Sheila

It all worked out in my favor and the VA granted me P&T status. Phew...glad this chapter is over.

I wanted to update. I just received the VA's rating decision and they did grant me 80% P&T. On one of the ratings that i see on ebenefits they changed the effective date to Aug 2019 and not 2004 like it once was. Should i leave that alone? I do have concerns about losing that effective date with having it for so long. Thoughts?

@brokensoldier244th Because the VA is a health benefit and is not classified as insurance. Yes, it fulfills the government requirement but per its own website it’s a benefit. My social security, along with my husband’s is attached to our tax returns. I still lose the subsidy. Why should I even have to choose between being seen for my service connected disability and the private health insurance subsidy? Why can vets with Medicare/Medicaid/Tricare all keep their insurance and not give up VA care?

@brokensoldier244th you can not receive a tax credit subsidy on the ACA if you’re enrolled in the VA system. For example, for our family of 7 our health care is $2400 a month, with my ss number in the VA system we will not qualify for our $1400 tax credit. I need to disenroll from the VA or lose our subsidy. The VA is a health benefit it is not proper insurance. It’s a shame that I have to choose.

@Richard1954 thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’m going to be on pins and needles until I see a decision. Everything I read says I am grandfathered in but I do feel as if I’ve woken a sleeping lion.

@Tbird, No problem at all. But i wanted to say thank you because 15 years ago you tremendously helped me on this very hadit page back when it looked so different. I'll be forever grateful. Bless you!

@Tbird, i have absolutely not improved at all. Would you mind taking a peak at my letter i sent them? It's a bit personal in nature, but it will show how i worded asking for the P&T and not an increase in my rating.

Yes, that's all i did. I have another post around here where the VA refused to see me unless i enrolled in the system. My husband, myself and our kids are on Obamacare and we have a tax subsidy. You can't use the VA and receive the tax cut so the VA was forcing my hand to file P&T so i can get my catheters. I'm just so stressed over all of this. I know i need to breathe, but i have kids still at home and i'm so stressed i'm going to lose my $$$. Can anyone explain this to me: 38 U.S. Code § 1155.Authority for schedule for rating disabilities. The Secretary shall adopt and apply a schedule of ratings of reductions in earning capacity from specific injuries or combination of injuries. The ratings shall be based, as far as practicable, upon the average impairments of earning capacity resulting from such injuries in civil occupations. The schedule shall be constructed so as to provide ten grades of disability and no more, upon which payments of compensation shall be based, namely, 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, and total, 100 percent. The Secretary shall from time to time readjust this schedule of ratings in accordance with experience. However, in no event shall such a readjustment in the rating schedule cause a veteran’s disability rating in effect on the effective date of the readjustment to be reduced unless an improvement in the veteran’s disability is shown to have occurred. I've also consistently held my rating for 15 years with no improvement and no call back exams. I did open up my claim solely to ask for p&t.

I'm pretty much hyperventilating thinking what have i done asking for p&t so close to the 20 year mark.

Back in 2003, i was rated for 50% pelvic floor trauma with post op cystocele and my combined rating is 80% IU. I've held this rating for 15 years. I've been doing some research and the VA has restructured its gynecological ratings and my rating is no longer there. I recently reopened my claim and i think i may have shot myself in the foot. I'm assuming there is a good chance that they can completely rerate me under the new guidelines. Thoughts?

I so appreciate that information showing me the 10 year service connection. I just submitted my claim online after "sitting on it" for a few days. Now i pray...

Thank you so much for your insight. I just fear not having health insurance and being forced to use the VA solely for my health insurance. I have not gotten better and sadly as a woman, my "girlie parts" are not going to get any perkier. I am not worried about a C&P exam or proving my injuries. I'm just scared of the process. The VA, esp. for women, isn't a friendly place when proving urology and gynecological conditions from a parachute accident. Hadit helped me TREMENDOUSLY 15 years ago and i am so glad it's still around...

Richard, how can i prove this to the VA when i show up at the counter? They physically turned me away, even though i was there for my catheters. Actually, it was for my blood work to get my catheters. They made me sign the form to enroll into the VA. I argued with them and they called down to another VA eligibility office and i had no choice. What do you mean by they will consider reevaluation? Is there a chance they will removed my rating? Everything i read sounds so scary. I do have an Ebenefits account but when i started clicking on the claims, i don't want to increase my rating, or open a new claim. I want to see if they will P&T it simply for my health care fiasco.

They made me reenroll in VA care as i was being seen as an unenrolled patient as this has been affecting our obamacare subsidy since 2015. I'm not sure if this will allow me to cut and paste the "official word" from the VA on this, but it's affecting a small amount of us younger vets, esp with families rated over 50%. https://sites.google.com/site/titan2vetshealthandwellness/disabled-veterans-and-obama-care/official-statements-from-the-va-regarding-the-disenrollment-of-veterans-from-the-va-due-to-obama-care-or-the-affordable-health-care-act

I have called my Congressmen and you can not receive the tax credit and be enrolled in the VA. I am 43 years old. I have never had an issue not being enrolled in the VA system until this last visit. They refused to let me see the doctor until i filled out a 10 something form requesting enrollment. Of course that generated a letter from Obamacare stating that if i am enrolled in the VA system i lose the subsidy for myself. You can't be enrolled into both programs. My disability is: 60% urinary obstruction with implant, 50% surgical complication with cystocele, 10% scar for a combined 80%IU. My conditions have stayed static but there's no room for improvement as i've been rated as a result of the surgical complications. I was rated 9 months after discharge.