marina53

WHY does IU always come up on the chopping block? Don't these people realize that if a veteran has IU, his social security payments are almost nonexistent due to the very fact of the unemployability? This proposal would affect Vietnam vets more than any others. Let's work together to make sure that these proposals never see the light of day!

Thank you everyone for your replies. I guess the waiting game continues. God Bless.

My husband's CUE was approved by the BVA in August. The letter from them stated we would be hearing from the VARO within one to two months. It has now been 4 1/2 months and nothing, no letter, no money. His attorney is filing a court order so that we can be paid and said that this is happening more and more frequently. BVA approves CUE and then nothing happens. Has anyone else experienced this? We were so thrilled that the CUE was actually approved after so many years of waiting, but now we are at an impasse once again. How long does it take to get paid????

Good Morning all. A miracle happened and my husband's CUE was granted. We received the envelope with the decision back in August. And then, nothing. How long does it take to actually get the money ? I have heard everything from 2 months to ?. His attorney says be patient. Is there no one to call or anyway to check to see what is actually happening? Thanks!

My entire file has been transferred to the BVA. It has been certified and electronically transferred there. awaiting CUE decision. I would just like to know if there is any way to get the docket number. I have been told that the docket numbers are highly guarded secrets for some reason and wonder if anyone who has gone through the CUE process has actually been notified of their docket number.

The number listed on the BVA website (customer service) just rings forever and then says "The wireless customer you dialed is not available". If anyone has a valid number for the BVA, please let me know!

BVA website states they are now adjudicating cases with docket numbers to veteran law judges with docket numbers up to May 2015. My case was January 2015 and I still have not heard anything. How long does it take to get a docket number and how will they let me know that I have one? Thanks.

Thank you so much, Berta. That relieves my mind. I agree, ChampVA is wonderful. It really has been a godsend to me.

Hi all. Does anyone know that once a ChampVA beneficiary signs up for Medicare , will the Meds by Mail Rx portion of ChampVA continue to cover prescriptions at the local pharmacy, just as it does now? I receive my maintenance meds in the mail and now and then, I get a prescription, like an antibiotic, that's just a one time thing, and Meds by Mail (used to be called Catarmaran, now it's optorx or something like that) covers that too. Does all this stay the same? I know if I sign up for a part D, I will lose Meds by Mail. Maybe I am overthinking this???

My husband filed a CUE which will probably be another year or two before it even gets assigned a docket number and goes to Washington. In the meantime, he is thinking of filing a disabilty claim which would not change his schedular rating, but would add some SMC to his monthly compensation. In the past, his attorney told him not to file anything new till the CUE gets decided because any new claim would knock his CUE back to the beginning. So, my question is, would opening a new claim or reopening an old claim actually set his CUE back years?

I think the whole proposal to cut TDIU benefits to those receiving social security has been shelved, and is not going to happen. Apparently there was such an uproar that Shulkin reportedly is going to remove that proposal from the budget.

Wow, that's great! I just don't understand why this wasn't thought through. Anyone on P/T TDIU is not going to have any significant social security or retirement plan. What are they thinking? And unless I'm wrong, if it does go through, VA will be flooded with claims of the TDIU vets to get 100% schedular.

Call the VA hotline at the White House if you can-1-855-948-2311 and tell them not to cut the TDIU benefit.

White House VA hotline # is 1-855-948-2311 is open. I called this number and after 15 minutes of being on hold, I was connected to an actual person. She requested the name and SS of the vet (my husband) a phone number and an email address. It is a complaint line, so I told her that I wanted to speak to someone about the proposal to eliminate TDIU . I went through all my concerns. She then told me that within 14 days I will get a response. For what it's worth, I suggest everyone with the TDIU concern (and any other) to call this number. Believe me, I was shocked to speak to a real person. Just put your phone on speaker and suffer through the awful music and eventually you will be connected. Like I said, for what it's worth.

Thank you, broncovet. The new claim would be a claim that was denied in the past. The CUE is a different thing that was not rated corrected to begin with.

Thanks Berta for all this great info. My husband has decided, for the time being, to contact the attorney and work through him regarding the status of the CUE. If the CUE is treated properly then the whole TDIU thing is a moot point. And hopefully, as TBird says, this whole thing with the TDIU cuts will be DOA. Seems so cruel to cut the TDIU for vets who are disabled and haven't been able to work. It will hit the most elderly, probably in their late 80s and 90s very hard, but the brunt of it seems to be directed at VietNam vets who are at the social security retirement age.

Thanks TBird!

Berta, I posted in May a question on how long does it take for a docket number to be assigned to a CUE case. My husband filed Form 9 over 2 years ago to Denver Regional Office and has not heard anything, nor can he get any information when he calls them. His VA attorney tells him to be patient and not to file any additional claim till the CUE is done. If the CUE comes through properly, he should be 100% schedular, not just 100% TDIU.That is the dilemma now, with this new mess regarding the elimination of TDIU for older vets. He is planning to run this all by the attorney again. And hopefully, as TBird said, it won't go anywhere,

My husband is 100% P/T disabled vet TDIU, no further exams. With the new proposal to eliminate the TDIU for vets who have reached retirement age, we are very concerned that his TDIU will be cut. Because of his disability, he has very little social security. There have been SC claims that have been denied, but may be able to be re submitted. The issue is that he has a CUE pending and his VA lawyer told him "Don't rock the boat with any new claims because it will set the CUE back even further". Any thoughts on this as to what he should do?

I agree with you here. I don't support a free ride for every poor person in the country. And I do agree that there should be drug testing if you are receiving Medicaid benefits. In any case, my main concern are the veterans that stand to lose so much.

Hi, please see my reply to you up above.

Jerlor, This proposal, if it passes, as I understand it, will cut TDIU permanent and total back to your 70% rating. Most vets who are 100% P/T TDIU stand to lose $1000 and month, plus all the benefits that go along with it, such as CHAMP for your spouse. There is talk about grandfathering in everyone who is already on this , BUT, who knows what they will do. It has a long long way to go and it is not a new proposal, they have been batting it about for years. "They" don't seem to understand that the vets on 100% TDIU don't have a backup of social security and other retirement benefits, since they have been too disabled to work. Hopefully, this will never see the light of day.

Healthcare is not collapsing due to the poor. As someone who's been an RN for 30 years I can tell you that it's more complicated than that. And not everyone who works is drug tested. Many veterans who receive their medications from the VA healthcare system are drug tested. Trump does have plenty to do with the new budget; he is asking Shulkin to come up with the extra money to expand the Choice Program and the way the Shulkin proposes to do it is by cutting the monthly IU stipends. I live in a very rural area, 100s of miles from a VA hospital and I can tell you that not many vets I have spoken to are happy with the Choice Program. I don't think enough thought was given to this, as many disabled IU veterans do not have enough social security or retirement benefits to fall back upon. Just seems like the most vulnerable will be hurt the most.

I am wondering if perhaps people who are already receiving 100% P/T IU might be grandfathered in? It is absolutely unbelievable that Shulkin would even be considering cutting this off to veterans who reach social security age, as many many of them have not worked enough to have meaningful social security or disability from social security, let alone a retirement savings account. But then again, I am convinced there is no bottom to how low this administration will go to cut the safety nets of the poor, the elderly, children and now veterans.