john999

See, a person who is psychotic would never say "yes, I see or hear voices that are not present". They believe the voices or visions are real. If you had taken the MMPI that would have taken a couple of hours and the VA does not want to waste time and money on some vet, so they just wing it.

Maybe he can get SMC "S" for house bound.

I remember back in 1972 I saw a VA psychologist for testing. He showed me some ink blots and asked what I saw. The records of that test somehow got lost. I really would not worry about psychological testing. I would rather have some objective evidence than the 5 minute impression of some psychiatric resisdent. Did the doctor ask if you hear voices?

I think we will get a COLA this year since core inflation has gone up. They don't count fuel and food in the CPI. How do you like that? I go to the store, and I can't get two bags of stuff without spending $75 bucks. Two years without a cola hurts us all since future cola's are based on what you were making due to previous cola's.

The psychologist will make some sort of evaluation of the tests he gave you. He does not make a rating, nor does your psychiatrist. The VARO does that. Did you have a written exam or did he just ask you questions?

Since it will take years for the BVA to review your appeal you have plenty of time to think. You don't need to rush into anything.

If the government redefines how the COLA is calculated I think it would affect us all. We already don't get full cost of living adjustment. The goal of these budget hawks is to just define away the COLA and leave us on the beach. Without a decent COLA we are done. In 1973 a 10% rating was 28 dollars. All the increase is due to the COLA.

If your depressive disorder is not being taken care of everything is going to bother you. 40% rating for depression sounds weird to me. The VA usually rates it 10%,30%,50%,70% and finally 100%. If you have chronic pain related to your service that is going to aggravate you depression and that's for sure. If you have not brought up the workers compensation stuff I would never mention it at all. If you have work related injuries that complicates your sevice connected stuff no end. I have been there with that. When you ask to have the hip SC'ed you might ask for an increase in your depression rating. What kinds of meds do you take for depression? If your goal is to get TDIU or 100% the depression is probably going to get you there the fastest. If you see unemployment in your future it is good to work on these service connected things while you are still able to work.

You need to be actually housebound or have total plus 60% to get housebound.

Nice deposit in your account I bet! No more worries about bills for a while.

You have to get a doctor to say it is secondary or the VA will just deny it.

Pete I think both you and Phil are owed retro on "S" since it should have been inferred when you got 100%. I would not give up on that. If there is nothing in your records that say they considered it and rejected it then you know they did not even think about it. 10+ years of S retro would be some big dollars.

VA can't bill medicare. I would take the medicare and take part B. I don't want to depend on the VA if I need brain surgery or heart surgery. I just got medicare to pay for my cataract surgery. I got the best doctor in town to do it. I fear to think what mistakes the VA might have made considering they get their lenses from the lowest bidder.

Tell them you liked school and got on well with other students. You did not take drugs in high school or in the military. No juvenile record and you love your mother and father. You are an upstanding and law abiding citizen at least until you were initiated into the military. You may take the MMPI. Many of the questions are obvious, but there are other questions that are more subtle.

Now that you have been rated all future claims are considered requests for increase. You don't have to go through all the stuff you have to when you file your original claim. Even if it is for a new condition you can just fill out a Statement in Support of Claim and state your claim.

You don't have much to worry about when you just go to the VA for routine medical exams. Just remember that everything you say will end up in your record forever. I would say to be safe never say anything good about your SC conditions.

Fentanyl is a drug that will cool you if you mix it with things like oxycodone and xanax. Your tolerance builds up and you don't even feel it until you stop breathing.

I think I get it that the VA is not going to change that much, so your best bet is to get expert representation when dealing with these people. After the current wars end I think it will get bad again since the public will forget the vets and go back to the mall.

I don't think you can get two ratings for heart disease. If he was already rated for heart disease secondary to DMII unless he claimed IHD before his rating for secondary heart disease (DMII) I don't know if there is an advantage to it. I am in the same boat. I got rated for heart secondary to DMII back in 2006. I never claimed it before that date. I understand why you would file for IHD anyway, but I don't know how it helps unless you can establish EED. You have to have claimed heart disease (IHD) for Nehmer to help if I understand it. I still think you were right to claim IHD.

After Ellsberg fianlly got the Papers published and got off the hook after being charged with treason by Nixon he was disappointed because so few Americans actually cared about the War in Vietnam and its origins. I think the papers were finally published in 1971 and by this time the American public had turned against the war and the USA was pulling out of Vietnam. If the Petagon papers were published in 1966 maybe 2 million people would not have died.

This sounds like a 100% to me.

These two cases of Cushman vs VA are a must read for anyone who wants to see to what lengths the VA will go to to not pay retro on a claim. People think they can waltz into court and win these big retro cases. Cushman establised that vets had a property right in their disability claims and that the VA had to follow due process. I guess before that they did not have to follow due process, and the vet did not have a property right in their own claim for compensation. Cushman has been appealing for decades and has been to federal court. I wish he was here to explain this case. In Cushman's case the VA altered/forged medical records that were used in a decision. The CAVC said it was ok for the VA to do that.

What did he file for back in the 70's and what was his rating? Were all the facts and service medical records that were known before the raters. Did he get a purple heart? He has an obvious rating for PTSD that is very possible. TBI and PTSD are distinct injuries so he could get another rating. I sure would have a lawyer look this over for an earlier effective date for TBI.

You could bring them medical records of your choice. They probably just want to make sure you can pass the physical and are not going to file a workers compensation case against them in a couple of years, or take disability retirement after minimum time limit. I think I would just answer what you have to answer and don't volunteer your medical records unless they insist and your job is on the line.

I think if you hide the fact you are a disabled vet and they find out you lied you may be fired later. Why do you want to work in an organization that is going to hold your service connected disability against you? I worked for the feds. One long time employee was investigated because he did not tell them on his employment form that he once was referred for a workers compensation claim. He never missed a day of work, but they fired him and he had to fight for six months to get his job back. If you ever get hurt on the job and make a claim the feds will find out about your service connected disability.