stillhere

Jim, I would wait until I got the letter from VA and then comply to the letter. I also think you should send in a summary of your heart conditions of the years as you have done here. I am SC for my Heart Disease after a MI in 05 secondary to my Diabetes 2 so the new law really means nothing to me other than the Vets that were denied in the past will finally get their deserved benefits. By waiting you do two things you will know for a fact that VA has started a file for you and maybe by that point the new regs for IHD will be out. By filing you have already locked in your date so that is good. Once this senator Webb gets tired of jerking us around the regs will be out. Looks like around Sept/Oct.

That could be the case but I was wondering why you did not file in 2000 when you were granted SSDI? My point is when DM2 was added as a presumative in 2001 I think those that filed before got nehmed to their denial date but those that had DM2 and had not filed got only 1 year back from their claim date and those that got the DX later only go from their claim date of course. Now if you did not file a claim in 2000 for VA benefits because you did not know you could, wouldn't the date only go back to the date you filed?

Thanks Berta, I found my link but as you say it has been closed by the Texas group. Don't really need any of them right now but used to like having them when I am helping someone else with their problems and have them use the fast letter as a reference to how the VA is supposed to be working certain aspects of a claim. Stillhere

I would also contact your congress rep at their office and see if one of their staff can help get you get your payments going. This happens way to often in BVA grants and needs to be stopped. That is one reason for the fast letter being sent to the ROs to clearly tell them to pay even in cases that have not been fully adjudicated and have other deferrals and denials. The vet needs the money!

You filed for and was granted SSDI in 2000 but you did not file for VA SC until 2003. Why? If a claim has not been filed then the VA has no obligation to pay comp because they have no idea that you want to claim. Now if when you filed for SC in 03 you were already SC for something else and mentioned IU (even though you did not have the %) you might have a shot at getting a start date of 03 but because you waited until 06 when you were finally awarded 70% and met the %. The VA I would think will only grant your claim back to the date it was filed which would be 06. That being said this is only my opinion but I think you are hoping beyond hope on getting the 2000 date when there was not even a claim filed. You might get 03 but that to is going to be a reach if you did not mention that you were unemployed at the time. If you did THEN you could get 03 but that is going to be your best I think. Good luck though and let us know how it pans out!?

It looks like you have 2 reconsiderations and an appeal waiting right? Then you have a claim in for other conditions. With that many claims in and loose ends all over the place and no final decisions they in fact could be holding up to make one total decision. I have an appeal in to the BVA since June of 09 I filed for PTSD in Feb. 09 I filed for Heart disease increase in Oct.09 Then I filed for a reopen claim for an EED for my heart award from 05 to be granted to 03. I am seeing in my case where the BVA appeal has not moved. The PTSD was awarded in 60 days at 50%. The heart claim for increase is in rating status. The early effective date is just being worked. The only bad delay tactic I see in mine is the fact the BVA appeal has not moved. Sometimes it depends on which RO you are at. I do not use the 800# to communicate with the RO and get information where my claims are. I use Iris or I fax my question into my RO direct and ask them to email me. Call the 800# and ask them for your RO's fax number and see if you get a clearer answer from them.

if you can proof your In Country status then yes you qualify. If you can not proof "boots on ground" or in country time by way of your dd-214 then you will not. Do you have papers that say you were in country?

I agree with Carla and the others, you should contact your PCP or your cardio doc right away. QTC once did and exam on me and I got a letter from them. Seems my blood work had a problem. I was dxed with anemia. So get up in the morning and go check this out!

I used to have a link to the fast letters the VA has sent to the ROs over the past few years. Does anybody here or is there a link somewhere here on Hadit? Thanks Stillhere

We need to remember this is not the senator doing this but rather his staff and you are correct it certainly sounds like they do not have a clue as to what they are suggesting.

hulamatt, This very confusing. Are you disabled bt the VA at all? In regard to the letter from SS it looks like they are granting you payments from SSI not disability. In order to get that you have to be almost under the poverty level and the SS will research all of your assests and liabilities. Just for the record how old are you?

Looks that way unless you can get your private doc to write a nexus letter saying your DM2 has aggravated your conditions and the PN has worsened since you were DXed or if you do not have a dx for it yet the C&P might do it now.All of this is going to hang on your C&P. As far as the heart goes I think that will eventually come down so I would definitely make sure you file for IHD.

Berta, Hope I wasn't the cause to get your post off topic? If I was I apologize. Your subject has been discussed on another board until the cows came home and pretty much the consensus there was that if you filed for IU then you should be IU period. But you are correct bending the system a little or actually following the rules may be beneficial for some of these young folks coming on here for information and may even help some actually get their lives back together. I know if I was as young as some I hear are putting in for IU at ages 20's,30's and even 40's I would think twice about what I was getting myself into. Marginal and temp working could help build their confidence back so that they maybe be able to work full time. My situation is a little different in I am 61 and at 90% for the past year with the PTSD added just this year I am in the mind set I am hurting myself and heading to an early grave by doing this. But as has been said many of the Vietnam vets are dead so maybe it is like the mother said on Forest Gump "it is just my time Forrest".

Sounds like they are tired of having to answer the phone! Seriously though if they are going to be inputting information into a computer that the call centers can reference to, should not be that big of a deal. Wonder if they are also going to be including information on ebenefits for those claims stuck at the AMC. Anyone with level 2 clearance and a case at the AMC able to see anything at ebenefits on your claim? As far as the 800# and the iris responses it almost always breaks down to who you might be fortunate to get. I don't rely on either of them that much. I still have the direct number for my RO and have not used it. I think I will wait until I need something answered urgently before I do. I also have the fax number that I have used.

I agree with Pete on this but am not IU yet. I am at 90% and doing ok working then in 09 the stress and all that was going on set me off and I had to be excorted out of a VA office and next thing I knew I was Dx with PTSD and pretty much been going down hill since. i find myself questioning almost everything I say these days and my work and social and home life have gone to the dogs. I lost my job in April when I told my boss I was disabled with a mental condition and having a tough time going out and meeting new clients and old clients. I actually argued with a few and lost a couple of contracts. So I am unemployed some what, I did get a new job and told them my problems up front and they agreed to put me on but strictly on a comission basis and I have not landed a contract or sold anything in the past 2 months. I am just not with it for some reason. Anyhow I asked for IU and will see how it plays out but as this thread is about marginal working I would like to kind a be able to handle a job here or there with commission soley from my house and see if I can get myself better BUT. There is always a BUT, I feel if I get IU I really as Pete and the others say to jeoperdize my IU for a few hundred bucks a month no thanks. I know what the rules say and if we all plyed by their rules it would be fine but just like Webb is doing now they can change the rules anytime they feel like it!

Webb's shenanigans is simply grandstanding! He was not in congress in 91 when the AO act was past and seems to not very knowledgeble about the law. He has gone on record accusing the secretary and the legislative branch in whole of over steping in laws of the country. But that is flat out not true! If any one is curious of any IOM report they just have to request a copy and read it. Even you an I can go to the IOM website and download a PDF of any of the reports for the AO study. The IOM did there job and found the medical connection and advised the secretary who after reading the report has made the determination to add 3 new conditions. In 2006 the report gave hypertension a limited/suggestive ranking and the secretary did not agree and did not add it but the process for the new 3 has been handled properly as the law states and should have been final in my opinion by March. Will just have to wait a few more months I am hoping!

Th VA will never say out right that spraying AO in Vietnam had any effects other than killing off forest cover. That is the reason the IOM uses the term limited suggestive for the cause of any of the diseases associated to AO presume list. I agree though that if limited/suggestive was good enough to get all the others listed then it should be good enough to get any and all diseases added that show the same results!

OK dates are going to be very important to you when you go to your C&P as stated by all before. Take a look at your private medical records or have a visit with your doctor before you go. Your time lines need to be in order and could mean the difference in getting service connected for one and thousands of dollars too! When DXed for DM2 (this is very important) DM2 was added to the presumative list in 2001. When where you DXed for PN? When was the heart attack MI? Now what the dates will show as in my case DM2 came first and then my body started to be influenced by it and the PN and Heart attack happened secondary to the DM2 so I am Service connected for all secondary and am being comped at 90%. If your DM2 did not show up until later after the heart attack and after the PN you could be comped as low as 10% total. AGAIN it is very important for you to go over your records with your doctor! You may have a chance for the heart being connected IF the new presumatives are added. At that point you should file an appeal and you should win. Good Luck to you!

I have a file in progress since Oct. 09 and when I was let go forced to retire (in April) by my employer because of my SC disabilities. I sent in by fax a request that if I was not raised to 100% because of my disabilities I wanted to be considered for IU. Have not heard anything yet but could be shortly. I was already at 90% I will post what comes down.

I'll let you know soon as I can get in? I have been on health evet for over 5 years and at first there were problems there too.

OK not to say it can't be done without a DX of PTSD but it sure goes a lot easier if you have a DX for it. If you have the dx for PTSD go a head and file and the VA will ask for your stressor so they can verify it. After they have verified your stressor you will be called in for a C&P and if the V&P agrees then you will be rated. I was actually dxed for over a year and went to treatment before I filed. I had a nawwing feeling with have the DX of a mental disease at first. Good Luck to you!

I came up with a solution a while back (5 years ago) when I saw the backlog mounting. The VA already has in place the requiremnts for each rating for diseases that are considered SC. Now if a vet comes down with a DX by a doc and looks over the criteria for their disease and rates the disease themselves and sends it in with the explanation why. Then the VA grants right away at that % and starts benefits. If after further reviewed the rate should be higher or lower then that would need to be addressed by the VET and VA. For example I am SC for heart disease and from reading the rate boards should be 60% I file and state I am applying for 60% based on such and such as written in the VA compensation rate tables. Bam! I get paid claim done and if the VA after review of my claim wants another C&P later down the road fine. Now if a vet files and his disease does not match up with his reguest the VA would/could and should adjust as they see fit and if the vets does not like it then he can appeal. But the vet would be comped already and not have to wait except for the higher rating that he had originally asked for. This would speed up a. the vet getting comped and b. the VA would only have to do corrections and adjustments to claims!

Many have from what I understand. Non combat PTSD can and is granted as long as you have the DX for PTSD and have a stressor that is verified. Good Luck!

When I got my records from St. Louis for my medal replacements it had the paperwork for the awards and names and SS #s for some of my unit that I served with. Check with St. Louis too.

I am getting nothing too and I am signed in to MHE and tried again today but just getting nowhere. typical government setup problems! What cracks me up is in a few days they will come out with a report of how great the site is?