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It only solidified what I already knew and felt, as well as my young adult children. Thankfully they are sitting their butts in college, they have seen with their own eyes how lovely veterans are treated and then they see this. NAH

Some States only offer certain benefits to 100% schedular PT and not IU PT, I remember when I was IU PT (I am 100% PT now) and we were looking at different places to move there were quite a few states that seemed to not give the same benefits.

I agree if he has an expectation of being able to work again in the future but IU PT or 100% PT they both have the same benefits in most cases (some states treat IU PT differently than 100% PT), I know I never will be able to again. My SD disabilities are only getting worse, not better. Also, might want to consider applying for SSDI. Lots of people say once you get IU or IU PT never to file anything again. I am not on that "team", I am on the team that files for what ratings I am entitled to and nothing more. If my condition warrants a rating of 60% and it currently has a rating of 30% and my overall rating isn't 100% PT then I am filing for an increase. PERIOD. I will also still file for service connected issues that will potentially cause me serious injury or death, even though I am rated 100% PT. I have had more than one VSO tell me not to and I don't care what they have to say. I file it and have gotten my rating every single time. I honestly didn't care that much about the PT but it is nice to have and we were able to drop our other health insurance and save money on other things. It all depends on what state you live in honestly how much you will save in other areas but definitely fight for it if your conditions warrant it. Best of luck!!

I was rated IU PT before I was 100% PT with SMCs, when I filed for IU I specifically asked to be rated PT because of the nature of my disabilities. I had been awarded SSDI based soley on my SC disabilities and used that to help receive IU PT. I later filed for SMCs and had other things SC which led to my 100% schedular with SMCs. I specifically asked for the PT when I filed for IU so they HAD TO ADDRESS it and give a reason for denial the VA loves to NOT give us our benefits so we have to be smart enough to make sure they have to give a reason they denied them. I know many veterans rated IU that are not PT.

I have had bad (incompetent) exams done by both QTC and VA examiners, and also great exams done by both. For me, going to the VA CP exam site is a 3 hour drive each way. I would much rather have my exam done by a qualified examiner closer to where I live..

I had many c and p exams done at a VA facility that were not done by a specialist, most often honestly they were done by a NP.

sadly even if your vestibular disorder is as bad as menirers disease is when rated at 100% you can only receive a 30% rating which is insane imo, I have vestibular migraines which are so severe my balance is so bad I am wheelchair bound. I was seen in service for the symptoms, and yet I am rated for my migraines with vertigo symptoms......MORONS

I sent in a claim in Feb and it closed in Feb within a week. Oddly enough, I still haven't received my envelope but I know the results and they are in my favor. I had to call the Whitehouse hotline and someone got into contact with me.

I have never had this issue, I get 3 pairs of new glasses every year new prescription or not and mine hasn't changed in at least 5 years. I get a pair of single vision with the ultra thin lenses, reading glasses and polarized sunglasses also with the thin lenses. Some of what I receive has to do with my disabilities (the polarized sunglasses) but the rest is just standard.

Two of my outside exams were performed in a gym, not kidding the examiners had an office in the back. Once it was a mental health exam and the other was for my specially adaptive vehicle grant. The VA just seems to rent out an office in some random location.

I asked the VA for a new exam after reading her "exam" notes and was sent to not one but two more exams, this was all because my neurologist and primary care doctors filled out the forms for aid and attendance and the quack they sent me to for my migraines (which my neurologist who is the chief of neurology and has been my neurologist for over 10 years wrote based my need for aid and attendance on my migraines and vestibular migraines), I had held that rating at 50% for over 8 years at that point and they sent me a proposal to reduce them to 0% when my records showed zero improvement and so many failed drugs. I finally had THAT stopped to then fight then on my mh rating which was increased when I finally saw a non va examiner. It was all around a complete circus honestly. They now have my sinus infections secondary to my migraines and my vestibular disorder which is a very separate and distinct diagnosis like meniers lumped in with my migraines. Idiots abound at the St. petersburg RO and the vso aren't much better.

I had what I thought was the best examiner ever, finally someone who not only got it but emphathized, NOPE when she started asking the financial questions she asked if I received child support and how much. I answered because I didn't want a fiduciary assigned to me. She was shocked by the amount I received, so she wrote an ENTIRE PARAGRAPH about how wealthy we are??? then went on to say my rating shoudl be 50% for bipolar disorder and ptsd, which had been written as bipolar disorder (panic disorder with agorphobia, severe panic disorder, general anxiety disorder) I asked for a new exam and was seen through VES and was awarded 100% for mh. So, don't just trust someone who was nice to to you that doesn't mean they are going to give you a favorable outcome. I hope in your case it does. When I left that first exam I thought wow, I wish she was my provider. NOT.

Exactly, one of my claims will set me up for the others

I just submitted 2 today, and will wait for those to close before submitting my other two.........I have my reasons. The VA is shady

I am 100% PT I haven't applied for any SMCs because well the VA quite frankly scares the hell out of me. I am 70% for mh (I could easily be 100%) 50% for migraines, 30% for my meniers, 60% for a bladder condition, 10% for sinus and I think that everything. I know that I can apply for loss of use for my legs which I pretty much have, I cannot walk but I can use a stationary recumbent bike, so it is really weird. I can drive a car rarely, but I do enjoy it when I can. My mh is rated as such bipolar disorder (ptsd, agoraphobia, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder) and now I am the lucky winner of seizures from mh, never knew there was such a thing but yep. I know when they are gonna happen thankfully and I'm in a wheelchair but many bruise, cuts and scraps before I caved to the wheelchair. I didn't want to end up dead or hurt badly. I am pretty sure that I need to get the SMC for loss of use first, then apply for my SAH. I see my neuro tomorrow and he is fantastic about this stuff, he is the one who I see for this actually because ent sucks here and he is one of the only providers who writes letters for me etc.

I am service connected for Meniers disease and it has gotten progressively worse and worse to the point that I am wheelchair bound 100% of the time, which the VA has acknowledged by not only issuing my a back up second custom rigid wheelchair but my new primary care doctor unlike my old crappy one has noted it in my medical records that I am wheelchair bound 100% of the time. I have come to realize that we need to buy or build a more accessible house, I am in my 40's and this isn't going to work for us much longer. I need to hopefully be eligible for a SAH grant as well as a vehicle grant. Do I need one of my providers to say that I have essentially lost the use of my legs? It is kind of weird situation honestly, I can't walk unless you want to say someone who has had an insane amount of alcohol but can somehow stagger around is walking. I fell over 20 times in one month before we finally said enough is enough. I also have psychogenic seizures which honestly are scary as heck. I can't be left alone any longer and NO we can't apply for the caregiver program because wrong era. I am a Desert Storm era veteran. Anyone go through this with a similar situation? Those small grants aren't even gonna come close to making a dent in a fully accessible home. Thanks.

I removed my post so not to confuse anyone. I am WARNED and leaving lol. I am xxxxxxx 100% PT all on my own, no help from you all........and I am NOT a guy.

I have severe migraines, very severe as well as PTSD and I requested the noise canceling blue tooth headphones for both my migraines and my ptsd, I use them to listen to audiobooks when I cannot do anything else when I have a really bad migraine for days and I am awake but also for the noise canceling for my migraines and my ptsd, I went with really great pair, you have to be very specific or they will buy you cheap crap. I also asked for a tablet to use for emailing, texting, etc. because I don't go out much at all, and to use for my audibooks, I didn't want a laptop just a tablet and I picked out a nice one that would do everything I needed. I am not an apple person so I picked a Samsung one. I have balance issues so that is why I requested the roomba, I have a service dog (VA covers his care) and holy dog hair batman, it runs every night. LIFE SAVER!! I have severe TMJ which makes it very difficult to eat solid food many days, so the Vitamix blender makes soups, smoothies, etc and is amazing. They did send me the lower model on that which sucked but I just purchased the additional pieces I needed. I need to exercise and can't anymore safely so I needed the recumbent bike and a stationary one is far cheaper (and I live in Florida) so too hot most of the time for my service dog to be biking with me. It really comes down to what your service connected disabilites are and what you have issues with doing and what things can make your life easier or be done for you like the roomba. I hope that helps.

Did you read what was posted, they basically have until forever to implement Vietnam era veterans and then 2 years later the veterans in between........disgraceful.

AANNNDDD We are all still waiting.............seems the VA has a get out of paying our caregivers till hell freezes over free card. Maybe we need to get in our wheelchairs, have people haul us up in front of some Federal buildings and be allowed to paint VETERANS CAREGIVERS MATTER? NAH, that won't work either, not enough money in it.

Wow, I was in ILP and it should be unique to each individual and their disabilities. They should also be coming to your home (didn't happen in mine either) but I fought like the dickens to get most of the things I needed to make my quality of life better. I did have to get a letter for every single item I requested from one of my providers and how it would help me, ridiculous but it didn't have to be my VA providers necessarily and I finally had an outside provider just sign off on things because my VA primary care doctor wouldn't even sign that I wasn't employable, she said that is obvious you are on ss and 100% pt I am not writing anything to say what is clearly obvious. I received a roomba, a stationary recumbent bike, a tablet (my choice, I had a choice or that or a laptop), wireless, bluetooth, noise canceling headphones, a Vitamix blender, a mat to protect my floors from the recumbent bike, a large weighted blanket, I already had a shower chair (you can get those from OT or PT anytime you need a new one fyi, and photography equipment for my hobby. I may have received other items but every item I received was directly related to a service connected disabilty and one of my providers or two wrote a letter and even for my hobby two wrote that it was a hobby that was something I could do with my current disabilities and what equipment would be needed, etc. Sounds like you have a winner of a counselor. Sad. Considering how few veterans are allowed into ILP each year, they should be making sure that they are helping you with everything they can to live the most independently as possible. I would suggest getting together a list of things that would help you with YOUR disabilities, there are many things you probably have not even thought about. You aren't asking for the moon and consider the fact that the VA isn't paying for 4 plus years of education, books, fees, etc. they are paying for your life to be a tad bit easier. It is the least they can to for veterans who are at a point they are past the point they can be employable and are eligible for ILP.

Hate to say it but some ROs are shady as heck, I was sent a proposal to reduce after my neuro was ONE of my providers who sent in paperwork for my aid and attendance, I had over 13 years of history of my migraines being so bad. History of them being not helped with medications, the list goes on AND I had held my 50% rating for my migraines for over 10 years. They still tried to reduce me. I was IU PT at the time, by the time I was done with them I was 100% PT with my SMCs. I did not pas go, I did not appeal, I did not ask for a DRO hearing, because they were breaking their own rules. I sent and email to every single person within the VA who was as high up as I could think of and also had my mental health exams thrown out (they lasted less than 30 minutes and the woman even wrote in her notes how "wealthy" we were because I received more child support than she did?, um yeah because she is a doctor and I am a disabled veteran pretty sure her ex makes far less than my ex who is a warrant officer with 30 years of service. None of that is necessary in my psych c and p except to check the box whether I can handle my own finances or not. I also had added conditions that I had never claimed before after I saw that they were going to send me for CP exams for every single thing I was rated for, including the scar and my TMJ which had nothing to do with my aid and attendance. One of which is now rated at 60% but the examiner said I had "waited to long to claim it", the lovely woman who answered my email and then called me after sending only evidence from my neuro, the filled out forms, the proposal to reduce as well as my in treatment service records for the claimed condtion they were denying me for let me know I would hear from my RO within a week. I not only had my 50% restored immediately but also the other condition and my SMCs. Don't let them push you around and don't be afraid to go around their stupid system. I would be homeless and without being able to pay someone to care for me when my husband and son cannot because well, if we wait for them to include the rest of us in the caregiver program we mine as well pound sand. There last best guess was this fall, you know computer problems, well............everyone in IT must be home because of Covid so it should be fixed. Yet, here we are and I am not convinced they will delay and deny Vietnam era veterans and earlier yet again. Waiting for more to die so they don't have to pay their caregivers. No one is out protesting and demanding justice for them or us though. Shameful. In the meantime, we pay almost half of my VA comp and pension for someone to either care for me or our children because I cannot be left alone with them and I'll be damned if I ever open another claim. Odd how someone can apply for caregiver benefits and their claims aren't touched but we apply for a measly 400+ dollars more a month and our world can come crashing down on us and we can lose our famiily's healthy care, our propety tax exemption, our chilren's college money (chapter 35) I had 3 children in college at the time and yet they have zero risk. Seems like a pretty messed up system in my eyes but hey what in the hell do I know. I am just a disabled veteran who had no idea that I could even use the VA for over a decade, lived in hell for so many years and survived despite what the Navy and no one else bothered to tell me. No one gave me a TAPS class, I find most VSOs dont' know a dang thing and you are your best advocate. Don't let the VA push you around, yes if you get close to that 30 day mark most definitely file those papers but I strongly advise you if you have hit those protected years of holding a rating, don't let them screw with you, start writing emails. Very precise with evidence and well written. Best of luck!!

We have had the same experience and have purchased many items when remodeling our second home and working on our main residence. Never an issue at HD or Lowes.

precisely and many service organizations are helping veterans, especially post 9/11 veterans right now, and I thought your were getting SMC as well as SSDI? Your spouse can be attending school on Chapter 35 and using your post 911 if you transferred it to her OR the many scholarships that are scholarships that are available to her and then she will receive the ~ $1200 a month from Chapter 35

I am rated as a primary condition and it is rated by how many pads/liners you use daily. Definitely have your primary refer you to the urologist and have it documented how frequently you need/use the absorbent materials and have the VA supply them as they can get costly over time and make sure that you ask your urologist to note in your record the cause. Then I would file a claim secondary to your sc condition. It was pretty simple for me really, I have in service notes and even though I waited over 2 decades I am rated the maximum you can be rated.