jbasser

Betty, your persistance and never give up attitude has paid off and you have survived. Congratulations. You are a bright aray of sunshine to this board and your claim has given the Vets who are in similar circumstances an array of hope. I know how it feels to win and I am so excited that you won. Go ahead and fill out the IU paperwork asap. Have it ready to go just in case they throw a 70 at you. If they award 100 percent, Throw it away. The RO at the Huntington VARO should respond fairly quickly as it is one of the less busy Regional Offices. It also appears to me that 1992 should be the effective date. I would like to offer the following advice. When you get your Retro, Take the time to do something for yourself. Relax and enjoy the moment for we all know that happy moments and the VA are not very common occurances, but when they are, it is tremendous.

Rdawg, The only copays you will have to pay will be for meds until you hit the 50 percent threshold. Priority Group 2 does not pay copays except for prescriptions. Here is the link: http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Librar...CopayGlance.pdf Keep checking the bank for your dependant retro. Mine just showed up and I got the letter several days later. J

Don, You should be rated at 100 percent with that low of an ejection fraction and Congestive heart failure. The Rater is purposly low balling this and they know it. It can also be considered a misapplication of the regulations concerning the actual rating. Chronic congestive heart failure, or; workload of 3 METs or less results in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope, or; left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent Notice it does not say and, It says Or. If you meet 1 of these it is a 100 percent rating. You meet 2 of these.

Sam, Shane is correct. When a bone has a calcification and rubs against a Vessel it is called an obliteran. That means it is an ulcer caused by the bone rubbing the vessel. Arterisclerosis is rated as coronary artery disease by the VA and is accociated as heart disease. I have an expert in the house on this issue. J

Vascular pseudoclaudication: Sam the condition mentioned is also called Arteriosclerosis obliterans: 7114 Arteriosclerosis obliterans: Ischemic limb pain at rest, and; either deep ischemic ulcers or ankle/brachial index of 0.4 or less 100 Claudication on walking less than 25 yards on a level grade at 2 miles per hour, and; either persistent coldness of the extremity or ankle/brachial index of 0.5 or less 60 Claudication on walking between 25 and 100 yards on a level grade at 2 miles per hour, and; trophic changes (thin skin, absence of hair, dystrophic nails) or ankle/brachial index of 0.7 or less 40 Claudication on walking more than 100 yards, and; diminished peripheral pulses or ankle/brachial index of 0.9 or less 20 Note (1): The ankle/brachial index is the ratio of the systolic blood pressure at the ankle (determined by Doppler study) divided by the simultaneous brachial artery systolic blood pressure. The normal index is 1.0 or greater. Note (2): Evaluate residuals of aortic and large arterial bypass surgery or arterial graft as arteriosclerosis obliterans. Note (3): These evaluations are for involvement of a single extremity. If more than one extremity is affected, evaluate each extremity separately and combine (under §4.25), using the bilateral factor (§4.26), if applicable.

4.3 States Broad Interpetation. This may be the VA's escape clause when it comes to reasonable doubt.

Toolman, I moved your post to the claims forum. You should benefit from this move. J

They look good if the doc wrote it up right. Have you filed for IU and SSD? You may want to consider doing both if you have not already done so.

This should have never happened in the first place and the VA knows it. The RO who denied the claim should be fired. There are no excuses for this outrageous denial. I am happy to see the Vet get his due, But I am sure he has suffered needlessly while waiting.

They sent me out to a fdee basis doc last year and they tried to charge me for the glasses because I had an outside prescription. My wife called the chief of optometry and Let him have it. I got a refund in the mail. Do not assume anything with the VA. ALWAYS keep one step ahead for confusion can ruin the very soul of existance. Not to mention VA inconsistancy creates mass confusion.

Betty, I just picked this off of another post. This may apply to you. Good points -Mariano V Principi- basically this case means when the VA has enough probative medical evidence to award they cannot go doctor shopping.

They should have considered IU since you meet the criteria. Keep on hammering away at them for you are actually doing a great Job. File for the IU ASAP. I would send a NOD to the decision because IU was not considered. Even if the VA considers IU as inferred, It is a VA requirement the form still be completed. http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/part6/chg127.doc

Call your VSO and ask them to tell what months they are working on. For example, you file a claim in January 07. The VSO tells you they are working on Dec 06. Your claim is going to be the next group worked on.

Fill out a statement in support of claim. http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/vba-21-4138.pdf List the evidence you want to submit on the document. Make sure your claim file number is on the evidence and submit copies. Not the originals. Then send it certified mail to the VARO. You can also give a copy to your POA.

I would wait a couple of weeks. Then I would go to the Medical Records department, fill out a release of information and pick up the copy. If it is not ready, ask them to mail it to you when it is ready.

Kryptos. When comparing the exams, look for wording like mild, moderate, severe. That is key. If the old MRI states a mild problem and the nerew one states moderate or severe, Then that proves a condition may have worsened. Unchanged, or unremarkable means same. The comparison will be on the actual reports that were read by the Radiologist. You should get a copy before you go to the exam.

AN OTH is not as bad as a BCD or Dishonorable. There is a process to request your discharge be upgraded ot Honorable or a General at the least. Some folks here know exactly what is neded to get it done. I am sure some one will chime in. J

Oxycodone is in the opiate family, However it is a synthetic morphine derivitive that requires a separate test.It can be identified separatly. DOD labs perform 60000 drug tests per month at various installations. Here is a link to additional information: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyr...bldrugtests.htm

The VA can do other types of tests. They can yank out a couple of hairs. It doesnt have to be urine. The Hair test can show long term exposure. And yes, they can differentiate between spacific drugs. Each Drug has its own chemical signature. Please dont take meds that are not prescribed for you. A bad test will raise suspision.

It depends where you live. The STates website should clarify this matter. I would go for the plate as it offers so much more than the plackard. Less worry about forgetting to hang it. In Ky 50 percent gets a License plate. There is a separate form for the Tag. All Idid was take a copy of my percentage or award letter to the DMV clerk and They issued me 2 plates for my vehicles.

I had to undergo asbestos screening with Xrays Annualy. I asked the VA to continue the screenings free of charge when I got out and they told me to take a flying leap. I was a Naval Insulator and I have removed asbestos from ships and Subs. My medical record has big black bold letters on it: Asbestos: There has been studies done but the Government does not want to take the responsibility because most asbestos related diseases leave no survivors. There should be a system similar to the AO system. The Asbestos manufacturers who hid the results from us can pay that expense.

Fog, from a VA administrative standpoint only, All Vets who actually enter the system must under go a means testing interview. It is for administrative purposes only to set you up in the computer. They want to keep the card on file. Check out this link: http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/costs/...asp#copaycharge You should explain that you are not currently seeking treatment and you are only going to a C&P exam. Make sure they undsrstand so they can code the exam correctly. (No cost to the Veteran) So dont get too upset since it is just VA SOP. J

Don, That is exactly what I am talking about. I am sorry for replying a few days late. Yes indeed you have Pulmonary htn. I even bet you are taking a separate Nitrate for it like IMDUR or Isosorbide Nononitrate. Print off the heart criteria and send it to the va. Sgow them your EF and demand an inmmediate reconsideration. Dont let them say it is a new claim or an inferred claim for the heart. You need your cardio doc to explain the Phumonary HTN in writing. He will most likely say right sided heart failure and have him write a narrative that would explain the relationship between the Heart and Pulmonary hypertension. If it is int he record it should have been inferred. Then file a request for reconsideration with the ro and also file a form 9. There you have 2 100 percent ratings of the heart and lungs. Send an Iris question to the RO and ask them to reconsider the claim based onthe regulations. If you need them to refer to let me know. John

Ron, You dont have to be Service conected for your ears to get hearing aides. If you are at least 10 percent they should be provided at no cost to you. Now if you are 0 percent for the ears and have no other rating, you should still be entitled to hearing aides.

Vetswife, the first exam is the Hypertension exam. The other 3 are for PTSD. There are different exams. I assume it is initial evaluation for PTSD? If it is , then it is number 2. 1: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/disexm31.htm 2: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/disexm43.htm http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/disexm56.htm http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/disexm37.htm