12R3G

Last week, my lender requested an Automated Certificate (ACE) from the VA which showed that my 2 previous loans were paid in full, but the benefit had not been restored Very interesting since I have all 4 certificates the VA has issued to me which contradict what the ACE report to the lender shows. Turns out that several years ago, the VA centralized the home loan guarantee program--according to my response in iris, the VAROs were not following the rules (ironic, huh?) and granting restoration of benefit in too many cases where restoration should not have been allowed to the tune of zillions of dollars in guarantees. My guess is the certificate you have was issued by a VARO and now you need a new certificate from the central eligibility office. Did your lender go online and get an ACE. or just decide you need a more recent date on your certifcate? Supposedly, the lender can use the online system to request a new certificate/restoration, although my lender asked for the 26-1880. Home Loan is seperate from compensation, so a remand for disability compensation should not affect getting a new certificate. If you are already receiving compensation, you are exempt from any funding fees (even if this is not your first VA home loan). Good luck...

I'd see either a physiatrist or orthopod...all the other SC left side stuff is bound to effect the way you walk, which will affect the knee. As my podiatrist joked the other day: "the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone...". shouldn't be hard to get a nexus letter to connect the dots for the VA.

I "think" it means more that >4 episodes per year and that one of them was captured by a Holter monitor in order to accurately diagnosed/verify what your heart is doing. The VA SC me for Heart Arrhythmia, but at 0% as "Heart Arrhythmia" is not a rateable condition. Hmmm...Arrhythmia is a generic term for a heart rhythm disorder that comes in one of 2 flavors: bradycardia (too slow) and tachycardia (too fast); and are divided into 2 categories: ventricular (in the ventricals or lower chamber) and supraventricular (literally above the ventricals or upper chambers, i.e. atria). PSVT is a supraventricular tachycardia that comes and goes...I'm a believer--ya gotta connect the dots for them, they won't do it on their own. My point is, I would not make the mistake I made (and I'm now battling with the VA) and use the word "arrhythmia"...instead, use one of the more accurate/detailed terms such as "supraventricular tachycardia" PSVT or Premature Supraventricular Contractions PVC). If your Holter monitor session captured 6 or 7 in one day--whoo hoo! Pretty sure all they are looking for is a single capture and documented evidence (SMR, pos-service treatment records) of at least >4 or >6 or more per year. Good luck...

Wondering the same thing. I'm rated 30% for Pes Plantus and 0% for Calcaneal Spurs. Now I have pain/painful motion in my right foot, specifically the heel. So, can the % for the spurs go up if I re-open the claim? I have a referral to a podiatrist and hopefully will get a letter from him.

Raybob I retired just over a year ago and filed using the BDD program as well. I brought a typed list of issues for SC to my seperation "physical"--in the AF it's now just a review & dr visit. I tried to think of everything that is/was in my SMR, but missed a few. Ever had "shin splints"? Crazy, but they are a rateable condition as are flat feet and tinnitus. Who knew. Fortunately for me, the intial C&P exams caught the flat feet & tinnitus. My point is, a list can't hurt and is a good reminder for you; if they add it to your SMR (mine was attached to the clinical notes printout for the appt) so much the better. Do go to see a VSO before your seperation physical and get them to help you 1) prepare your claim, and 2) prepare your list of medical issues for your visit with the doctor--it's not like he's going to read your entire SMR before the appt, and the list helps him/her find the relevant entries in your SMR. Actually, your claim should contain every condition you are submitting, so making the list for the retirement physical should be easy. Read CFR 38 pertaining to disability ratings...read the Clinicians Guide prior to the C&P exams (wish I'd had that last year). Get your SMR before you depart on terminal leave. The the records section will release it to you to handcarry to the VA. Make a copy of everything--scan if you can--before passing to VA. Ever hospitalized? Ask for the inpatient treatment records--they may not be in the SMR. IMO is key for service connection--but if you file for VA benefits while still on active duty under BDD it pretty much makes the case for SC. That's the big hassle...getting service connected for something that crops up 2, 10, 20 years later. The other hassle is for something chronic, but that you "sucked up" (shin splints come to mind) or blew off going back to the doctor because it was too much trouble--so, feel free to visit the doctor during the next year to get chronic conditions documented. Good luck!

Cowgirl...thanks... Hampton and Richmond, VA. My neighbor prefers Richmond, seems the Hampton VAMC always referred him Richmond so now he goes their first.

Thanks! makes sense...despite having 2 VAMCs within less than an hour's drive, all my exams have been with QTC. The VARO is working on a reconsideration based on their screw-up--QTC never notified me of a scheduled exam. Should I wait until the new rating decision before requesting the C-File? I don't want to slow the already glacial pace of the RO. :o

I admit it...I'm dense, and maybe I missed something on this thread, but asking the same question Bergie is asking: who do I ask to get the C&P? QTC? (which is what it sounds like) If QTC, the doctor providing the exam, the scheduler at the 800#, the ombudsman? VARO? My VSO? Thanks...and if this is answered in a FAQ page I missed then could you point me there?

Symptoms...in addition to SVT, I have DMII, HBP, Sleep Apnea, and assorted other stuff. So, after several visits to the doc after the episodes that didn't last long enough to get to a hospital even if I tried (coulda called an ambulance, but that seemed like overkill at the time) with the same set of symptoms (palpiations, rapid heartbeat/pulserate [~190], elevated bp during episode, faint/light headedness, sweat/cold-clammy, etc., etc.) he said that my symptoms equated to SVT and put me on metoprolol 25mg (since upped to 50 mg by my civilian doc). the mil doc discussed the holter monitor, but since it wasn't an everyday occurance he didn't think it was worth the effort. He mentioned the 30-day monitor, but then decided to go straight to treatment. No one disputes the arrhythmia, just that it is a SVT. Which makes no sense the more I look into this, as everything I've read indicates that SVT is almost a catchall that can describe a host of atrial (i.e., non-ventricular) arrhythmias. The VA put me on a holter monitor the 2nd C&P I went on for this, but nothing (did I mention the metoprolol?). I even had my primary doc put me on a 30-day, but again the metoprolol is doing its job too well. I know the VA is blocking this because of the ECG/holter monitor requirement...but the anti-arrhythmial is stopping the arrhythmia, which is what it is supposed to do.

I originally posted this in the C&P forum; for some reason, as soon as I logged in this entire category (General VA Claims...) disappeared. Anyway, I think this is the most appropriate venue, so I have reposted it here. 90% SC overall (94% to be precise). The good news: heart arrhythmia is SC. SMR state symptoms "consistent with SVT". Two C&P exams verify heart arrhythmia as does SMR documenting several episodes that I acutually went to the doctor for over a 3+ year period, as well as statements to docs at time describing the ones I didn't go to the doctor for. Generally, 6 or more episodes per year of heart arryhthmia. Bad news: never captured on ECG (typical for SVT), holter monitor or event monitor. the events were too sporadic for a 24 hour monitor and I was never offered a long term (30+) event monitor. I've had all the stress tests (stress, thallium stress, stress echocardiagram) which were negative which only proves that my SVT is not triggered by exercise/exertion (again, not unusual). Instead, I was diagnosed--by AF doctors--with SVT and placed on beta blocker which is one of the standard treatment options. CFR 38 rating schedule: 7010 Supraventricular arrhythmias: Paroxysmal [just means episodic vs continuous] atrial fibrillation or other supraventricular tachycardia, with more than four episodes per year documented by ECG or Holter monitor: 30% According to the Mayo Clinic, SVT is a broad term that includes many forms of arrhythmia originating above the ventricles (supraventricular). SVTs usually cause a burst of rapid heartbeats (160 - 200 bpm) that begin and end suddenly and can last from seconds to hours. The VA, while granting SC, claims that I have some non-rateable heart arrythmia that isn't SVT--despite the classic symptoms leading to the clinical diagnosis and treatment. I sumitted a reconsideration and was denied, still at 0%. With 6-8 episodes per year prior to going on the beta blocker (and almost none since) I should be at 30%. So now what? IME from my primary physician (internal medicine)? Visit to a cardiologist for an IME? Obviously the VA is hanging its decision on the fact that this isn't "documented by ECG or Holter monitor" but I'm not taking a beta blocker cause I like pills--I have enough to take already! The Catch 22 is that beta blocker is doing its job by preventing the SVT. Any suggestions? Thanks... 12R3G

The good news: heart arrhythmia is SC. SMR state symptoms "consistent with SVT". Bad news: never captured on ECG (typical for SVT), holter monitor or event monitor. the events were too sporadic for a 24 hour monitor and I was never offered a long term (30+) event monitor. I've had all the stress tests (stress, thallium stress, stress echocardiagram) which were negative which only proves that my SVT is not triggered by exercise/exertion (again, not unusual). Instead, I was diagnosed--by AF doctors--with SVT and placed on beta blocker which is one of the standard treatment options. CFR 38 ratings: 7010 Supraventricular arrhythmias: </SPAN>Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or other supraventricular tachycardia, with more than four episodes per year documented by ECG or Holter monitor: 30% According to the Mayo Clinic, SVT is a broad term that includes many forms of arrhythmia originating above the ventricles (supraventricular). SVTs usually cause a burst of rapid heartbeats (160 - 200 bpm) that begin and end suddenly and can last from seconds to hours. The VA, while granting SC, claims that I have some non-rateable heart arrythmia that isn't SVT--despite the classic symptoms leading to the clinical diagnosis and treatment. I sumitted a reconsideration and was denied, still at 0%. With 6-8 episodes per year prior to going on the beta blocker (and almost none since) I should be at 30%. So now what? IME from my primary physician (internal medicine)? Visit to a cardiologist for an IME? Obviously the VA is hanging its decision on the fact that this isn't "documented by ECG or Holter monitor" but I'm not taking a beta blocker cause I like pills--I have enough to take already! The Catch 22 is that beta blocker is doing its job by preventing the SVT. Any suggestions? Thanks... Oh...can't seem to edit personal page/signature/etc. so not sure what will show up when this posts