JR Reihs

Get an IMO that shows the extent of the condition.........since it is already SC'ed and you are at 100%, I don't know what you are wanting to gain,

You are elegible for both SS and SSDI, but not while you are working (SSDI), and yes in most cases SSDI is more than regular SS, and at age 65 you will be converted to regular SS and paid at the higher rate. At your age, you have a better chance.....You will file for both regular SS (reduced rate "early") and SDI at the same time. SS will start your regular SS, and you will have that coming in until you get your SSDI....If SSDI is approved then you will get that amount for life.

With your age being 64, why have you not taken your SS? You can file both for regular SS and SSDI, if your SSDI is latter approved you get the higher benefit..........SS will most likley put you over the allowable pension amount, so it may be a moot point on that issue, but if you feel you have SC issues then get those SMR's a get after them.

Better be looking into a IMO for good medical to back your claims.......Always better to have in hand so the C&P examiner has an out and the RO has a delima instead of a basic opinion that might not be in your favor.

You all keep bashing on the unions, it does no good to give the VA a pass on this issue or any other that we all know is wrong with the Va........You may not like the unions contract, but this was not the cause or did it have any effect on what was just brought forth, nor is it the cause of the continuing backlog. The system is outdated, it was this way long before the first Gulf adventure, and was in no way shape or form ready for Iraq2 or Afganistan, and it sure as hell ain't ready for Iraq3 that most likley will be coming..........You want to blame a union, blame the congressional union and the DOD and the hiarchy of the VA who have failed those they are sworn to protect. Blame MSM for not taking this to the next level and outing the system as a whole, not just this one issue.........There exist way to many layers of political failure and these union employees are very far down on the list to even consider.

It will be a crapshoot on the initial IU claim, and you will need to wait and see how it is rated and the reason given on the ED the RO may grant......If you do not agree and have evidence to overcome the ED the RO may grant , then you take that to an NOD on a EED.

Don't get to fired up about this.........mine took years, but I had a crappy RO and and a crappy VSO and neither liked eachother, but thats another story. Just make sure you had your ducks in a row and gave the VA no out on the IU, if that was done, you know the drill.

And the band played on. I have no high hopes for McDonald, Vet or not, been there done that. I see appeasement, and within a year we are gonna joke about him not being able to spell, or the VA asking you if you want fries with that good care they just gave you My Wife is working out of the Richmond VA, they do heart and lung transplants. She loves that job and is amazed at the quality of care and the amount of great doctors that give it.....I told her that that is great to hear, but if she ever got time, she needed to go to the other side of the VAMC where the average everyday care happens and she would tell me a different story. When this all broke on the tube, she could not comprehend it, yet I told her things are not always as they seem when it comes to uncle sucker doing the right thing......I think she gets it now, but still a little dumbfounded about the whole thing.

Vet's have been hollering for years that this thing they call the VA is broken in so many areas that it was just a matter of time before the whole thing crumbles......This thing as bad as it is , is just another one of many problems that should have neve been allowed to fester and I really hate the media coverage as it only focuses on this one issue. Shinseki leaving is just more cover without adressing the entire failure within the system.......This will soon fade away, and the VA will continue to resume it's normal course of action, and Vets will continue to pay the price.

WTG Navy.......Big Congrats on your wife getting the funds for being your caregiver, that is a major victory in itself. I hope that your life just got a lot easier knowing you will at least keep the wolfs at bay.

Most likely 30%.......I have seen some pushed at 40 but that would be due to complications......Just don't forget to add for scare's and arthritis if applicable.

You are asking for the moon here........Voc Rehab is not going to happen in 14 days and it may not happen in 60-90 days. There are several steps that you will need to take just to get a game plan together, let alone get your classes started so the money flows. I am not sure about the online classes being counted in a full time or part time situation, but when they call you in, you will get the opportunity to go over all of this.

o your at 30 for PTSD and 10% for hearing loss for total of 40%, and now they have rated your ankle at 0% and given you 30% for bladder status post hysterectomy? If this is the case, then yes you will add the 30% on to your current 40% service connected VA award..........or was this through the DOD?

Storx, It is pretty clear that just by your post the L knee would follow under the severe side of the rating for a knee, as they go by Rohm, Flexation and so forth.........As of now, you are immobilized, and even when you get the cast removed you will have limitaions not only for the knee, but possible re-occuring stress fractures (seconday New Claim).....You need to find a way to file this claim now, even if it means having someone drive you to the VA or a Rep. Also you might look into filing for the scare on your knee from surgey. The VA is only designed to your benefit if you are willing to do the leg work involved.....I have a knee like yours going on 30 years now, trust me , it gets worse. I also lost my ACL, and had a plastic tube inserted between the bones to compensate and the VA also lowballed me on the rating until I took the steps needed to get the proper award which was 30% on the knee, 10% on the 12 inch scar, 10% on the degenerative arthritis. I would also suggest that you put a claim in for IU since you are not employable at this time......None of this will start until you make the move to file your claim.......Even just going to a VA Regional office and filing without a Vet Rep is better than what you have now........You can have IU and Voc Rehab at the same time, which will give you the needed bennies to make sure you get to where you want to be....Don't take No for an answer with the VA.

You can file online for the increase, or you can go to one of the many Vet orgs such as the VFW, County.....You really need to see or keep with the VAMC on this to keep your status on-going. I am not sure how the Va treats a leg cast for convalescent pay, as far as increased rating for the Knee, you should be rated around the 30% mark, then check records for indication of degenerative arthritis secondary to loss of meniscus "bone on bone".....It will happen.

I' will stand by that statement unless a twinkie binge is what you refer to........side effects of any medication on the market today compared to cannabis in raw form, are not even remotely close......with what they will be able to uncover in the near term, will do wonders for whole host of bad stuff tht aflicts so many every day without having to add all those disclaimers at the end.....we all see the commercials everyday. No one is claiming tht it is a cure for anything "YET".......but the help it may provide in lieu of, will be a blessing to many.

Wait until you get the letter from SSDI with the numbers on how they computed the dates....re-hash at that time.

Folks, this deal with Marijuana being used in the medical community, whether it is with the Va or the Private sector is the best thing they could do. The lies and deceit by uncle sucker for the last few decades has finaly been debunked and Big Pharma has lost the push against it. This may not work for every Vet or patient that gets the nod, but it is a big step to help and prevent further pill addiction......Every man, woman and child should embrace this as a quantum leap for the medical purpose that will follow with the new revived studies now in "high" gear by the private sector and the public sector as a whole. There exist to many potential medical possibility's that this one plant has to offer, it is hard to see why it has just now being seen for what it is instead of what they wanted you to believe. This is about treatment without side effects....lets all hope it continues.

WTG HC. You need to look into the two months or so from your filing date against the approval date......they could be cheesing you out of some fundage, plus it adds to your Medicare eligibility date.

WTG, and congratulation's to you and your Vet.

It may not be just the max for Gerd.........just wait until you get the big envelope that will contin the info on how the DRO ruled.

You might want to think about going through Voc Rehab or IL before you start this venture. I went down the Ticket to work road as I to was not ready to throw in the towel....My VA was pending at the time and I was facing another surgey...My VA came through P&T, and they followed the Ticket to work program in backpay, so I lost nothing. No one here is going to tell you what you want to hear.....we have fought to hard to get our claims resolved. You know the pitfall of how this all works, you also know of the economic perils that this country is in, and the hurt many millions have found themselves in due to the job market. Knowing what I know now, I would have never took the risk I did..It was a futile attemped to discredit what I already knew. I say good luck to you if you take this path..........You could just as well pick up a hobby that you could do with your kids and make good lil entrepreneurs out of them to show them hard work and risk nothing

You have been waiting in line to ride the Beast, now you have a front row seat, hang on and enjoy the ride........P&T is the golden ticket, Welcome to the chocolate factory! Congratulations.

Congrats on the award, and seeing this through.........20%-70% is a pretty good jump, so you have some good retro coming your way. Just make sure the RO has all your dependant info and give it a little more time as the VA still has some final work to complete on finalizing your claim.

I was under the impression that a incarcerated Vet could receive 10% of reduced amount, and the dependants could file for their portion.........One must also consider that there exist a whole lot of Vet's that are in prison for SC issues that the VA failed them on , in mental health and or addiction.