JoebobCVSO

E-Benefits never seems to have the most correct status's for claims. A lot of the time, it is just wrong. I am a CVSO, I log into the systems and in SEP or VVA, I can see who looked at the Efile last, where it is, and what is going on. I will NEVER be able to tell you anything, when it comes to a timeline as the VA has no timeline. As a CVSO, I advise and assist. I don't work at the VARO, so I cant speak for the VSO's at the VARO's but the AL, VFW and DAV folks there are very much so overworked. Many of them are great but if you want someone who can dedicate 20 or more hours on just your claim, you need to go to a CVSO or someone else. They don't have the time to dedicate that much time in one sitting and as such, it takes a long time to get all of the research done. 2. MOST vets just bring us a page or two OR several hundred pages of medical records and say they want to file a claim for something and they left the service more than 20 years ago. AYFKM? You want ME to do ALL of the work? These claims, I will sit on. I will work them when I can. YOU as a vet, should go through your medical records and pull out the pages that are pertinent to your claim. You should also go ahead and already have/have requested the records from NON VA care. I cant start your claim and then wait for you to get them...whenever... and then dedicate all sorts of time finishing it. Bring me something at least partly done. This will save me considerable time. You know your injuries and what happened in service far better than me. I will never put less than my maximum in claims preparation. However, if your claim requires a weeks worth of labor, it might take a while as I have TONS of other things to do as well. You are your best advocate but you also need to be responsible for your stuff as well. NO VSO knows everything....we are trained in most things. the rest, we learn as we are exposed to it. No two claims are identical and require significantly different things, even if both are 'ischemic heart disease' they will still have everything else different. Yes, some VSO's are better than others and the good ones have stacks and stacks of files on their desk and in their drawers. If you want an excellent claims prep, you need to do some of the busy work yourself first. We can look at what you have and help by making changes and telling you what you should find or how your doc should write your nexus or current diagnosis letters. But your doc and I cant talk about you to each other. This is where you need to take charge. Your successful claim is just as much your responsibility and time as it is your VSO's. If you have unrealistic expectations, ie. they will dedicate ridiculous time to you alone, then you already lost your claim. am I a jerk..yes. Do I sit on some claims? yes. they take time and with a 0966 filed, I have a year to get it in. Will I put best effort into your claim? YES!. Can you, the vet, help? You MUST... I'm good, I get claims passed (~60%). BUT...Many are denied. I can only send in what you give me. If you give me garbage and expect a miracle, you will be disappointed.

Most of you responding in the comments that are saying that this is great news, how you want to get your Apnea SC'd are all already reporting that your at 100%. WHY???? Your at 100% already. Leave it alone else you run the risk of losing that rating. By filing a new claim, unless your at the 20 year protection, you run the risk of EVERYTHING being re-evaluated and reduced. You can't get more than 100%. Yes, there are some special schedulers out there, but unless you are missing limbs or eyes, ED is about the only one you should ask for. For those at less than 100%, it might be worth pursuing, but my warning applies to you too. You file a new claim, you run the risk of a reduction. I assist vets as a job. yes, I'm 100% and working. I would get fat and more lazy and then die a quick death if I didn't work, and by work, I sit on my butt behind a computer. I see reductions all of the time. PLEASE...think before you file, then file smart.