bm6546

Wings, I met with my VSO yesterday and we called the American Legion in Washington. The rep told me I have a doc date and that any new claims I file will not change my position at the BVA level. She told me to go ahead and file the new claim with my local RO and that will probably get me a new C&P exam. She said the RO may request my C file from the BVA and the BVA would LEND it to the RO in 21 days increments. If the BVA wants my file back the RO HAS to send it back ASAP. I called a clinical psychologist (LM) and we are playing phone tag. Hopefully I can meet with her next week and see if she will give me a opinion on my anxiety secondary to my PAT. I will keep you informed with my progress. Brian Note: I have a doc date of Jan 08 with the BVA. They are currently working on the second quarter of 2006.

I didn't get any replies to my last post on a "Hardship and Waiver" claim. Lets try a new angle. I talked with my VSO rep at the American Legion today. He wants me to call the American Legion in Washington DC and tell them I have a pending claim at the VA for a Hardship and Waiver case. He told me this could possibly help me to advance my claim with the BVA. Can anyone sound off on this for some help. Thanks, Brian

Wings, I just replied to Carlie and will ask you the same question. I am filing a new claim secondary to my heart claim. If my claim is pulled from the BVA by the RO, will I lose my place in line by doing this? Will the BVA accept a new claim if it is secondary to my claim that is currently waiting for review? Would this be a new claim or additional evidence? Very confusing!! Thanks, Brian

Carlie, Thanks for the "Waiver of Regional Office Consideration" form. I sent in a "Statement In Support of Claim" back in Feb 09 and wasn't sure if it was enclosed in my claim. I thought maybe it crossed paths between the RO and the BVA. I called the American Legion in Oakland and they sent me an e-mail with a one word reply to my request that they check my claim to see if the Statement had been included in my claim folder. Their one word reply was "yes". I hope it got there. My question to you and anyone else that can help me is this: 1. I am meeting with my VSO tomorrow am and we are going to file a new claim for depression and anxiety secondary to my heart problems (This is the claim that is currently at the BVA) Should I send this new claim to my RO or should I sign the "Waiver of Regional Office Consideration" form so it will go directly to the BVA. 2. If this new claim goes to the RO will they request that my claim filed at the BVA and also my C file be sent back to the RO? 3. If this is true will I lose my position at the BVA? 4. When the claim and file is sent back to the BVA will I have to start all over again or will it be put back in the position it was when it left. Thanks in advance, Brian

Thanks Carlie...yes AL means American Legion. Sorry for the confusion.

Wings, sorry...AL means American Legion. I did send a message to the IRIS and they sent me a response (the next day...I might add) that my appeal is currently pending review by the BVA. How do I request a hearing and who would the hearing be with? Thanks, Brian

Hi Wings, nice to hear from you. I called the BVA and they told me they were waiting for the AL to "request an informal hearing". Then the AL will turn it over to the "Board" when the judge calls for it. Not sure what this means and how long this will take. Why is the AL sitting on it? Can anyone give me the phone number for the AL in Washington? I will call them on Monday and also call the BVA ombudsman on Monday also. Thanks for your help, Brian

john999, On the letter I received from the BVA there is a reference number in the top right corner. In Reply Refer To: (XXXX XX) and then my claim number directly below that. Not sure if this is what you referred to. Brian

john999, I received a letter dated 02/24/09 from the BVA stating "The records in your appeal have arrived at the Board of Veterans Appeals". Not sure what you mean by "actually get on the docket at the BVA". Should they have assigned a case number or something to my claim? Thanks, Brian

Thanks Berta, I sent an IRIS inquiry a few minutes ago. Not sure where to find the BVA ombudsman on the VA web site. Brian

I filed for a waiver and hardship with the VA back in Nov 09. The last time I checked on the status I was told that there was a "Hold" on my past bills until a decision was decided. Does anyone have any experience with this and can tell me approx. when I could possibly hear something on this waiver and hardship claim?

My claim is still sitting at the BVA in Washington DC since Jan 09. The last time I checked it was still at the AL in Washington. My original claim was filed at the RO in June 06. Can anyone tell me when I might hear something on this almost 4 year old claim? I have heard nothing from the VA in over a year. Would it help if I call the 800# or sent an IRIS e-mail? My local VSO office has 2 VERY NEW people there and I'm not sure how much help they would be. Any help would be appreciated. Brian

Thanks to everyone who responded. I appreciate the help. Brian

I am applying for the VA Hardship on Form #5655, Financial Status Report. It says on the instructions that this only applies for future out patient/in patient appointments only and does not apply to prescription co-payments. I am looking for help with my prescription co-payments. Is there a program that covers prescription help? I am SC 0% and my claim is in Washington DC waiting for something to happen. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Brian

Well done, Thank You Carlie

I am interested in finding some research information on decisions by the BVA in Washington on particular medical claims that are decided either favorably or denied. I know you can find BVA decisions but don't know how to find a particular claim such as the one for my claim. Is there a way to go to a certain web site and type in your type of claim and find similar cases to my own claim. Hope that makes sense and that I am explaining it right. Thanks in advance as always, Brian

jsdwd, You mentioned that you are in Calif and your VSO lady left and that the person who took over her claims has not been very helpful. I have a similar problem that my VSO lady left and she was very noligible. The person who took over for her is very new at VA claims and I'm not sure if I am feeling comfortable with dealing with him. My claim is at the BVA in Washington for almost 8 months. Total period for my claim is almost 3 years. I am not sure what to do or how to proceed at this point. I am learning a lot on VA claims by reading the posts on Hadit. Is it possible to transfer my claim to another county near by or are they going to be overwhelmed also? Thanks in advance for any help. Brian

I have recently moved to my permanent address (3 months ago). My appeal is currently at the BVA in Washington. Should I send my change of address to the BVA and to my VARO in Oakland or both? And should I send this by certified mail or snail mail? Will I receive a comfirmation from the VA that they have received my new change of address? As always, Thanks in advance. Brian

Hi Wings, Raising any teen age kids is stressful enough in itself. I raised 2 boys and that definately had its moments. I don't have any experience raising teenage girls, but all I can say to you is they don't stay teenagers for ever, and you will get thru this. Good luck with your claim, I'm cheering for you. If you still have my phone number, please feel free to call me. I have an extra shoulder for you like you did for me several months ago. Hang in there, Brian

WOW !! Thanks to everyone for your replies. Now I am even more confused, LOL. Just kidding. To answer the question on whether I have received a copy of my C file, the answer is yes. It shows that I was discharged back in 1967 with a heart condition. They medically discharged me and I was service connected at that time and I received 10% SC for approx 1 year. I stopped receiving it after 1 year because they said I was working full time and didn't need it anymore. Like I was going to live on $27.00 a month. Since then my heart condition has gotten worse and I had a heart attack 3 1/2 years ago and have not been able to work since then. I have been denied twice by the RO in Oakland Calif and my claim was sent to the BVA in Washington. I applied for and received my SSDI, on the first try. Approx 1 month before my claim was sent to the BVA I submitted new evidence to the RO in Oakland with a "Statement In Support of Claim". My main concern is I want to make sure that the new evidence was also transferred to the BVA or did the RO misplace it or it didn't get sent. I would sure be very disapointed if I waited for 1 to 3 years and then find out that the BVA never even received it. I really think that this new evidence can only help my case. I need to find out somehow if that new evidence is in the hands of the BVA or not. My VSO tells me that she is pretty sure they have it. Well, "pretty sure" is not good enough for me. I would rather take the chance of prolonging my decision by having the BVA research my file to see if it is there or not, rather than find out it is still sitting somewhere in the RO in Oakland. I am starting to lose my trust with any of these VA depts because of the many stories that I read about, especially by the people on Hadit, of the VA losing files and records. Sorry if this is so long, but I really am getting frustrated with the whole thing. Thanks again, you guys and gals are all great. Brian

My claim has been sent to the BVA in Washington. The letter was dated 2/24/09. It states that my local RO sent me a letter stating that my VA file had been forwarded to the BVA in Washington. I don't ever recall receiving a letter from the RO in Oakland. Would it do any good for me to call the BVA to check on the status of my claim? And how would I find out if they have received any new evidence that I had submitted to the RO in Oakland? Brian

Thanks for the replies. I will check my records and post back as soon as I can. Brian

Haven't been on Hadit for several months. Please forgive me if I am beating a dead horse, but can someone tell me approx how long my claim might be stuck in Washington DC. Is there an area on Hadit that I can research this subject. My claim was sent to Washington in January 2009. I originally filed my claim in June 2006. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help. Brian

Wings and Hoppy, You both are providing some excellant information that I am trying to absorb and understand. I am keeping all the information that you two are posting and will take this information to my VSO when the VA responds to my NOD. I sent an IRIS e-mail a few days ago and got this response: "Our records indicate that your appeal for increase and service connection due to supraventicular arrhythmia is open and in process at the Oakland Regional Office. We are unable to determine whether your documentation has been added to your claim folder. We are only able to access your electronic files through our inquiry system." It appears they have now changed my diagnosis from PAT (Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia) that I have been SC for over 40 years and changed it to Supraventicular Arrhythmia. Not sure what this means or if it will help or hurt my claim. This whole VA process is very confusing and frustrating. It's enough to give anyone an anxiety disorder or depression or at the very least, Supraventicular Arrythmias. Thanks for your help. Brian