john999

The VA drug tests the hell out of me because I get pain meds from VA. This must cost VA a fortune to see if I smoked a joint last week etc. They question in detail about any alcohol use. VA also billed my insurance, but I called my congressman and insurance to tell them not to pay. I have 8 SC conditions. How does the VA distinguish between what is and isn't SC? I don't think VA gives a shit about us. It is about the money they have to spend on us.

Tbird, Bronco and all. Everything said is so true. My father was a WW2 vet with a 10% disability. He got 8 dollars a month. 28 years later I got 10% and I was getting 28 dollars a month. When I got 10% I think 100% vets were not even getting 1000 bucks a month. That is 12K a year. The politicians talk about honoring vets and all that jive. Actually, they think we are dopes for serving when we could have been making money which is all they think about.

If VA raised compensation by 50% that would be about right for our actual cost of living. If a vet is making $200,000 a year and becomes disabled he gets the same as somebody making minimum wage.

I get insulin for my diabetes from the VA. Every month it is a struggle to get them to prescribe enough for me. I think they want me to measure it with an eye dropper. Does anyone else have this problem with the VA? I was in the hospital for DMII for a week two years ago. Then the VA just dumped my care in my lap. If not for my wife I think I would be dead by now. I am on a pretty rigid schedule for my injections. The VA is really failing me on my HBP and the DMII. I know it is my responsibility to take my insulin, but I get zero support from VA expect infrequent mailings of insulin if I beg for it. That stuff is expensive. Nobody supervises my care. I see the VA doctor every three months for 10 minutes. No wonder so many vets die from chronic diseases.

Someone define SMC "T". If a vet has cognitive issues I think the fact that you are able to work is going to be a problem. I think maybe you should get a vet lawyer, USMCVet. You have lots of issues that should be addressed. Do you work from home? If not I don't see how you can get housebound. I know where there is a will there is a way. Is your mother your Caregiver? You and she should be getting paid for that. If you file claims I think you have to think about the fact you still work. I think the VA will say "If he can work his cognitive issues can't be that bad". This is just my guess.

The only way you will find out is to file a claim for "T". There are people here on Hadit who are 100% who work full time. What does "T" mean as far as a disability. I don't know what "T" SMC is exactly. With all your problems how do you manage to work full time, or do you? Working is probably good for you if you can still swing it. When I used to go for C&P exams for an increase the first thing the doctor would ask me is "Are you working?". I would not let fear stop me from claiming T. Probably the worst they can do is just deny it. I doubt they will try and decrease your ratings. I have been P&T for 20 years and filed numerous claims since then. I just filed a new one a few months ago.

Try for Housebound in fact. Statutory needs total plus 60%. So I had TDIU and got an extra 60% for condition not included in the TDIU. For "in fact housebound" you need to show by evidence that you are housebound. Just go for all you can get, but prepare for a contest. I know with the VA it is all about the money and the regs they use to deny or affirm your claim. I would forget your going out to eat and trips to Walmart.

I know there is a new insurance deal of up to 40K but no waiver for being IU or 100%. I will just keep the 10K with the waiver.

Without my IME's I would never have gotten to 100% P&T. It took years just to go from 10% to 30%, but the lightbulb came on at that point. In my original claim in 1972 I had a terrific IME, but the VA chose to just ignore it. That sort of destroyed my faith in IME's for a number of years. Back in 2001 I became totally disabled so I knew I needed to pull out all the stops, so I got two IME's. The IME's put me over the goal post. I was still using DAV and they were almost worthless. I never used a VSO again and I have filed many claims since then. Does a 20 year old soldier think he is going to need "buddy statements"? Does he/she think the miliary and VA will lose most of their medical records? Does the young service member think the military will examine him/her in such a way as to vastly underrate his disability? We are lambs to the slaughter in that regard.

I am also 100% and TDIU at the same time. I was TDIU for about 18 years and then got schedular 100%. Same money!

Maybe run this by a vet's lawyer and see what he/she says. Are you P&T? Are you over 55 years old?

Rikkor1 Unless you plan on going back to work there is no need to file for 100% schedular. However, I had 90% IU and I continued to file for agent orange claims as they came up. I got to actual 100% a few years ago. No different, but if you can the "S" along with your 90% then that is a good thing. When you get 100% about the only thing to wish for (but not in a good way) is for SMC for loss of use of various organs or limbs. For those who have loss of use then it is very much worthwhile to go for SMC. You will not get 100% just for pain, but you can get considerable ratings for neuropathy. I got 40% and 30% for my arms and 40% for each leg. Something like that would get you to 100% schedular. I think the VA considers chronic pain disorder to be a mental/emotional thing. You could also file for depression as a result of chronic pain. No limit on what you can get for mental/emotional ratings.

With VA claims persistence is the key and VA knows this. Many just give up and quit. VA keeps the money for those who persist and continue the fight. If you can get to 100% then it is worth the effort.

I worked at both the VA and USPS. Nepotism was their motto. You had supervisors managing their own wives and children. There were so many relatives working at the USPS in Tampa you could hardly throw a stick without hitting one. At the Tampa VA buddies of buddies just ran the joint. Jobs had to be posted but they were always filled from employees who were already doing the jobs. I was hired as a disabled vet to the VA but I could not get promoted to a better job no matter what my qualifications do to the "insiders" always getting those jobs. Way back in the 70's I took a four hour federal exam for employment. I did good on the exam and got exactly no job offers, ever. The jobs were always filled by insiders who were already on the inside of the government or were "gifts" to certain individuals. Corruption is rampant in all forms of government, but it just hurts more for disabled vets who try to break into the system. Qualifications mean nothing. You have to know someone or be a special group focus.

James ...so when we say loss of use we mean is if were an amputation?

Part C is Medicare Advantage. It is not Medicare. I don't see how private insurance companies make money with Part C. The only way I can think of is by denying coverage to people. With your coverage regular Medicare you would have total and complete coverage.

When you do get the BVA decision it may very well be remanded back to the VARO. They may or may not then make more errors and lowball you and you have to appeal that back to the BVA. I had a CUE claim that went to the BVA and I appealed to the COVA. That took a year extra. The COVA found an error on BVA and sent it back to BVA. That took a year. It finally went back to COVA and a year later I got a final decision. All told it took me six years to get a real decision. The VA is unaccountable. Nobody including your congressman or lawyer can make them do it the way it ought to be done.

Tom....get Part B. You want Tricare for life. You will be well covered with VA and Part B and Tricare. My wife has ChampVA and we both have Medicare A&B. I also have medical I got as a federal government retiree. I take all I can get even if it is overkill. My wife was in the hospital overnight three years ago. Her bill was $50,000 because of all the testing she got. We did not pay a dime. I know what medical bills can mean especially if someone has to go into a nursing home. No medical insurance covers basic nursing home bills. I am highly suspicious of VA approved nursing homes. I have long term care for both me and my wife. I think saving money on Medicare Part B may cost you a fortune later. I spent a week in a VA hospital two years ago. It was a nightmare. You don't want to go there unless you are without options. VA has lots of programs and many are good. I would not want them to operate on me for anything serious. Private docs and hospitals are bad enough. I am paranoid about the VA and I admit it. Now you are retired the biggest expense you will ever have are medical. My sister is a bankruptcy attorney. Most of her clients go bankrupt over medical expenses.

I had 10% PN for each limb and I went for an increase. I walked away with 40% for each foot and 40% and 30% for uppers. I think it is worth going for the increase. I have agent orange DMII with PN. I only have 20% for DM11. Getting above 20% for DMII is really hard, but PN not so much. I got my exam from QTC. The examiner was incompetent but so what. I got a good rating for the PN. Do you have significant pain and numbness in your extremities? The docs really have no idea about those issues.

When you wake up without being able to use the mask do you have a headache?

The device is called "The Inspire stimulator". I have one implanted. It is complicated to an extend and I am not sure Medicare pays for it. The VA does them at certain hospitals. Just look up "Inspire OSA" and that should give you info. Mine is better than nothing. I could never tolerate the mask. I tried for years.

Does VA still do DRO appeals? I have won all my claims in the last ten years, so I have not appealed lately. I used DRO very successfully back in the day. I did not have to wait 2 years for BVA. I like to win at lowest level possible. You win at BVA and they remand it back to VARO. Then you wait another year for cock eyed decision. You could be in your grave by then.

What do premiums look like. 40K is still chicken feed if you are wanting to look after spouse or kids. When I was working I had 250K and that is not a lot of money in this world. Say you are 35 year old vet with 3 kids and a spouse. 40K is just weak. Life insurance is not just to bury a person. It is supposed to take care of dependents for years to come.

Good luck and be patient since that is all you can do anyway. That is a lot of retro to give up. I hope you get it.

Oh, yeah, if you piss them off they will screw you. I have had many inadequate and incompetent exams over the years. It is best to just appeal it. Get your own experts.