anything about my cholesterol or interviened by putting me on a medicine... I had no idea my cholesterol was that high because I never saw the VA blood tests... Should I file a claim on my heart? Thank you in advance for any help you can offer...