john999

A disabled vet I know moved from California to Idaho and he said it was a disaster. Florida's VARO is horrible, but state benefits are OK.

Look, dammit, how can we let disabled vets get away with double dipping on sodas at the VA? This is a scandal. I think that bailing out Wall Street for 700 billion has nothing on this VA sodagate. Heads should roll. People should be shot. Uppity vets are getting away with free coke. This must stop if our nation is to survive.

Some justice after 44 years. However justice delay is justice denied. I would pursue this and get every penny.

If he is confined most of the time to his home then I think he would be eligible for HB. I really think any vet who is confined to his home most of the time is eligible for HB but the VA says you must be at least 100% schedular. If you are 100% plus 60% it is almost automatic to get some kind of SMC like HB.

William No, I don't think they will cut you off if you have a dependency because most vets who take narcotics have a dependency. If you take percoset, for instance, three times a day you are going to get dependent. When the drug stops working because you need more the VA should give you something else. I took morhpine and percoset for three years and only when I complained about the side effects of the morphine did they want to taper me off all the narcotics. The lesson is never complain about side effects since all they have to offer is 3 or 4 pain meds (the cheap ones). I was dumb enough to think they were professional and would work with me to find the right mix. Instead they just decided I was a problem that had to go away. John

I might take a shot at it if I win my CUE. Do you just need to take the HB form to a doctor and get them to fill it out for you? I am embarassed about it.

If you have an accident and have meds in your system and someone got hurt it could break bad for you.

If it is a legal drug and you are taking it prescribed manner what can they do? I took dope and all kinds of stuff when I worked for the post office. They were afraid to give me a piss test because then I would file for workers compensation again and go home.

You need a specialist for that one I think. He needs to write up a really good report to explain the disorder and how you got it from the shot. What do your SMR's say about your condition and when it started etc? You have to show that the condition started after the shots and that you complained about it and were possibly treated for it. If it is five years down the road before you documented it then it will probably be harder. This is something I think you will have to prove since it not presumptive for Gulf War or Iraq War. This will be like trying to prove brain cancer from Agent Orange. It might be caused by AO in a specific case but you have to prove it. That ain't easy.

So that is the VA at its best. You never know exactly what they might do. Hmmmm....I have a diagnosis of agoraphobia, but I am TDIU as well. I am not sure I want to risk anything I have for $295 extra. However, I am confined pretty much because of the pain disorder which has made the agoraphobia much worse, and that is SC'ed. I go round and round with this in my head. I need to get the form for HB and take it to a doctor to get them to fill it out?

Well, the Ticket to Work from SSA is pretty liberal. If you work for more than 12 months in a row as a full time worker then the SSA would look at you. If you make less than the minimal amount (poverty) you can work anyway, but they may examine you. As soon as you start to work the SSA is going to get interested from what others on SSA have told me who tried working part time. This is something you could discuss with SSA. Maybe go to their office and talk to someone. I hope you get someone who knows what they are talking about. Some of these SSA people have no idea what they are talking about and give bad information like the VA. Ask for information about Ticket to Work. I think that program is on the level. I am just distrustful of all these people and would CYA at every point of the compass. I am not trying to act like a Know-it-all. I am just saying be cautious.

They won't award HB if you are TDIU. They will have to bump you up to 100% schedular and then award HB. It can be done. If you are HB then you should be rated 100%. A friend of mine was TDIU. He was also HB due to agoraphobia. He asked for HB and they VA granted HB, but also bumped him up to 100% schedular. Just remember your TDIU is almost impossible to reduce. This is a decision to think about. I have thought about it since I am TDIU but have agoraphobia SC'ed. It is $295 a month for HB. If you are entitled go for it, but it is a personal decision since you probably will have another C&P exam. Pete Did you have a C&P exam for HB when you got it? This is probably what MikeS is afraid of happening. I am afraid of that myself.

My friend, your P&T is not P&T if you show improvement like being able to work. SSDI will give you a chance but the VA may crack down on you if they find out regardless of being P&T. I am P&T for 7 years, but that does not mean the VA won't whack me.

I think you would want to stay on SSI. If you get SSI you can get medicade, food stamps, section 8 etc. SSA you get medicare when you reach 65. You are better off on SSI because of other benefits. You can't get SSI and SSA at the same time.

I went to the VA pain clinic and asked them for celebrex or vioxx. They gave me morphine instead. What does that make me? Am I an anti-inflammatory seeker. What they told me last time was that narcotics they prescribe for me aggravates my SC mental conditions. The pain is SC and the mental is SC so I must be on all lists. I am a controlled drug seeker by default or accident. The VA does assume every vet who gets narcotics as a drug addict and potential drug dealer. That is why you get the urine tests and blood tests. They want to make sure the drugs get in your system and that you are not selling them.

No vet or spouse should have to go through this trial by fire. If the lawyers can actually help us then that would be good. Ignoring IMO's and medical reports is outrageous but I know they do it.

Just remember when you go to the pain clinic they assume that you are a junkie and that if you get the chance you will sell your drugs to get stronger drugs or money. That is why they test your blood and urine to see if you are taking your meds and to see what other drugs are in your system. I am beginning to think all pain doctors believe this.

Pete Ha,ha I would like to hear what they did to you while you were in the VA? I was convinced never to stay overnight when the just cut off my hydrocodone suddenly. I went into withdrawl,of course. No amount of talking or resoning with them would help. I was in the nuthouse so you know the louder you get the more they are likely to put the straps on you and tie you down. So I had to just suffer in silence wide awake until my wife could get me out via health care POA. It was a close thing because they were not going to let me out, or medicate me even though I went in on a voluntary basis.

Amazing since I got mine in about 4 months with no exam, and it took years with the VA. SSDI is supposed to be the hardest benefit to get. I got workers compensation, SSD, and disability insurance, but the VA just messed over me for years.

I think they are bluffing unless the vet was so violent that they are in fear of their lives. If a vet went to a VA facility with a gun and put it up to the doctor's head then I think he would be banned. Otherwise, I don't think they can do it. They must provide healthcare to vets who are eligible. I was on a homeland security watchlist just because of my name which is common. I went through 6 months of appeals and BS to get it off since they would neither confirm nor deny there was a list. They could not get the marbles out of their mouths when talking to me. I had my congressman involved and that is what I would do if the VA put me on any list.

I think the VSO's often just put the paperwork you give them in their envelope and send it to the VA via interoffice mail. That's it. These guys are not taking your claim and looking up case law and doing all that jazz. Either you do it, or hire a lawyer to do it. I had a VFW rep argue that I should get more compensation not because of my medical condition, but because I had a personality disorder. Of course, I lost. This was years ago but now I understand how dumb that was I would never use these guys for anything serious. I should have sued them if I had known what the hell they did.

Sometimes you will find that your claim is being denied or low balled based on some misunderstanding that a DRO Hearing can clear up in five minutes. If you can talk to a humna being at the VA you can move mountains and save years of appeals based only on paper.

I trusted the DAV and got nowhere until I got myself an increase to 30% by constantly appealing my case. I realized that to an extent it was a crap shoot, and if I just kept trying I could win this thing. I wish I had done the real work earlier, but I was able to work even at a low level and the VA kept telling that I was OK for that reason. If I could have kept working I never would have gone for the gold. When I could no longer work I found Hadit. Some find Jesus, and some find Hadit.

During Vietnam what was the equivalent diagnosis for a PTSD discharge? Was it acute combat fatigue, shell shocked, or chronic anxiety disorder or what? I know a lot of vets were just thrown out for personality disorders instead of PTSD because of drinking, drugging and discipline problems. Since there was no PTSD diagnosis these symptoms were just considered behavior disorders. Combat fatigue is the 1000 yard stare and being catatonic.

I would not even bring that topic up with the VA if you are getting 100% for a mental condition. How can you trust people who reduce vets just because they don't get a TDIU verification letter each year. They reduce first and ask questions later. Unless you are getting TDIU I don't think they check on your employment. Just never mention employment to the VA. If they were to ask if you are working just do as Nancy Reagon said "Just say NO". If you could work being self-employed who would be the wiser?