saxman

Hi All,
I must first give thanks to God for without his blessing I wouldn't be here.
I was first rated at 30% from Jan 1993 until July 2013 right after I got out of the Air Force.
File a claim July 2013.
Rated 50% July 2013 until October 2014 then another claim was awarded to put me at 60%.
Rated 80% on November 2015 from a NOD I did from the 2013 award.
File a few other claims August 2016 and won those claims which put me at 100% P&T.  I just got the award letter yesterday!
 
I would like to thank the many members of Hadit for all the great information I have received here.
I still have a NOD pending and an appeal at the board.  As I have read here don't stop after you are awarded 100% P&T because if you have other issues from
the military and don't claim them and die from them the VA will not award your dependents. The fight will be that much harder for your dependents to file a claim after your death.  
 
Never give up the fight!

Hi All,
I must first give thanks to God for without his blessing I wouldn't be here.
I was first rated at 30% from Jan 1993 until July 2013 right after I got out of the Air Force.
File a claim July 2013.
Rated 50% July 2013 until October 2014 then another claim was awarded to put me at 60%.
Rated 80% on November 2015 from a NOD I did from the 2013 award.
File a few other claims August 2016 and won those claims which put me at 100% P&T.  I just got the award letter yesterday!
 
I would like to thank the many members of Hadit for all the great information I have received here.
I still have a NOD pending and an appeal at the board.  As I have read here don't stop after you are awarded 100% P&T because if you have other issues from
the military and don't claim them and die from them the VA will not award your dependents. The fight will be that much harder for your dependents to file a claim after your death.  
 
Never give up the fight!

Hi All,
I must first give thanks to God for without his blessing I wouldn't be here.
I was first rated at 30% from Jan 1993 until July 2013 right after I got out of the Air Force.
File a claim July 2013.
Rated 50% July 2013 until October 2014 then another claim was awarded to put me at 60%.
Rated 80% on November 2015 from a NOD I did from the 2013 award.
File a few other claims August 2016 and won those claims which put me at 100% P&T.  I just got the award letter yesterday!
 
I would like to thank the many members of Hadit for all the great information I have received here.
I still have a NOD pending and an appeal at the board.  As I have read here don't stop after you are awarded 100% P&T because if you have other issues from
the military and don't claim them and die from them the VA will not award your dependents. The fight will be that much harder for your dependents to file a claim after your death.  
 
Never give up the fight!

Don't be scared to make some noise...

My PTSD DBQ 2011, was listed under Treatment Notes on MHV within a week or so. PH Secondary to SA DBQ C & P early 14, was posted the following day.  SA Increase C & P DBQ posted the following week 02/15.
QTC DBQ's go directly to the Rating Dept. Last I read info about QTC procedures, on the QTC Website, the proposed DBQ goes before a Board of QTC specialists to be sure all requested Rating Dept info has been addressed. Doesn't sound like it's completed and forwarded to the VA Rating Dept the same day as the C & P.
Semper Fi

"How long" questions are best answered with a coin toss..since VA will take "exactly" how long they want, and not one second earlier.  Or, you can try reading tea leaves.  
Seriously, the VA world's "claimant friendly" system means that VA can take as long as they want, but Veterans must adhere to a strict deadline policy.  (Try appealing your claim after 1 year and one second later and see what happens.)
It took VA 8 years to decide my claim, and its been in appeals another 7 years.  Mine is not, by far, the longest.  However, some Vets get their claim decided in as little as 6 months.  Its a crap shoot to know where yours will fall in that range.  
There are some things you can do, however, to make sure yours is not one of the many which gets "stuck" in some sort of glitch:
1.  Send an IRIS email asking if there is any additional information needed from YOU, that your claim is many years old and has apparently been escalated.  
2.  Call once a week and inquire the status.  You will get a different person (likely) each week and one of them may care enough to actually ask why its been delayed 9 years.  
3.  Keep the pressure on, by not forgetting about it.  The VA can just simply misplace your file..sometimes for years..and just forget about it.  
4.  Email the VASEC, and Trump, too.   

I filed my NOD on November 6 2015, ebenefits updated with my new rating yesterday and the actual rating decision was made on January 20, last month, out of Winston Salem Regional. Don't hesitate to go to the RO or send an Iris Inquiry to check the status as well,  Good luck. 

As long as they dont try to screw with those receiving retirement and VA compensation then 90% plus your retirement is pretty darn stout.
 
Cant you also go for Social Security???
 
Retired+90%VA+Social Security would be the perfect recipe

Call this number and ask them (202) 530-9470 call between 9 and 1030 they usually pick up in under 10 but wait until the 17 minute hang up to call again 1100-100 no point in trying 100-330 usually picked up in under 15 minutes. Let me know what the hiccup was?

Back to your C-File question regarding how it affects your current claim.
If you think you need it, why do you care if it adds some time to your open claim? I think it's still taking about a year to receive the CD, almost the same as when I received my 9 inch package back in 14. Currently, I've been waiting about 6 mos for my 2016 FOIA Fax Request.
Keep in mind, the Date you file your FOIA for a copy of your C-File, is the Cut off Date for your records. There will be nothing included, post your FOIA File Date.
I received my C-File mid 01/14 from an 11/12 FOIA. Had 2 DRO Hearing Req from 10 & 12 Pending. Received a DRO Hearing Date early 05/14 for 06/23/14. Never really got around to doing a major review of my C-File. All issues from 10, including the 12 IU NOD were Awarded by the DRO. Received the DRO Award Letter the same afternoon as the Hearing Date.
Semper Fi

Agent Orange:
   You are overthinking this.  While I certainly agree that VA does not always act in our best interests, it is POSSIBLE that it indeed happened THIS TIME.  Until you find out better, you need to accept that the VA is asking for "additional information" to get a higher rating, that the C and P exam was inadequate.  
    Indeed, if you think the VA "developed to deny" your claim, that is, asked for more information when it already had enough to give you a good rating, then you can challenge that.  
    But you cant challenge VA in what you think they will do.  Let it play out, and see if you get a bad result, first.  You may be suprised.  

saxman, never ever accept any crap from anybody at the VAMC, RO...or anywhere else.
Nipping it in the bud right away will help ensure other veterans aren't given the run around.
 
I had a nasty experience with my American Legion rep back in January, and let his boss know right away that I'm a veteran, and not some damn kid!
 
Allan
 
2-2-0 HUAH!

Well something similar happen to me when I had my annual VA doctor visit.  He asked me if I ever had steroid shots for my arthritis and I said no.  When I read his notes it said I refused to get steroid shots!  I didn't know how to correct this.  It's just amazing how they reword what you say to hurt your claim.

Unfortunately you hit the nail on the head with the filing of of I9.  Just like the timeline for the NOD, you cannot, absolutely not let those suspense date pass, other wise you claim is in serious trouble and possibly dead in the water.
Make reminders, alarms, notes or whatever mechanism will keep you on task.  So very important that this is done.

I finally got a response from VA Secretary Office that it reviewed my email and has sent it to the VBA leadership team for review and I should hear from them in 7-12 days. I will keep you informed when I hear something.

I emailed the Secretary this morning concerning my claims and appeal, I have in the system.  They responded to my email in 2 to 3 hours and said they will be forwarded my inquiry to VA leadership for review and direct feedback to me ASAP.   I will keep you guys up on the feedback.  Thanks a lot for HADIT.COM

At 1st, I thought 7 pages of posts on NavyGuys 700 Day Wait Problem seemed excessive. It appears to me that other's have piggybacked Thier Claims Problems to this post? They should have been started as New Topics by the respective Vets.
Makes it somewhat difficult to see what's happening regarding NavyGuy's situation.
Semper Fi

I use the VA Medical Center for my s/c disabilities and the meds that suppose to help. I also do my annual with my Dr. just so VA wont say I'm not using VA services and try something to say I may be getting better.
I'm static with my disabilities and over 55, so they shouldn't be trying to get me to do reexaminations. I'm also over the 20 year mark on one of my disabilities.
My suggestion is to see your primary VA Dr at  least once a year.  If you don't have one get one.

I wanted to update everyone on the great news I received yesterday when ebenefits updated. I received,  as a result of the NOD I filed in November of 2015, 100% schedular rating for my SC lupus,  p&t with no future examinations scheduled.  My other ratings remain-50% for MDD/Memory Loss,  20% for fibromyalgia, and 10% for gerd/hiatal hernia. I was also awarded inferred housebound. I want to thank alot of members on this site,  like Broncovet,  Buck52, Ms Berta, Asknod, Gastone, and many others for your invaluable knowledge and help.  My children thank you as well,  as I have one in college currently and one about to start in fall semester, and the Chapter 35 benefits will be a blessing. I ask going to continue to contribute as much as I can to any veteran that needs help, I will do my best to provide it.  Thank you Hadit! 

I received a call from my regional office saying he was instructed by the secretary to call me and update me on my appeal that it is now certified and in the BVAs hands. So now I'll call the BVA as annoying as it sounds I don't wait for it to sit I get them to tell me why. This is my second appeal certified in two years at the BVA my first one I won...

ShuMan,  I had a NOD at about 15 months,  and I emailed the secretary and received my increased rating decision less than six weeks later. The only reason I sent the email is because my NOD was still awaiting review,  at 15 months.  I had also been told by Voc Rehab that I am permanently and totally disabled and unemployable due to my SC disabilities, and my counselor provided me a letter stating that.  I submitted the letter,  VA already had all other evidence,  waited a couple of months,  at the 15 month mark I sent the email asking to expedite the overdue nod.  I had my decision, 100% p&t, about six weeks later.  I also received a phone call from my RO about two weeks after sending the email to let me know a decision had been made.  If your nod is past due,  send the email,  and best of luck to you.

saxman I agree ,
but some times rather or not we give them a reason is out of our hands  most veteran will not give them a reason to reduce their hard earn benefits and  usually had to fight tooth and nail for them in the first place...its just that the VA Doc's  can and will write up a improvement opinion in a Veteran S.C. disability  they are treating  if they  get a call from the R.O.  TO DO SO. 
This Veteran asknod is helping, his S.C. Disability is not expected to improve in his life time  but  when he got close to his 20 year protection   its weird that he got that proposal to reduce.
We need to keep getting VA Treatment and check our medical records about every 6 months or so to stay on top of our benefits   other wise out of the Blue we may get that letter of Proposal..just never know..but if were informed of our own Improvement  then we can rebut it.

Saxman
 
 
                                I really agree with your suggestion.  Plus, I get all my medications for free by using the VA.  I do hate them and do not trust them at all.   I always want insurance that they
wont try something funny in the last few years before my P&T rating hits the 20 year mark.   You never know what a new Prez. or new congress may attempt to do to save a buck at our expense. You know
back in the 1980's the new administration threw everyone on SSDI off the roles and also gave me a really negative C&P exam.  The doctor who did my exam must have been following VA HQ's lead
when the shrink who did my exam asked me a load of leading questions all designed to show I was a Personality Disorder and not bona fide mental health claimant.  Politicians are capable of anything
to include killing vets via neglect, abuse and starving them out by reducing compensation. In one form or another I worked for the Feds for 30 years.   They are the worst bastards out there to vets and to
their own employees.
 
                                                                John
 

I use the VA Medical Center for my s/c disabilities and the meds that suppose to help. I also do my annual with my Dr. just so VA wont say I'm not using VA services and try something to say I may be getting better.
I'm static with my disabilities and over 55, so they shouldn't be trying to get me to do reexaminations. I'm also over the 20 year mark on one of my disabilities.
My suggestion is to see your primary VA Dr at  least once a year.  If you don't have one get one.

Thanks, Buck.  I can't remember the details that long ago, I'd have to go through my file cabinets (two) of VA paperwork to figure out if that was the reason.  However, when the RO doesn't act for a couple of years on a claim, then that claim gets bounced between the RO and the BVA four or five times, then the BVA gets the AMC involved, you can easily see where the time goes.  I already have two writ petitions under my belt and told Gen. Hickey that I was considering another one.  She had someone email me today to tell me someone from the Board Director's office would contact me by next Friday.  Maybe a writ won't be necessary.  I'm crossing my fingers because just from looking at the docket number, it's an embarrassment to them that it's as old as it is and has never even been to the CAVC, to boot.  The docket number speaks volumes on its own merit without my having to say much of anything else.