GBArmy

Excellent advise from Vetquest. About everything. Many of us have experienced the same issues; doc retired or something and no records. Forget about the law that says they are supposed to have available for (8yrs.?) The current medical organization doesn't want to spend time and effort pulling records from archives. So do what you can matching what you have today with what occurred in service and get a medical expert (doc) to confirm. Read up on what is involved in getting a IMO (Independent Medical Opinion).If you have no current doc to do it, if you want to pursue the claim, you have to pay for it. Is it fair, nope. No one said it was fair, but that is what you sometimes are faced with.

Obviously, you need to get the decision letter. The good news for you assuming you did the math right, is 87% rounds up to 90. But if you are trying to get to scheduler 100%, that drop of 60-to 10 sure isn't going to help.

Vetquest "If you are denied at the supplemental or HLR with an IMO it makes it harder to go to the BVA and ask for a reversal is why I recommending going to the BVA. I am not sure but someone will correct me if I am wrong but I believe you can keep your current level if you are appealing." You are talking about just appealing a reduction in rate situation, or when to use BVA lane in general?

As Vetquest said, call Peggy and MAYBE they can give you a status. But they couldn't (or wouldn't) give me a status update. The reason they gave was, and I don't buy it), is that the time frame for a Supplemental Claim is supposed to be 125 days, so there is a lot of back and forth movement and it is too hard to track and give an accurate answer! No kidding. The good news is that it really is a lot faster for most claims used to be. Call Peggy once in a while. Happy Hunting.

BAM_ I use this calculator; works well for me. There are a few others but most have advertising connected to their site. http://www.vvaarizona.org/combined_disability.php

No, you should not withdraw your appeal. If you get a appointment for a C&P, you have to go. Was the knee and radiculophaty you appeal that was a remand? As Bronc just said, it doesn't mean you will be reduced in rating. And 5 years on the rating is significant. And, bottom line, if they id try and reduce, you can always appeal, as you can always appeal for any benefits decision. Just remember, if the examiner starts to evaluate you and it starts to hurt, tell him right away, don't tough it out.

Agree with Kanewnut. Your opinion isn't going to count; you need a medical opinion saying your injuries are connected to the service. If your research points that these new conditions can be related to your original spine injury, and if your doc can't or won't give you a nexus letter, you can get one from another doc who specializes in those write-ups. It would cost you, but often docs just won't give you the written documentation you need.

You actually are at 91.83% which of course rounds down to 90%. If you kept the same ratings for what you now have, if you receive a new 40% rating, it would get you to 95.101112 which rounds up to 100%. Not a 50%, but still not an easy step. Take care.

Only one thought: reverse the issue. You expect the doc to be honest and upfront with you. If you didn't think he was, do you think that would have an impact on your relationship? So at your first meeting, you lied to him. If he finds out, how do you think he will feel? I would leave a message that you would like to talk to him prior to the next session and come clean.

If you are close to a base exchange, it's kinda mandatory for a veteran to go and check it out. For many veterans, there are 3 things of note: 1) It will be effective Jan. 1, 2020 (so there may be a fly in the ointment still.) 2) It states 0-100% service connected, so even a veteran rated at 0% (like hearing) can used the facility. 3)All you need is your VA health I.D. Like Vync said "Awesome."

Jefmil50 Good news for you; you deserve it. You have SMC R1. You should bone up on SMC's and see what may be possible in the future. SMC (k) at a minimum.

We all have our fingers crossed for you. Best of luck, and we hope you will continue to add your comments to help others going forward.

Paul, where are you on those b/p checks? You waiting for them, or are they waiting for you to show up and do them?

Broken; where can we get a listing on those medical codes, do yo happen to know? I tried before and couldn't find anything.

Ron, search here; there is a lot of info regarding OSA. And yes, go for it if you feel there is a connection to your service.

Ronc531, If I can bore you, just a little more advise. First of all, DO NOT feel like somehow you are responsible for your hard work and perseverance actually doing good.The VA's budget is $220 Billion; you are not responsible for their inefficiencies, how they prioritize, or anything else. Yes many veterans need to be taken care off, but you can only do what you can do, which help yourself. I also invite you to join us and continue contributing to Hadit. If you read and learn, you may also be able to help you and you family with additional disability benefits. As you continue, you will also be able to help others by sharing what you have learned. So go after it, share with us, and help us along too. Again, congrats!

What I would do is call Peggy and tell the rep you need to talk to someone in ?(finance) about copay, Ask them what the rules are for your specific concern. If you get an answer, ask them what is the regulation where you can see it yourself. Maybe it is in their M21-1 manual. But i got to believe, because it deals with money, it is written down someplace for the VA to refer to.

Shrek, the question is what time tomorrow morning are you going to the VFW to see the VSO? I'd be there to help them unlock the door.

I was kinda thinking the same thing. It sure is a disability when you can't hear anything. I wouldn't think of not wearing my hearing aides; I miss too much already.

Congrats to you; very happy that the good guy won!

Yup. But you probably would like a little more info. You should look up sleep apnea disability questionnaire (DBQ 21-0960L-2). It will tell you the different types and signs or symptoms. You need to compare that with diagnostic code 6847 and it will tell you the several rating for the condition. This is a tough one to get awarded, because it can mean a 50% rating., and if you don't know it already, the VA doesn't like to hand out big-time ratins. Do you use a CPAP machine; if yes, you need a dr. to say you "must" use it in a written diagnosis. You need a copy of your sleep study. It is much better to have been prescribed thru the VA rather that a private doc, but if that is your situation, I would spring for an IMO from your doc describing your medical situation. Were you diagnosed in the service for sleep apnea? Need copies of your med records ,STR's. If not in your records, you need a connection between in-service and your current condition. If you were under VA care for say PTSD, there are medical studies that show that certain medicines can cause "over weight" or "obese" conditions, and that can cause OSA. Need that as part of the doc's imo. You can get the rating, but it is going to take effort.

msvj3 Tough luck man. Sorry to hear you were denied. Have you evaluated ALL of your existing disabilities and compared them to see if they might be eligible for an increase based on a worsening of conditions? Is there anything else you might put in for? If you are 100% combined there are a few elders that really know the dance for SMC's and maybe they can pick up here. But I can offer one piece of advise: don't give up, don't ever give up. Don't let the bas---ds win! You didn't go this far to give up now.

Just go with the flow. If you have to sign a form , so what. The procedure is that they probably will make a copy for you, but whatever. Nothing to worry about. Sometimes you have to make an appointment with them but from what you said, it doesn't sound like it is needed. Just be polite.

As Geeky said, it is pretty hard to get a 10% rating. It's the VA ball and they make the rules. I have a 10% rating and I swear I can't hardly hear anything. You are aware that even with 0% for hearing, you get hearing aides as a S-C disability at no cost to you? My tinnitus isn't that hard so I usually can weather it out, but the VA is supposed to have some pretty awesome hearing aides that help to subdue the roaring in your head; you may want to check it out. And this is just my opinion, but from what I have seen, they are more apt to be lenient on this issue if you show it really bothers you and you go for extra assistance and later go for a re-eval. JMO, and I'm not saying it will happen to you but I've seen it. Veterans sometimes get a break going back after a few year. I mean, if your hearing isn't bad enough to get you comp every month but it is bad enough that hearing aides help you, not much of a leap to say you pretty close on the hearing table.

Hi Eddie. Good advise from Bronc and Geeky. To go along with their theme, this is what I tell veterans looking for an increase. First, get a copy of your claim file (C-file). It can have stuff in there that is really supportive of conditions that you may have. Next, write down ALL the things or symptoms that you have. It would help if you had some one that would be objective to bounce things off of, like a wife or real close friend. Then start your research. Go to http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/vadisabilityrating.html and see that some of those problem are, say like Geeky suggested as an example, hearing. Do you have any of those symptoms now on your list? If you do, then you check your c-file and see what it says about your hearing. You may have a hearing test results taken at boot camp; you may have one at discharge physical. If you do, compare is there a worsening of the hearing? If you do, you have 2 out of the 3 things you need for a claim. A service connected injury (degrade of your hearing), and a hearing disability now. The 3d thing, is called the nexus, that is, how can you connect the two? If you had a MOS that required you to be around noises, that would work. Or, if you can document an event or accident where you were exposed to a very loud noise, that could work. You have the 3 elements; we call it the Caluza Triangle. You do this type of research for every injury or disability on your list. Ok so it is a lot of work. My father told me that life isn't fair, it ain't easy, and there isn't a Santa Clause out there that is going to give you what you want. If you want something, get off your but and make it happen. So...