68mustang

I got my asbestosis claim service connected at 0% just received letter today. While it is not at a higher % I am happy that it was service connected. It if gets worse than what it is now thank God that I am now service connected. I know that there are many others who have tried to get their asbestos related claim service connected and have not been able to. I hope that this is the start of something good for all of us unfortunate folks who were exposed to asbestos. I thank all who have helped with their support and lets not forget that there are still many others with asbestos related claims who need our help. As for me I still have an NOD pending and I will be filing for an increased on my 0% hearing loss that is getting worse. Thanks. 68mustang

I have been having difficulty with Ebenefits since Monday. I had been able to log on and see my info except the info on the status of my claim. There was a note there that I call the 1-800 number to find out any info on the status of my claim. Well I tried to logon to Ebenefits today and could not. Everytime I tried to logon it would take me to another page for single time logon. After several times of trying to logon I called the 1-800 listed for help. The recording comes on telling me to press one for English, which I did. Then the recording said some words in a language I had never heard before. The menu option recording came on and I press the number according to the instructions. Someone answered my call and I could barely understand them because of their accent. The person asked for my name and phone number, which I gave. After that the person asked me if I had an account I said yes and had been able to logon until recently. The person asked that I give them my social security number and I told them "no", that they should be able to check with my name to see if I had an account. I was told that I had to provide my social security number in order for that person to find out if I had an account. I told that person that I would not my provide my social security number and that I would take it up with the VA. Later I was able to logon to Ebenefits, but still have the same note to call the 1-800 number to find out the status of my claim. I wrote this because it sure seem weird that in order to help me they needed my social security number, Plus the fact that this particular call center is probably located outside the U.S. made me very leery. Anyone else out there come across this same type of problem? Thanks. 68mustang

Thanks to all of you for your responses. I posted that I found out about the status of my claim going from Development on this past Friday to Decision Phase on Saturday. Late yesterday I called the 1-800 and was told that a letter had been mailed to me that day and that I could not be given any further information. Well last night I checked Ebenefits and I could not get into the web site. Today I check Ebenefits and got in only to have the web site claim status area note that I would have to call the 1-800 to find out the status of my claim. I give up. I should have known better than to try and get info off Ebenefits. Some other hadit members have very good service on Ebenefits, then there are some of us that take one step forward and then up taking five steps backwards.LOL

I had the same problem that documents that I had sent in to the RO did not show up in Ebenefits. I sent an IRIS request asking if my documents had been received and IRIS responded that they had been received. Months after the IRIS response the documents are still not listed on Ebenefits. I kept as proof the email I received from IRIS showing that the documents had been received by the RO. 68mustang

The VA and U.S. Navy have been very quiet through the years about asbestos exposure compared to other hazardous chemical exposures. Through the years I have tried to get three different congressmen involved on the issue of military occupations that had hazardous asbestos exposure. Each time all I got was lip service and no action. I also sent letters to the VA and U.S. Navy as to why there were no registries for asbestos exposure like there is for Agent Orange Registries and for other hazardous exposures chemicals. All I got from both the VA and U.S. Navy was that if I had an illness related to asbestos to file a claim. I did in 1989 and at later dates and was denied each time. I am keeping my fingers crossed this time due to the VA C&P report. I should know better. 68mustang

Thank you all for your responses. My occupations prior to and after my enlistment were not the type that had asbestos related exposure. I provided a detailed list of those occupations with a buddy letter from my wife. I did try to get a lawyer, but the lawyers I contacted were only interested in persons with mesothelioma or the with other terminal diseases related to asbestos exposure. Who knows one day I may find a lawyer who will represent me for the type and level of disease that I have. Again thanks for your responses. 68mustang

I checked Ebenefits on Saturday and my claim was changed from Development to Decision Phase. Just waiting to hear what the decision will be. It has been a on and off long battle since 1989. If denied, I've got everything ready for the next step whatever that may be. 68mustang

Do you know if those complaints are in your VA medical records showing you complained about your problem prior to starting the NSC BP medicine? 68mustang

Veterans who served on asbestos infested U.S. Navy ships have had to jump through hoops and whatever obstacles are put in front of us to prove that we were exposed to asbestos. Some of us veterans are now paying the price for that exposure and continue to be stonewalled by the VA in having to prove that we were exposed to asbestos. The Navy and VA have acknowledged that asbestos existed in many WW2 type ships we served on, yet will not accept our lay statements. Even after proving that our military jobs were of the type that required working with and near asbestos the VA still makes it difficult to get a VA claim approved.JMO 68mustang

Can anyone please explain about the free $10,000 Life Insurance policy as stated in the above post? Is the first $10,000 free to all disable vets who are service connected at any percentage? Or is it free according to their income levels or degree of disability? Thanks for clarifying it for me and others who may have the same questions. 68mustang

The same message you got is what I also received yesterday when I logged into Ebenefits. Also don't rely on Ebenefits too much because many times the info on it is sometimes incorrect. I have been waiting for Ebenefits to input that medical documents I sent in have been received for my claim since a year ago. After repeated attempts to have them acknowledged in Ebenefits as having been received by the VA a year later I am still waiting. BTW I know they have been received by the Houston RO because I got an IRIS email telling me that they have been received there. 68mustang UPDATE: Just logged on into Ebenefits. Same message again. The VA wants veterans to use Ebenefits to relieve the pressure on the 1-800# and IRIS. How can veterans rely on Benefits when the info is not up to date and is probably not the same as what is in the system that 1-800# and IRIS uses to answer veterans questions and concerns. JMO

Earlier this week I also tried to send an IRIS request and got errors that there was already another user with the same email address and phone#. Instead of the message I was sending I first had to send a message letting them know what was wrong and then had to wait for a correction to be made in the IRIS system before I could ask my question. Seems that the old IRIS system was much better and user friendly and I have had problems with the new IRIS system. 68mustang

deanbrt if you have access to ebenefits you can log on and go to "my ebenefits" click on it and that will take you to the page that has utilities. The letter generator is there under utilities. If you don't have access to ebenefits then you have to get that from the VA. 68mustang

Thank you for all the responses. 68mustang

Has anyone on hadit had an asbestos exposure related disability approved by the VA? Just wondering because it seems the VA is dragging it out on my claim for an asbestos exposure related disability claim. Like to hear what came of the claim if you had it approved. Already had a C&P exam that established that my claim was due to my asbestos exposure in the Navy. Thanks. 68mustang

My RO also has not updated info on Ebenefits confirming it received0 documents I sent in March of last year. Earlier this year I sent an IRIS request requesting that the RO confirm whether it did received the documents last year. I received confirmation through IRIS that indeed the documents were received, however Ebenefits has not been updated to show the documents that were received. My RO is Houston. Thanks. 68mustang

Carlie I guess examiners also cannot have a recording device during a veteran's C&P exam. Reason I say that is that on two C&P reports I noticed that there is information on them that is different than what took place during the exam. There is missing info on what I responded to certain questions plus added info on things that did not take place. Such as having been asked to spell words forward and backwards and being able to do serial 7's. That did not take place. Plus I responded positive to other questions and that is not the C&P exams. Not having a recording device is to the advantage of the VA because it will be your word against the VA examiner. 68mustang

Well I guess the audit team picked the wrong file to mess with. Good luck and keep fighting them. 68mustang

maine1963 I don't know a thing about the program,but I did find some info on the web. Don't know if you seen this web site, but click on it it has info on the program plus there is a pamphlet on house plans. Plus you might check on what benefits your state offers for veterans there may be a state office that can help. 68mustang http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/sah.asp

LarryJ thank you for your response. 68mustang

broncovet thank you for your response. The NOD on the lowballed depression rating was filed last year in November. I have been comparing my symptoms to the rating schedule and they seem to rate higher than the 10% rating. Thanks. 68mustang

Thanks for the clarification. I am on Medicare and I had not heard that dependents could also be enrolled. Now Champ VA that is something I don't know a thing about since I don't qualify for it. Thanks. 68mustang

iraqx2 You stated: "I do have two young dependents. They will definitely be enrolled. I will be enrolling us all but just need to know that this is a no brainer and that I am not missing out on any other details." Could you please clarify this? Do you mean that you plan to enroll them in medicare? I don't think medicare covers dependents. Maybe someone else may chime in and correct me or add to this. Thanks 68mustang

Papa,Carlie and all others thanks for your responses. All the responses have given me something to think about. This Monday I have an appointment with the LSW and I will take from there along with making arrangements to go to the vet center and a private MH doctor. Thanks again. 68mustang

Thank you Carlie for responding. I only see a LSW at a VA clinic here. And we have discussed having been denied the PTSD and then being low balled on the depression. The LSW states that I should be rated higher on the depression and could not believe that my PTSD claim was denied. I have been in a quandary over what to do since my time limit to file an NOD on the PTSD is coming up in March. Someone in the past had suggested to me that I should concentrate on getting the depression rating raised since PTSD symptoms mirror depression symptoms and I am already service connected for that. Any thoughts you may have would also be appreciated along with the ones I have already received. thanks. 68mustang