broncovet

I mailed Tbird a check. I will PM her to let her know so she can send you her address. I think its a new address.

Your chances at tdiu are good "provided that" your doctor says you are unable to work due to SC condition(s). Otherwise, not so good. If your records show documentation of this, you are good to go. Get ready for battle, VA loves to fight us on tdiu.

While I have already been vaccinated for some time, I agree I find government mandates on health care offensive. But Broken soldier has a point..if you were a patient of a doc or nurse, and you got infected from the unvaccinated nurse, then that is a problem. However, my VA treats "everyone" like they are a "loaded gun", and everyone takes precautions and wears a mask vaccinated or no. So, you should not get infected from a nurse "who follows protocols" even if that nurse is infected. This would be true of "every disease". Nurses are not required to have tetanus shots, but its possible you get infected with tetanus or other diseases "in the hospital". When I got my knee surgury, my knee surgeon explained "why" I only stayed in the hospital one day: Your chances at getting infected at the hospital are far worse than at home. This means to prevent infections, we need to stay out of the hospital. My son had a severe cut, and wound up with MRSA almost certainly from the hospital which treated him to PREVENT infections. This is not uncommon..MRSA is spread in hospitals and can well be deadly. We have to walk a "thin line" between philogeny and ontogeny. (the rights of the group vs the individual rights). There is even a movie about it. While I agree that a community "must be protected" against a mad man with a gun, and I agree shooting the man with the gun is sometimes necessary to protect members of the community, this idea can be carried too far. There is a "sweet spot" in between the individuals rights and the rights of the group (community) where both are served well. God operates "in that sweet spot.

Congratulations: Federal VA benefits are here:https://www.hillandponton.com/additional-benefits-for-100-percent-disabled-veterans/ Many/most states also have benefits for 100 percent Vets. Some examples are: Free or reduced cost hunting license. Free disabled Vet license plates. Free or reduced cost camping in state parks (also national parks). Property taxes. Your home taxes can be reduced or eliminated, but you have to apply at your state, bring proof of 100 percent disability. Check with your state's VA benefits office or website. Your VSO may know about that. Also: Yes, you get 10,000 free life insurance (waiver of premiums). I have it. Never paid a penny. I could cash it in now for about 4000 cash. https://www.va.gov/life-insurance/options-eligibility/s-dvi/

IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, go to your local ER and then follow these rules to the letter: https://www.va.gov/communitycare/programs/veterans/emergency_care.asp In summary, go to any Emergency room, and notify VA ASAP. They do that so you can transfer to a VAMC if hospitalized. But follow those rules in the link, do not rely upon my summary. IF ITS NOT AN emergency: I use myhealthevet to send a message to my prime care doc. Or, I can go to the prime care and send the doc a note as to "what I need" such as a refil of meds, or referral to another doc. I usually get an answer fairly promptly. I agree with pacman, they always want you to go primary care doc. If your clinic does not have a prime care doc ask them for one. You may have to travel to see your prime care doc, but VA will pay you travel pay, likely, for that. Frankly, you need to travel to a larger VAMC who will assign a prime care doc, likely, to make this happen. You can try asking the nurse you visited for a referral, or ask the nurse if you must see prime care doc for referral to the community docs. They are supposed to give you a community doc if your VAMC can not get you treatment within 30 days.

I agree with pacman. While I would think hard about having a hearing loss claim at the CAVC, and applying for hearing loss ALSO at the VARO, you can apply for another issue, such as a bad knee. Years ago, there was "ONE" paper copy of your records, so VSO's told Vets not to apply for ANYTHING until the present claim is completed. Now, any VA rating specialist can see your records online, (with VA issued passwords/usernames). The board can look at your records, a rating specialist, and CAVC judge, all 3 at the same time. That was not possible with "one" paper copy of your records.

IM SC for hearing loss, which the VARO denied. I was awarded at the BVA. My "MOS" (US Navy does not use that term, but its familiar to many), was not consistent with loud noises. However, in my appeal, I sent a map (from google) where my barracks was at the end of a runway, where I testified that the jets flew just a few feet from us frequently. I further testified that I was exposed to loud machinery that I operated, and gave the names and numbers of the machines, which I had studied in "A" school. "A" school is the school you take to "strike for a rating". You complete the school with a passing grade. Then, you are sent to your duty station, where, if you apply, you can take the test for "rating" ( a promotion..__). A "rating" in the USN was a part of your rank. In other words, in the Army you may be a "sargent", but in the Navy you would be a BT1 (Boilerman tender first class). There was no MOS per se, because your rating included your "specialty" as well as your rank. I understood that changed in 2016, where Navy are likewise now given a more generic rank, (i.e. First class Petty officer), instead of a more specific rating which included your rank and specialty, as the Navy did in the past. In short, there is no "MOS" for Navy. (At least not when I was in). The Navy assigned you duties, however, which may or may not be consistent with your specialty and training, and more on the needs of the Navy. The Navy used to have a rating called "radioman". Well that is pretty much obsolete, but the electronics training worked well in similar fields such as an electronic technician, or computer tech. Some ratings, such as Boilerman Tender, pretty much were assigned anywhere needed. However, the Navy knew your GCT-ARI scores so they pretty much kept you in a field consistent with your education and intelligence. My GCT-ARI was "top tier", where I qualified for everything, including Astronaut training. So, when I spoke with the vocation counselor, I told him I wanted to jump out of airplanes. He replied, "No, your GCT-ARI is too high. Anyone can jump out of an airplane. We need you in a high tech field which requires math skills and intelligence." I said, "Give me that test back and I will mark every other answer with none of the above". I found out later, God's hand was in this. That was the reason I was not sent to Viet Nam, they considered me smart and that I should do things which require intelligence. After the Navy, I went to college and fairly easily got my degree. I thought college was pretty much a repeat of high school, and breezed through it as I had done in high school. Its one thing my hearing loss helps with. A lot. I have to "intently" focus on the speaker. Reason: I will miss (be unable to hear/understand) some letters. "F" is hard to hear, for example, while the vowels are pretty easy for me to understand. Thus, to understand, I had to work cross word puzzles to understand what the speaker said. One hilarious example of this is a female friend told me she had an "email problem". Well, I told her I can help. (I knew about email and computers). She got mad and hung up on me. Later, I figured out she did not have "an email problem", she had a "female problem". I didnt get that cross word puzzle right. When someone speaks, and I miss a letter, I fire in possible consanants which make sense in context. My grandson kept talking about "heat" while I was making spagetti. He said he did not want any heat. I told him the spagetti isnt good cold. I have to apply heat. He repeated "no heat". I knew something was up. I asked my wife what he said. She said he said, "no meat", not no heat. He did not want MEAT in his spagetti, not heat. I have lots of trouble hearing "F" "th" and "S"

A diagnosis is a "finding of fact" made by a competent physician. Neither the BVA, nor the CAVC, nor a rating specialist at the VARO is allowed to substitute their own unsubstantiated opinion for the opinion of a competent medical professional. Assuming the doctor "made a diagnosis of ALS", then VA is not allowed to "develop to deny". As Berta explained ALS is a presumptive, and VA should not be allowed to "weasel" out of it, by alleging uncertainty in the physicians diagnosis. This is all my opinion based on reading many BVA and CAVC decisions, as well as much research done with my VBM.

Your's is a great example of how the VA often "does NOT" give Vets the benefit of the doubt. In other words, if the doc. said it was "at least as likely as not" that your symptoms were ALS, that should suffice. You posted: Ask your PVA rep to show you the regulation that permits Va to deny you because the doc was "only 51 percent certain" the diagnosis was ALS. Indeed, the regulation call for VA to give the Veteran the benefit of the doubt. The doctor need only say that its at least as likely as not the diagnosis is ALS. Ask the PVA rep to show you court cases, or the VBM, where Vets were denied because the Doc opined his diagnosis was "at least as likely as not" correct. VA, however, is anal about nexus with the terms "could be ALS" or "may be ALS" or even "probably is ALS". It needs to be in words they understand and search for, which is "at least as likely as not".

First, no one can explain ebenefits, certainly NOT VA. Its often inaccurate, wrong, or out of date. You need to look at the letter. Wait for it if you have not gotten it. However, "if" what you posted is correct, you got SMC S (its about $325 per month), for a year for your surgery. AFTER a year after your surgery, they often reduce your knee rating, but I have no idea if they have done so, as this does not say. YOur letter(s) from VA will offer more information. If you no longer have the letters, ask for copies. You may need to apply for an increase so you get SMC S now, also, and not just for a year in 2014. To get SMC S you need a single 100 percent plus a combined 60 percent, OR be housebound in fact.

I agree with Scottish Knight, especially "the VA is clueless". Are you wearing hearing aid(s)? In a nutshell you take the "Average". To determine the average, add up the numbers the audiologist wrote on "1000", 2000,3000,and 4000. Then divide that total by 4 to determine average. I will do it for your right, you do the left: (from your chart). 20 plus 50, plus 55, plus 65 equals 190. Divide by 4 is 47.5 (use 48). So your average for right is 48. You then use your speech discrimination percent on the bottom of the chart for each ear. Then you can plug into chart and get your disability percentage rating. Im teaching you to do it rather than just do it all.

VA claims 101: CALUZA ELEMENTS. Cover those, and get SC. Check your records to make sure: (Dont guess or "assume" this is in your records) 1. You have a current diagnosis of disability claimed. 2. You have documented an "in service event" which injured your back. 3. You need a letter from a doctor that says your "in service event" at least as likely as not caused your current diagnosis. Beyond this, you need "current symptoms". How often do you have back pain? If you can no longer work due to SC disabilties, then you can get TDIU. Yea, I know. the waiting period from when you are not working, until VA finally SC's you, is often long. Hopefully you have a large savings account. If you can work, keep working.

For an increase, you need "evidence" your conditions worsened meeting the higher criteria levels. especially when these levels of disability were not documented at your c and p exam where you were awarded benefits, You dont need an IMO "if" you read your medical records and they document your current symptoms well AT THE PROPER EFFECTIVE DATE. If your current (worsened) symptoms are not documented, well, you need additional evidence. That is rarely provided with an IMO, because the doctor renders his opinion by reading your history. Instead you need a new medical EXAM, where a doctor can document your current worsened symptoms. Frankly, unless you are seeking an eed, becuause you applied earlier AND your c and p doc did not "give a date when your symptoms first began". In short, only a review of your medical records in your cfile can determine if an IMO will help you. I dont recommend wasting money for an IMO, until you read your file and see if its needed.

Print the letter and show it to your VSO. That is my advice. Let him show you where/when your info is out of date.

This is all I know about it: Stimulus Check Update: Homeowners Could Be Entitled to More Money by Christy Bieber | June 15, 2021 Image source: Getty Images If you're a homeowner, you may not have to wait for a fourth stimulus check to get your hands on more government money. If you're a homeowner, you may not have to wait for a fourth stimulus check to get your hands on more government money. The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in March and is best known for the $1,400 stimulus checks that it provided. Unfortunately, many Americans have long since spent this money and are now left hoping for a fourth stimulus check that will likely never come as Congress and the Biden administration have moved on to other priorities. But for homeowners, there's actually a possibility of more stimulus money coming even if lawmakers do not pass any further COVID-19 relief legislation. That's because the American Rescue Plan also provided $10 billion to a Homeowners Assistance Fund. Unlike the $1,400 stimulus checks, though, you will need to take action to get your part of this money if you're eligible for it. As a result, homeowners need to understand how the HAF works and what criteria they must meet in order to be eligible for additional stimulus money from it. Here's what you need to know: One email a day to could help you save thousands Tips and tricks from the experts delivered straight to your inbox that could help you save thousands of dollars. Sign up now for free access to our Personal Finance Boot Camp. By submitting your email address, you consent to us sending you money tips along with products and services that we think might interest you. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please read our Privacy Statement and Terms & Conditions. Stimulus money is available to certain homeowners Under the terms of the American Rescue Plan Act, homeowners can become eligible to receive stimulus money from the Homeowners Assistance Fund provided certain criteria are met. They must: Have an income that doesn't exceed 150% of the area median income Have experienced financial hardship after Jan. 21, 2020 and be able to provide proof of the hardship. Examples include healthcare expenditures or a job loss Have a mortgage balance below $548,250 as of 2021 For eligible borrowers, the money can be used for many different home-related expenses including: Mortgage payments Homeowners insurance Utility payments Other specified purposes The goal of the HAF fund in the American Rescue Plan Act was to help prevent homeowners from becoming delinquent on their loans; losing their utility services; going into default on their mortgage; or facing foreclosure. The law also makes clear that homeowners who have "experienced the greatest hardships" should be prioritized. How can homeowners get their stimulus money? The American Rescue Plan Act allocates money from the Homeowners Assistance Fund to the states. Each state will receive a minimum of $50 million. Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico will also receive at least $50 million. States will provide details about the application process and any specific eligibility limitations to homeowners within their borders. If you are interested in applying and hoping to get more financial relief from the federal government in your bank account, you should find your state's housing agency website to learn the details about applying in your area. While not every homeowner will get a piece of this additional stimulus money, it could be the best and only source of direct payments that's coming any time soon due to the fact that a fourth stimulus check is so unlikely to be authorized.