sharon

http://www.ptsdsuppo...et/combat3.html Traumatic events that are experienced directly include, but are not limited to, military combat, violent personal assault (sexual assault, physical attack, robbery, mugging), being kidnapped, being taken hostage, terrorist attack, torture, incarceration as a prisoner of war or in a concentration camp, natural or manmade disasters, sever automobile accidents, or being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. For children, sexually traumatic events may include developmentally inappropriate sexual experiences without threatened or actual violence or injury. Witnessed events include, but are not limited to, observing the serious injury or unnatural death of another person due to violent assault, accident, war, or disaster or unexpectedly witnessing a dead body or body parts. Events experienced by others that are learned about include, but are not limited to, violent personal assault, serious accident, or serious injury experienced by a family member or a close friend; learning that one's child has a life-threatening disease. The disorder may be especially severe or long lasting when the Stressor is of human design (e.g., torture, rape). The likelihood of developing this disorder may increase as the intensity of and physical proximity to the Stressor increase.

Page 10 Issues Up Front Tim Dyhouse VA Wants to ‘Break the Back of the Backlog’ VA hopes new computer technology, better business practices and greater employee accountability are the keys to reducing its claims backlog. The goal is simple, yet monumental in its scope: VA wants to eliminate all pending compensation and pension claims by 2015. By then, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki wants all claims processed within 125 days at a 98% accuracy rate. As of Jan. 22, 2011, VA’s claims backlog, which it defines as cases waiting more than 125 days for a decision, was 324,843, nearly twice as many as a year earlier.Total pending compensation and pensions claims were at 773,673, a 58% increase from the same point in 2010. If burial and education claims, as well as appeals, are figured in, the total swells to nearly 1.5 million. The backlog results in average waiting times ranging from 180 days for new claims to be adjudicated up to four years for appeals. In addition, VA’s inspector general notes that the department’s claim decision error rate ranged from 25% to 38% last year. “Asking a veteran to wait half of a year or more for a rating decision that could have a one-in-three chance or more of being incorrect is absolutely unacceptable,” VFW Commander-in- Chief Richard Eubank said. Currently, VA accepts about 100,000 new claims per month and anticipates a 60% increase in claims over the next five years. By the end of 2010,VA had received about 200,000 new Agent Orange-related claims after adding three new illnesses to a list of service-connected conditions in March 2010. After VA streamlined the claims process for vets with PTSD last July, it was receiving some 14,000 related claims each month by the end of 2010. New Technology Being Tested So,with an even larger backlog looming, how does VA plan to meet its 2015 goal? At a media roundtable VA hosted in December in Washington, D.C., VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich told attendees that VA will use technology developed by IBM—in use since November to process Agent Orange-related claims— to attack the backlog. The new technology streamlines and automates the evaluation and rating process. For example, it uses online medical exam forms from private physicians that eliminate the need for veterans to be examined in VA hospitals. In late January 2011, the new chairwoman of the Senate VA Committee Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) Said her main priority will be to address VA’s claims process.Her goal, she said, is to create an electronic claims-management system to reduce the backlog. Last year, VA rolled out its “Claims Transformation Plan,” which vows to “break the back of the backlog” while improving the quality and timeliness of its claims decision. VA states that the plan has “more than three dozen initiatives” addressing three focus areas: creating a culture of accountability and advocacy among its employees, re-engineering its business processes and deploying leading-edge technology. Jim Wear, assistant director for veterans benefits policy in VFW’s National Veterans Service, says VFW is encouraged by recent VA initiatives to reduce the backlog, such as: • “Quick Pay,” where complete claims are processed upon receipt. • “Express Lane,” where less complex claims are given priority processing. • “Fast Track,” which VA is testing on claims for the three new Agent Orangerelated conditions where processors use an automated paperless system. VA also plans to roll out its Veterans Benefits Management System—which uses VA’s new computer system to manage the flow of paperwork, electronic forms and correspondence—nationwide in 2012. It was tested at the Baltimore VA regional office in May 2010 and is currently being tested at the Providence, R.I.,VA regional office. In 2010, VA hired some 3,500 more claims adjudicators—for a total of some 15,000—to fight the backlog. It also shortened application forms for new claims. Moreover, it created new, easierto- process application forms for veterans seeking increased benefits and those who take advantage of the new fully developed claim program.VA says this is “the fastest means to receive a claims decision.”

Yes, SMK is automatic. It is about $95. You should recieve a retro check. It does not effective your rating, however, it does effect your payments.

The every 90 day letter is compute generated from "Hines" the mega computer in Illonis. They are generated if you have a pending claim in the system. It is a waiting game.

i perticiapted in the survey. It looks as if they are really trying to help. There is a newsclip on CSPAN.

Its the "Never ending story". We do the best we can, when we can. Understand it is not you but the disorder. Been there, done that!

Most of the time they wait until the claim is completed before they forward it to FOIA to have copies made.

She is free to remarry after age 57, however, she has to inform the VA when she does. She will still keep her benefits.

If he is still requiring phlebotomy it should remain at 40%. 7704 Polycythemia vera: During periods of treatment with myelosuppressants and for three months following cessation of myelosuppressant therapy ..................................................... 100 Requiring phlebotomy ................................. 40 Stable, with or without continuous medication ........................................................... 10 NOTE: Rate complications such as hypertension, gout, stroke or thrombotic disease separately.

The appeal has nothing to do with the pending claim. They are two seperate issues. Reply to the question concerning your appeal.

Suspense dates are for internal controls. They are fluid, but a used for claims management. The is nothing hard and fast about them. If they have sent you Duty to assit letter, send in any information that you have to help with your claim. Then you just have to wait.

You can request a survivor's package for your regional office. Your local veterans rep may have them. You can fill in the information except date of death and cause of death in advance. Put it with your important papers for when the time comes. There is no means test for DIC. It is compensation not pension.

Take the rating to your doctor and let him/her write a rebuttal to the VA findings. He needs to better state how the headaches and dizziness are connected to your service connected conditon. You can then ask for a reconsideration based on the new medical evidence.

Congrats. Don't forget to stick around.

Something is missing here! Did you also submitt evidence that the condition had worsened in March 2010? Was it based on a new C&P exam. Was there new medical evidence included (i.e., medical records post service)? A CUE only considers the medical evidence that was of record at the time of the initial decision.

This has to be a BVA case in order for him to have a TV interview. When did he have the interview?

The 800 number usually don't know jack sh*t. If your award is less than 25k you will hear something with a week to 10 days. If it is over 25k it depends on who is available to sign off on the award. Even then it less than 30 days. If it is over 100k it has to go to Central Office in Washington. That can take a few months. You should hear something soon.

From this, how can he state that I have the ability to manage my own financial affairs, that I'm alert and oriented times three! He is simply stating they are are not incompentent. The only reason the VA will propose to find you incompentent is if you can not handle your finances.

List all of your travel expense, medical bills (that you paid), up to $500 in special food for medical reason, up to $500 dollars for large print books if they are necessary. This will offset any monies you received in 2010. Your last years income determines your this years pension. Make sure that your mark your correspondence +++CANCER CASE+++. This will expidate the claim.

Insider information: St Louis surgial department is being closed down for not sterilizing instruments. More of the same.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/10/ohio.veterams/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

Get your doctor to make the connection and file a claim for them as secondary conditions.

Sorry about your bad news. Lets get ready to rumble!

You need to send in a statement that your father is TERMINAL and that it is a CANCER CASE. They are flagged as expidited cases. Also waive the Duty to Assist.

http://www.jimstrickland912.com/TDIU.html