mcarter985

Thanks all for your help. I'm going for it!

Good morning! I'm thinking about going after an increase for my PTSD rating (currently at 50%). If I do this, will the VA look at my other ratings for possible decrease? For background, I'm 73, I've had my ratings for about 9 years (Tennitis at 10%, Heart Disease at 60%, and PTSD at 50%. Total is 80%. Thanks in advance for your help!

I'm currently rated at 80% and thinking of filing for a claim for Sleep apnea. I'm currently getting 10% for tinnitus, 50% for PTSD and 60% for Coronary Heart Disease (Agent Orange presumptive). Will the VA take another look at my previous disabilities if I submit a new claim. I'm 68 if that matters. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for responding Gastone. I received the original notification for the claim awarding me 50% on May 12, 2015 and submitted the NOD on November 12, 2015. As part of the NOD requesting a DRO I submitted a counseling statement from the local Vet Center (what I considered N & M evidence). I think things went to hell in a hand basket was when my DRO was shifted from San Diego to Saint Pete (on August 5, 2016).

A bit of history...I filed for PTSD (medic in Vietnam) about 2 and a half years ago in San Diego. I got my decision fairly quickly and got 50%. My counselor at the Vet Center told me I should file an appeal for 70% and submitted his write-up with it (wasn't available when I initially filed) I requested a DRO review. Soon after, I moved to Florida and a few months after that I received notice that my DRO request was at Saint Pete's RO. I haven't heard anything for about a year and a half and e-Benefits just states the appeal is in process. Should I just consider it lost in the shuffle and submit a new claim or just continue to wait? Also, I always thought a DRO stays with the RO that made the original decision...is that true? Thanks!

I sometimes think I'm lucky in that the claims I've had (or most of them) came back in my favor (with tinnitus being one of them). At my C & P exam for the tinnitus, I told the audiologist I was a combat medic in the Army so because I was exposed to gunfire he wrote it up so there was no mistake about it along with my description of the noise (a single tone in both ears). I got my 10%. I would think being around aircraft would be a no-brainer for tinnitus.

This should be a fairly fast claim. I had a heart attack, found 100% blockage in one of my arteries in the emergency room and had a single stent put in. Ended up spending 4 days in the hospital. Found out about AO when doing research why this happened to me...no one in my family has ever had heart problems. Went to the VA with my medical record, proof of "on the ground" in Vietnam, submitted my claim, had a C & P about a month later and then was awarded 60%, Whole thing lasted 3-4 months...fast in the VA world. If memory serves, I got 100% for a single month and then it adjusted to 60% thereafter going back to the day I submitted the claim. I second the recommendation to get on e-Benefits so you can stalk your claim and find out quickly what your award is by printing out the letters after your claim is complete.

I submitted a DRO Review request to Janesville and on the cover letter I stated the decision I was appealing came out of the San Diego VARO. We have moved from California to Florida. Anyway, the appeal went to St.Pete in Florida. I thought a DRO should be sent to the office that made the decision. How do I get it to San Diego?

I normally use Chrome when I do anything on e-Benefits but lately I've been getting errors also when attempting to log in. After a few days of frustration I tried Internet Explorer (IE) and that works fine. If you're already using IE then I'm not sure what the problem is. Whoever wrote the code for e-Benefits could get a job with the CIA and teach agents how to torture their subjects!

Good morning everyone! Just a quick question...I submitted a DRO request for a claim I think should be rated at 70% (vs 50% as awarded) and also submitted "new and material" evidence with it. It was receipted for at Janesville on the 17th of November. How soon would it appear in eBenefits? I'm too familiar with how slow things are but just looking for some sort of a timeframe. Thanks in advance!

Thanks Mark...I'll do that and you have a great Veteran's Day too!

Thanks Buck!

Thanks again! Now, a final question...I'm really going for a DRO Review/Reconsideration based on new evidence (a Vet Center Letter they did not receive in time). Do I still use the NOD form for that and stipulate a DRO Review on the form? Or is that just a simple letter requesting the review?

Thanks Buck and Broncovet. I'll send it to Janesville and see what happens. I do want San Diego to process it. I went into eBenefits and changed my address there and every other Government site I could think of but will also include it with my appeal.

Hi Buck...already moved to Florida and just want to be sure my NOD goes to the San Diego RO.