Asiadaug

Amen to that brother! My tinnitus is the bane of my existence! I have been saying just like you for some time, I'd give anything to have a good night of restful sleep! Doctor gives me meds for anxiety, but that still doesn't help. CBT did not help. The fire alarm bell is just constant. I'll be doing something and all of a sudden there will be a slight phase shift or something. Then it will go back to the clanging sound.

eBenefits! I see not much action on this thread. I have for over a year now (July 8 2013) not been able to get past the initial log in on eBenefits. I am not particularly attached to eBenefits, but given they have said system...I would think that it should work. I get a unexpected error message. I have reported this problem and enquired more times than I care to count. I am simply told.."the developers are aware of it". I have left several comments, I have responded when I get the cute little "how we doin'???" pop up windows. I am at a loss. My claim is much older than that. It goes back to January 2013. Is anyone aware of any belly button to push at VA besides the 'help desk' folks? They can tell you the status...but when it comes to anything else they admit they don't have a high enough pay grade to do much else.... My goal at this point ... is only to get my eBenefits part up and working. If eBenefits is no big thing and I don't need it any who.....then I'd be open to that. At this point.....I just think that there is no place in the VA where one can honestly say....the lights are on.........

Maybe the VA should be sued under APA violations?

Maybe the question should be...what is one thing u like about the VA?

For a year I have had an ebenefits premium login account. However, I have not been able to get beyond initial log in. Has anyone in Hadit attempted to sue VA for APA violation? Would the fact that the VA encourages you to get an account yet does not maintain it on an equal basis (some have access and no problems) be cause of action to sue the VA to compel them to act?

I appreciate the comments. Since I can not seem to get thru on ebenefits they transfer me to check on my claim status. It does say I have a Premium Account. I can get over to DEERS area and that information is there. And, when I get transferred to telephone to check on status...they have what they have. So, I guess they just have some computer systems and databases that just don't talk very well together....just an assumption on my part. I requested my records from NPRC using SF 180 and had no problem getting those records. Took a couple of months, but I got them. In fact, when I did that and received the records I noticed problem with DD214 and requested correction to add medals. Guess what...no problem they fixed it. I sent all those with my claim. I can gladly resend again. FMP will only help for those service connected issues that I go to the doctor for. I pay and then FMP will reimburses. When I talked to Pittsburgh I was told it can take up to 14 months to process my claim. I respond it's already been well over 14 months. That's when they say....Oh, that is average wait time. But, not being able to see status online, and with time differences, I have to stay up and call. It gets costly calling them. Then, I am usually put on hold. After posting my original post I came to the conclusion that I'll gut it out...wait for them to deny based upon what they should have but claim they don't. I am beyond cynical at this point. Thanks again for suggestions. I think based upon what you've suggested and what I've done, it is wait and see at this stage. As a oh by the way...Berta et al...I did have Dr Bash do an IMO, and I think he did me ok. We'll see. He's a busy man, but try to find any physician that isn't busy!

Well, I was trying to figure out how to say something diplomatically. I know VA has a huge workload. But, having worked for the federal government for many years I can sort of spot "double talk" when I hear it. I also do not think the people answering the question really have anything to do with the claim or process. ebenefits....allegedly the greatest thing since Skippy Peanut Butter does not work for me. I've enrolled in the system almost a year ago today. I can log in...and that's about it. I can not get to status of claim. Nothing shows up in Personal Dashboard. I have reported this to them many moons ago and the reply is always, "The developers are aware of your problem." At least they are straight faced enough to not say the developers are working on it, or the developers are fixing it. Nope...they are honest to that point. Claims status...so, since I can not see claims status from ebenefits, they dutifully transfer me so I can get an update. The people on that end...sweet as you can be, say, it is in the development stage. Ok....that went on since last year, and so I recently asked what they meant by that. They said they needed proof of service with boots on the ground in Vietnam. Hmmm... not withstanding the fact that I enrolled at a VA hospital in Reno...no problem...I sent DD 214, DD215 and DA Form 20. Oh yeah and my medical records have the unit and APO number of the hospital "in Vietnam" that treated me. So, I asked them if it would help to resend a copy of DA Form 20 that I got from NPRC to assist in providing evidence of "boots on the ground. "Oh...well sir....there is more to it than that sir.", was the reply. So, that is Bravo Sierra speak for I don't know what they are doing. Ok, I got it. Replacement of my old VIC with new, advanced, sustainable and environmentally friendly Veterans Health Identification Card? Is that forthcoming as you claim on your website? Umm..well sir....you are looking at maybe October timeframe. So, what can I say that was good....ah....I got a free flu shot with no complications and relatively little hassle..... But hey...it's all good!

I submitted a claim over a year ago Actually, January 2013. I live overseas. Some time after I submitted my claim, I noticed the ebenefits section and created an account. I think that was around Jul 2013. After I created the account I could log in, but could never see anything. Around February of 2014 I called to ask about why I could not see anything and why I kept getting an error message. To date they have not resolved that problem. I can log in but not view status. Earlier this week I inquired again and they said they were working on it. They then passed me over to inquire as to claim status. I was told that the VA was in the development stage and that they had not received information from NPRC. The help desk clerk advised me that the VA had sent a letter to me in April. I explained that I had not received any letter. Then they asked where I was I told them, and they said that that was not where they sent the letter to. They would not tell me where they sent the letter, only that if was not sen to my address. The guy told me to file a Change of Address on a VA form. I filled it out and the next day faxed the Change of Address. Ok...so now I am in kind of a suspended animation state...will they know based upon that change of address to remain the letter? My guess is probably not. I did some digging on the ebenefits site. I can not as I said get into claim status, but I can get to several other areas. Interestingly, in those areas, the address they had was the correct address. How many databases do they have? And they aren't tied together? So my question is...how best to proceed? I have been told that a letter to my congressman will not achieve anything and could potentially only delay my claim processing even more.

Where can I find a copy of VA Training Letter 10-028?

My experience is he is busy. I had to be a bit persistent myself. When I was able to connect with him by phone he never seemed rushed. He spent I'd say about 45 minutes the first time I contacted him and discussed my case. I then for some reason that I don't recall now had to call him back. It was only then that he discussed arrangements and pricing. I'd say, he's not trying to blow you off, you just have to be persistent.

I live overseas and have two audiograms which diagnosed SNHL and noted my symptoms of tinnitus (which is really the bigger of the issues for me...except my wife is always screaming at me... ) Anyway, none of the EENT doctors (the audiologist basically report findings to the EENT) will provide IMO. I was a rifle range instructor last year and a half before I ETSd. No hearing protection. Is there anyone out there that has info on vet friendly audiologist that will look at my file, my 2007 and 2012 audiograms with SNHL and give an IMO? Where would one find such a specialist?

I live overseas and while I have been tested and show SNHL and I reported tinnitus, I don't have an IMO. Is there/are there any Audiologists that will look at audiogram and military records for service connect? I was 11B as a basic training rifle range instructor for a 1 1/2 years after Vietnam tour.