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Bonzai

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Everything posted by Bonzai

  1. There are a few of us on the board with Bipolar, what exactly did you want to talk about?

  2. The increase is from Dec 01, 2011 - so it is paid the next month as the VA is always one month later.
  3. Just be honest and truthful as to how PTSD affects your everyday life. Try to relax a bit... I know, easier said than done. Best wishes on your C&P.
  4. broncovet posted on this before hope it helps clear things up...
  5. My Great Grand Father was one of many who fought on June 25, 1876 against the 7th Cavalry commanded by George Armstrong Custer. Just saying...
  6. Congratulations on a war well fought!
  7. Congratulations on the increase - I understand about getting the DM II service-connected. I did the same with my HTN, ended up with a 0% SC, but who knows what the future will hold. I was also dx'ed with PN, but I have never noticed it. If it wasn't for the VA using their antiquated equipment, I would never have know I have had it. Personally, I have always had an extremely high tolerance for pain, so I may have has this all my life. Who knows...
  8. (((Hugs))) to everyone - seems like we need a group hug here and let some things slide off. To those Elders who have spent countless selfless hours helping others, Thank You.
  9. Social Security has Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) and rates recipients based on the likelihood of their improvement. CDRs are scheduled for every one, three, five, or seven years according to how the recipient is rated. However, a CDR may be conducted anytime if Social Security has reason to believe your condition has improved. If you haven't had a CDR for nine years, it is just that they are backed-up a little (substituted constipated if you will) and have finally sent you the paperwork for your CDR.
  10. I called a couple of weeks ago to ask about the Pilot Program, and there is still nothing on the horizon.
  11. I was researching a question on another board about whether or not you could have your own provider do the Consultative Examination (Mental or Physical). I found the following: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/greenbook/ce-guidelines.htm Note: The treating source is the preferred source of purchased examinations when the treating source is qualified, equipped and willing to perform the additional examination or tests for the fee schedule payment and generally furnishes complete and timely reports. Even if only a supplemental test is required, the treating source is ordinarily the preferred source for this service. SSA's rules provide for using an independent source (other than the treating source) for a CE or diagnostic study if: . The treating source prefers not to perform the examination; . There are conflicts or inconsistencies in the file that cannot be resolved by going back to the treating source; . The claimant prefers another source and has a good reason for doing so; or . Prior experience indicates that the treating source may not be a productive source. ************ So I guess if your provider is qualified, able, and willing to do the Consultative Exam for the schedule fee, they are "supposed to be" the preferred provider to do it. This is very, very interesting... Has anyone had their provider do a CE requested by Social Security? I wonder, if notified that Social Security has scheduled a CE, a person then asks that it be performed by their own provider? It seems like Social Security and the providers contracted with Social Security to do the consultative examinations have their own nice racket going on; because this information is not generally known to the public. I know I wasn't given a choice - and my treating provider is 'supposedly' the preferred source?
  12. Maybe, maybe not - it depends on how the Medical-Vocational Guidelines are used in your claim. 55 years old is the lower limit for "Advanced Age". A good read on this is: http://www.jamesdisabilitylaw.com/borderline-age-legal.htm I hope this helps clarify the issue of borderline age.
  13. I try to answer questions that I feel I have input into (mainly those on Social Security issues). I am in awe of the VA Law knowledge some of the members have. Sometimes, I help out in other areas, but that is just mainly my muddling through what I have read in previous posts.
  14. I am Bipolar and also have MH records going back over 20 years, but that didn't help me any with the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) I got. He approves 36% of the claims that go in front of him. He even discredited the GAF score given by Social Security's consultant. It has been mentioned in other threads, that sometimes it's the roll of the dice on what kind of ALJ you get. The ALJ I got ignored the fact that I said "I have good days and bad days", and translated that to my not being credible - which I found and still find extremely insulting. He looked through my VA treatment notes, and only selected items from periods where I was doing OK. He completely ignored the fact that Bipolar is episodic in nature, and there will be good and bad days, weeks or even months. But enough of my rambling... I guess what I was trying to say is that someone from Social Security can look at your records and make a determination before they ever exam/judge you. If you present yourself as worse than you actually are, they they might say you were exaggerating or malingering.
  15. From the "Federal Benefits For Veterans" Handbook Reserve and National Guard Chapter 8: Disability Benefits VA pays monthly compensation benefits for disabilities incurred or aggravated during active duty and active duty for training as a result of injury or disease, and for disabilities due to injury, heart attack, or stroke that occurred during inactive duty training. For additional information see Chapter 2, “Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities”.
  16. In Feb 2010, the VA pulled all of my upper teeth and I was to get a full upper denture and a partial for my lower front four teeth. I was in complete agreement, as my teeth were really bad. It took until the beginning of September 2011 to finally get the upper denture, and I am still going through the process to get my lower partial. However, even though it has taken an extremely long time to get the dentures, I can't complain about the look, feel, or fit. I don't have to use denture cream and I really have to pull to take out the upper denture. I only hope the lower partial turns out to fit as well. I have no complaints against the Memphis VA Dental department, other than they take a long time. And my cost was zero dollars. Now my wife is a different story, and I have been hoping that the CHAMPVA Dental Pilot Program would have been started by now. As far as I know, other than a RFI issued, nothing has gone forward on this issue.
  17. Pete, If you don't mind my asking - what did you have done that cost $5600. The reason I am asking is that my wife needs dentures, which will require that all of her remaining teeth be pulled, etc... I have no idea of what it is going to cost, or even to try and figure a ballpark amount.
  18. Your providers have to fill out the RFCs. There are two forms, one for Physical and the other for Mental. You should try to get an RFC filled out for each condition you have. The following post has links to RFC forms:
  19. Did you get a Residual Functioning Capacity(RFC) form(s) filled out by your VA provider(s)? They are strong evidence for Social Security claims, and some VA providers are hesitant or say that filling them out is against policy. Not so. VA Directive 2008 - 071 is the policy that VA providers are to use, and it states that providers must assist veterans, when requested, to fill out medical forms for other agencies. An Administrative Law Judge(ALJ) must give Great Weight to an RFC from a treating provider. I found all this out too late to help me, and was denied by an ALJ; who discounted the RFC I had from my lawyer-recommended non-treating provider as a paid opinion.
  20. When the VA tested me, as I was experiencing ulnar nerve entrapment, I told the technicians that the shocks tickled. They then told me that I also had peripheral neuropathy developing, BUT I disagree. I have the same feeling in my fingers and toes that I have always had, and in the past when I tried acupuncture the needles didn't really bother me. My tolerance for pain has always been very high, maybe due to martial arts training, football, rugby and being Airborne. I once had a physical where the doctor kept asking about different scars I have, and he told me that when I get older I will just hurt. Now I have developed arthritis in my right knee, so I guess he was right. Darn it, I'm getting old...
  21. Well, it took two application and a month - but I now have access!!! Happy dance, as I enjoy reading so much.
  22. This was already posted in social chat...
  23. Remember to change your disability status from 0 to 90% IU P&T
  24. Actually the SSDI payments changed according to birthday for those receiving benefits after May 1997, not by social security number. See the link below for Social Security Payment Calendar for 2011: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/calendar2011.pdf
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