Holllie Greene

I get not being able to understand someone because of a language barrier, but I have always found bringing my evidence with me carried it's weight in gold, regardless of where they understood me or not.  I have had plenty who understood me who did much more harm to my case than someone from another country as they thought they were the only one who could tell the VA what as going on.  Like some kind of power trip or something.  
For my case I had something only ever rated 3 times before.  So sometime you literally have to lead them by the hand to the information they need to make a decision.  Even then they will sometimes find a way to mess it up.  

I filed a supplemental with additional evidence this spring. Came back in about 3 1/2 months. Denied. I think third time's the charm though (I hope.) No matter; if it is denied, I will just keep working it until they figure it all out. My favorite saying I tell veterans is "You don't lose until you quit trying." I believe it!
 

I cannot say how long the new supplemental appeals take.  One would hope that it is faster then the legacy system NOD's.  They quote one to two years and I have heard @HolliGreen has been waiting about two years.  I am half tempted to refile under the new system but I think that is what they are trying to force us to do.

@vetquest That's scary. Reminds me of the late 1990's when the VA told me that I needed open heart surgery to correct a heart issue. I asked for a second opinion from someone who wasn't in med school. Turns out I just had indigestion.

I was once cut on at the VA when I was indigent.  It was done by a doctor in training.  They used a punch to excise a skin lesion.  When I told the doctor they could stop now, the doctor got testy and asked how I knew so much.  I told them that they were scraping the bone in my ankle and I could feel it.  They diagnosed it as Kaposi Sarcoma and told me I had aids, which was untrue.  I have had other operations on the outside for service connected issues because the VA did not think that the operation was necessary.
I have Tricare and use it over VA care as my VA doctor says it is better for me that way.  
I guess I as one would not be sorry to see VA Hospitalization go away but I think it is necessary for some vets.  The VA is the least best option but the only option for some.
 

Great physical and mental harm was done to me and some other Vietnam and Korean veterans at the Temple, Texas VA hospital in 1985 to 1991 as we were used as drug guinea pigs and embarrassing to us training aids in a room full of medical students by a good German VA doctor (without our permission as they were sneaky how they did this).  One veteran hung himself in a tree outside our ward the night after he witnessed my ordeal that day and he had been thru this himself.
On another occasion in 2000 an Austin Texas VA clinic psychiatrist was found guilty in district court of sexual assault on veteran patients and staff.  I was one of his almost victims but left his office abruptly when he tried his hanky panky with me about 6 months before he was indicted for his sex crimes against others.  His name was Vagashian (SP??) and his wife then divorced him and his son drove a sports car off a cliff in Colorado after the trial.
The Temple Texas VA doctor was eventually transferred to Arizona where he then died at young age of 63 and I am so happy happy.  I filed a VA injury section 1151 claim over those incidents in 2000 and received a TDIU P&T award with several years back pay.
Because of all that BS I use private medical care (medicare and AARP) for more than half of my health care needs and would never use VA for major anything.  One of my nam vet friends  died on their operating tables for heart surgery  at the Temple, Texas VA hospital. 
Many years later (after 1991)  7 VA patients died at Temple VA due to breathing tainted oxygen and local crooked JP gave the VA a white wash.  There have also been other negetlient deaths at same hospital over the years from 85 to at least 2009.  I moved from Texas many years ago.  I don't give a  F***** damn if they privatize the VA medical system for many reasons.

I think your case may end up in the Court of Veterans Appeals.  Although with luck the BVA may decide in your favor. I think you can win the case because you indicated this started in service, and you have medical records showing treatment.  In addition, you continue to receive treatment.   I don't think I can advise you based on my eye damage because my situation was rated secondary to my lung disease.  However....
My Asthmatic condition existed when I entered service although I had not had problems for years , by 1986 my condition had worsened with secondary COPD, and I was medically retired. The VA initially denied my claim, and I then claimed CUE, providing a copy of my medical board records which indicated the reasons for my medical retirement.  After receiving the documents the VA granted me 30%.  However, the VA had all of my medical records, and in no less than 7 places it indicated Asthma with secondary COPD. The retirement board indicated that my asthma condition was worsened by active duty.      
I think you can fight this denial and win. You already have an IMO which apparently was not considered or was considered to not carry enough weight with the rater Generally speaking when there exists two separate opinions the tie goes to the veteran.
So first you need a copy of the C/P exam to see what the examiner stated that caused the denial. You need to tear his examination report up as part of your appeal. You need to show where the examiner is wrong. You also need to question why the IMO was ignored. Many cases of pigmentary dispersion and pigmentary glaucoma are not congenital or developmental defects.   
If your c/p exam was conducted at a va facility you should be able to download  a copy from my Healthvet web site.  If it was conducted by a contractor,  you will have to request a copy from the folks in Janesville , Wi Intake center. They will handle the request under the  freedom of information act. It could take 6 months or more to get a copy from them so you need to do this as quickly as possible as you only have a yar to appeal.  
 
Best of luck 

Never quit.  If I had a good IMO and a denial I would go directly to the BVA.  Your chances at a HLR are not as good.  The BVA law judge will read all of the evidence and not make sloppy decisions.  They spend their time revamping RO decisions.  This is not right but that is the way this animal (VA) lives.

Hi Wendy,
Good for you to file a NOD.  Hang in there.

They don't read your records but claimed they did. They know and denied because like most we all went in there blind and pretty much signed our name to a generic form.
Dr. L can help you with a real IMEO. I posted in the IMO section.

broncovet, I had an IMO, had them fill out the DBQ and provide a nexus letter. The nexus letter specified which conditions were congenital and which were not. The Dr even stated that although there were conditions that were congenital in nature, from the reviewing my STRs the conditions did not manifest themselves until they were diagnosed 3 years after joining the military. I hoped that would have been enough evidence to win. I do plan on filing a NOD. I am just not sure how to attack it since I do not have any additional evidence to provide.

Medicare is a basic Ponzi scheme.  And its designed that way.  Take from the working to pay for the elderly and disabled.  And it works currently, plus or minus a couple billion.
My wife is/was disabled at age 54, and I think it worked/works pretty good for us.  Some people are disabled at a very young age and some not at all and get Medicare when they turn 65.  And some pay in all there lives only to pass before collecting a dime.  Roll of the dice.
Now there are currently 206,230,365 people age 15-64 working in the US.  And there are 51,055,052 Americans age 65 and older, and 10,153,205 Americans on SSDI.  Simple math would have 206 million people taking care of 61 million people, through payroll deductions.  With the CURRENT services, etc.  Simplified further, 3 people pay for 1 elderly or disabled person through payroll deductions
Now under Medicare for all, the same 206 million Americans will be paying for 327 million Americans.  Or 1 worker for 1.5 persons.  So, the money won't last long as its not lasting currently.
But wait, we'll get money from other places, the 1 per centers.  After 3 months and that money is gone.  But wait, will get money from the middle class, the workers, yeah that's it.
Like I said at the start, Medicare is almost break even right now, and works.  Anything more is going to cost everyone a bunch of money.  They will not hesitate to lump the Veterans into that pool.  
My brother will not get Medicare, he will get Railroad Retirement Healthcare (as a Federal Agriculture employee, back in the day they got to pick Social Security or Railroad), probably a bunch of money in there.  And all those other private health funds.  Lump them all in, lets go!!!  
Not going to happen.  And that's probably a good thing.
FWIW,
Hamslice
  

Currently only post 9/11 veteran's caregivers are allowed in the program that allows them to receive all of the benefits of being paid etc.  The rest of us have to wait, until when well.........Vietnam era and earlier vets were supposed to be implemented June of this year but they have been stalled, surprise surprise and are projected to be hopefully implemented into the program in June of 2020, the rest of veteran's caregivers will be eligible 2 years AFTER those veteran's caregivers have been given access to the caregiver program.   The VA saves a lot of money the longer they wait, so why bother, right?  No one is fighting for pre 9/11 veterans. 

Sadly, this does not sound much different than what we get already

Not that it’s every going to be to the candidates but what happens to champva if Medicare for all becomes an actual thing? We will be forced to give up our champva that we earned and have to put money we don’t have into Medicare for all... just a thought ...

@jfrei, from what I am understanding, if they get their way for Medicare for all our healthcare will go the way everyone else's does.  We will be forced out of Tricare and ChampVA.  You will only be able to have supplemental coverage to cover what Medicare for all does not cover.  The VA will still exist and we might be forced to get all of or care there, I am not sure on this.  The worst thing about this is that you will get all of the care deemed necessary for you.  They don't deem it necessary and you don't get it.  
This is the Congressional Bill for 2019-2020 Medicare for all program.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1384

If (an this is a big IF) this happens, the middle class will be taxed, taxed, and taxed.  Excellent world map above in Bronco vet's post.
My husband (who spent time in the UK can tell you all about the two-tiered health system) was very glad to come home to the US.

Certain primary caregivers are supposed to be able to get base access. Not sure what makes up the criteria to be designated a primary caregivers, perhaps A&A recipients.
https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2019/08/19/millions-more-will-be-soon-be-allowed-to-shop-on-military-bases-but-some-veterans-wonder-how-theyll-get-access/

Morning folks, 
 
Been a  minute since I've been here, I'm staying busy helping veterans help themselves.
 
That aside, I have some questions concerning a veteran who just got his 100% IU, P&T.
 
Because of his medical conditions, cancer being one of them, this divorced veteran needs to find out if he can legally designate someone to go  to the BX, Commissary.., for him?
 
To get to the point, is there a VA, DOD.., ID card that will allow anyone except a spouse to get access to a base for the purpose of helping this veteran?
 
I already know he can sponsor people to get onto military bases, just stop at the Gate ID section and get them a visitors pass, but how about getting authorization to shop for him?
 
Thanks,
 
Allan 
 
2-2-0  HUAH!
 
 

I understand the feeling about ebenifits and to not trust what it says.  This is a new issue I think bizarrely effected my claim.
1.  4/19/2019 I filed for an increase in current SC conditions.
2.  8/3/2019 I go to a C&P for this claim.  I had to go back again 3 weeks later if forget the exact date because something was not done correctly at the first C&P.
3.  10/10/2019  I filled out an intent to file on ebenifits.  I did not do anything with the application other than start the app with no other information filled out.  It showed up in ebenifits.
4.  10/15/2019 my claim from 4/19/2019 shows as complete and pending notification which was updated on 10/17/2019 as notification sent.
Here is where it gets weird and confusing.
I checked ebenifits yesterday to complete my intent to file application.  It somehow is not listed as a new claim but combined with the 4/19/2019 claim that was completed and notification sent which I confirmed with a few calls over the past few days to the VA.  I have not received the letter yet but they keep telling me over the phone that the letter was sent.  
I'm trying to figure out how after the 4/19/2019 claim supposedly closed the new intent to file claim now has the start date of 4/19/2019?
I tried asking this question over the phone and the VA seems as confused as if they are only looking at the same thing I am on my ebenifits.  The fact that today I am hitting the 10 business days from notification sent and my letter still has not arrived tells me something strange happened.  I'll wait till todays mail but suspect it was never sent.  I understand why people are so hesitant about doing anything while they have a pending claim.  I understood an intent to file as not having any effect on current claims.  I think this incident has broken that barrier.  Its not supposed to but it seems like something happened to combine the start dates of the 2 claims.

So the VA tries this crap all the time.  And it may not be their fault, but they try to combine claims and it is likely someone was looking at yours and just combined it by accident.  I would keep shaking the VA until they send it back so you can get your EEF date

I would actually be ok with them combining these claims.  The reason being is that it seems they went back to the earlier date.  I just can not believe they did this as it seems it would have taken a human to take some extra steps and I did not ask them to do this.  I always thought the VA is just a bunch of drones going through a process.  Kind of like the answers I have been getting when I call.  They just keep telling me a decision has been made and a letter has been sent yet it has not arrived.

Just a thought: have you considered calling the White House Hotline and/or your VSO?

Sounds good..............

https://abc11.com/health/troubleshooter-helps-wake-forest-veteran-get-six-figure-disability-claim/5653836/