Rhodesia

Thank you for the feedback greatly appreciated, sometimes I think my 5 year enlistment in the French Foreign Legion might have some negative effects but I doubt that since I was never injured during that time. I will keep everyone posted and let you all know what my new VSO I will see what she will have to say tomorrow, and again you might be right it might take a couple of days for everything to catch up on ebenifits, but I'm just frustrated why this system fails to work . Again thank you for your input.

Thank you very much I'm, seeing a new VSO tomorrow after talking with her on the phone she never heard that you only get a 1 time 100% temp for a service connected injury and why my second total knee replacement was denied even through the VA paid for it go figure. Well I will keep everyone posted it's funny I retired from working in the VA system with Combat vets such as my self, and I also but when you are on the other side of the fence I can see why the VA is not user friendly to us Combat Veterans.

They closed one of my claims today and ebenefits still says I have 40% but for my disability list says I have 10% for hearing, 10% High Blood Pressure, 20% for Scars and 30% for my left knee replacement as of 08/21/2018, but it's saying I only get 40% the VA rep did the math and I should have at least been awarded 60% so does anyone know why the VA still has me at 40%. I have not received my letter yet explaining why I'm still at 40% rating. I think I found why because when you have a knee replacement scars are covered in the 30% so I think thats why they took the 20% away for scars on my knee. Also I called and the VA to ask the question since I had another knee replacement on the same knee I should have been awarded the temp 100% the VA says no you don't get that it's a one time deal no matter how many times you have surgery's on that same knee through the years, so they canceled my total knee replacement claim and told me I could file an appeal but she said don't waste my time on it. so I have no choice but to get another VSO to help me again.

Wow I logged into my e benefits today and my claim just pushed out till 11/21/2021 what the hell? so I called and the 1-800 number the guy was rude on the phone could not tell me why his customer service needs improvement, by the tone of his voice I assume he has been getting allot of calls from vets about their claim backlogged so I said how or who can I talk to to find out why and he said you can't and don't brother going to your congressman or VA rep because they can't do anything to help move this any faster, so I'm thinking that it has to do if trump shuts down the government because he did tell me that if that happens veterans don't get paid I find that statement hard to believe. all I'm waiting for is my 100% temp award for my total knee replacement which now has surpassed 4 months so the VA took that claim and added it to my old claim of 7/16/2016, it was suppose to be a separate claim but from what I have been told they no longer do that any claims you entered all gets added into one claim so in another words I will have to wait just about two years to even get my temp award just for my knee replacement kind of sucks. It is still stuck in Preparation For Decision and the date was moved to 1/1/2021 to 11/21/2021, anyone else have this problem or is it just me?

I just looked at e benefits today and my Preparation For Decision went from 4/1/2019 to 12/01/2020 it has been sitting in Preparation For Decision for over 4 months plus I'm not able to upload anymore documents for my claim for some unknown reason been like that for a month I wonder if the 5 years I spent in the French Foreign Legion has anything to do with it they did bring it up during my C&P exam a few years back I'm just a guessing that's all, might not have anything to do with it anyway.

Thanks for the information that kind of answers the question I'm waiting for that 50% as of now I looked at My Pay (DFAS) and I see where the VA reported I receive 40% on 2005. I just had a total knee replacement on 11/30/2016 and I was awarded 30% but for some reason I'm still getting the 40% maybe this is due because they added this claim on to my current claim of 7/15/16 I assume I would have received an increase but as of right now no I was told once my claim closes then I will receive the 30% with retroactive pay from 1/1/2018 what I was granted the award for the knee. So if you do the VA math class I would receive 60%. As of right now e Benefits has "Preparation For Decision" which has been sitting there for just about a month now. Don't bother talking to the online chat or the 1-800 number what a total wastes of time.

One of the retired marines I talked to said he retired from active duty with 20 years receives a retirement then he applied for VA disability and he received 30% for a back injury service connected then he noticed DFAS cut his retirement pay He said that his VA rep told him that most retires will take the VA disability instead of the military retirement because the military retirement is taxed and the VA is not he told him to try to get that 50% and that way he will get his military back to full scale and his VA as of right now he chose to take his military retirement he said he can't live off of the VA's 30%. who in the hell came up with that Ideal anyway?

Yea but the retirement office told me that since I will reach age 60 I can't get my military retirement because it has to be over 50% I checked my DOD records and they show 40% they also told me until I get 50% or more then they will make the adjustment in DFAS pay system until then no $$$$$ form the Marine Corps.

Sad part of all this is I have to forfeit my military retirement pay when I reach age 60 because I receive a VA disability of 40% the law says you have to receive 50% or more in order to retain your military retirement pay this also apply's to my TRiCare Prime because the VA is taking care of me so the only thing I get to keep is my grey ID card. kind of sucks in a way. funny thing when I went to my first C&P exam they had my medical records from when I was in the French Foreign Legion for 5 years. I was in the Marine Corps first then got out joined the Legion and then came home re joined the Marine Corps again. I guess they wanted to make sure I was not trying to use any injury's from the Legion and say they were caused by the Marine Corps, LOL I would not be surprised this is the reason why my claim is taking so long. Since yours started in 2008 have you have any movement? Mine is still stuck in Preparation For Decision that 1-800 number is a waste of time and also the Chat line on ebenfits as well, some of the people on there have been rude in the past.

Well I assume it is at the RO not really sure I have been filing on my own, I had bad luck with using other organizations all they did was let me use their letter head and I had to make the calls on my own they would not even call all they would tell me is I know what you know they were nothing but a complete waste of time. So I did allot on my own and I got 40% within 3 years except for my Malaria claim I'm going to have to get a lawyer for this one I was denied because I got sick in reserve status and could not show I was sick on active duty, but my records do show I have malaria, it's like the VA says I could have contracted malaria in portland oregon, LOL but thats another story for another time. The only thing I was having trouble with is that my current claim was they pushed it out to the end of 2019 from Pending Decision Approval to Preparation For Decision so it went backwards.

just looked at e benefits this morning now my claim status went from "Pending Decision Approval" 9/16/18 to 1/17/19 to "Preparation For Decision" 12/12/18 to 12/1/19 my original claim started in 7/15/2016 is the VA that far behind in processing claims?

Funny eBenefits now says my old claim from 7/2016 says "Pending Decision Approval" and they estimated close of claim on 01/2019 only took them 2 years this claim has nothing to do with my issues with my 2nd total knee replacement service connected and trying to get the 100% temp for the 13 months. So I have never seen a Pending Decision Approval statement so I take it that this will tell me if I was award serviced connected or denied right?

Well don't fell to bad I was surprised I was turned down for Malaria by the VA because I contracted it on active duty so noted in my military health records but did not get sick until I went back into reserve status, thought I had the flu at first but the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego kept me for two weeks and treated me as as an out patient because I was not on active duty, and as always nothing was entered in my service record. So the VA informed me by letter that I have to be on active duty and show that I was sick and being treated on active duty so in another words they were telling me I could have caught Malaria in Mexico for all they care as the old saying goes in the VA if it was not documented it never happened. having Malaria is like having the Flu 10 times fold that's the only way I can tell people. well what ever you do think about it before you have the knee replace because it's all about the quality of life.

The first knee replacement went ok, the worst part is after the pain pump is empty that's when you really feel the pain, I was on Morphine for the pain, and after one year I fell and damaged the knee replacement and had to go through another total knee replacement this is called a (TKR Revision) which means they are replacing everything that was installed again so I'm on morphine again. the second time I ended up with 60 staples this is due because they are opening an old scar tissue up best way for it to heal is with staples so I look like Dr. Frankenstein worked on me. The VA rep said I should put in for a secondary for the right leg since I have been using that leg more of support so I have wear and tear on that knee, but I don't know because the VA turned me down for having Malaria imagine that. if you have the knee replacement look on you tube they have allot of videos of the operations that will show you what you can expect. As for my condition now with my knee replacement I have lost about 30% of mobility this is due to the second replacement. I put in for an increase because the VA gave me 30% but the max for an increase is 60% for any knee replacement. Good luck

I have a question I just had another Total Knee Replacement (Revision) service connected on my left knee this June 4th 2018 I applied for a 1 year temporary 100% disability one month prior to the surgery with all the paperwork including from the VA approving another knee replacement and Tri West under the VA paid 100% of the claim on the same knee. My first knee replacement was back in Nov of 2016 I received the Temp 100% for the 1 year instead of getting an increase the VA took 20% away from my knee and gave me 30% so I still ended up with 40% I should of been awarded 60% so now I'm still at 40%. My question is am I entitled to another 100% Temp for 1 year with my second knee replacement? for some reason my claim says it was pushed back until 1/19/2019 and it has been under review since then with no change. The VA has been sent all required documents x-rays, photo's of the surgery just about everything you can think of I sent in to boost my claim as required. My last knee replacement it took the VA 3 months in order for me to receive my 100% temp for 1 year, now I have a feeling this second replacement is going no where. But I did receive a retroactive back pay for the first claim 3 months later that is. I did spoke with someone from the VA and I was informed you only get 1 100% Temp for a service connected injury no matter how many times you go in to have surgery on the same injury, she more or less said I'm lucky that the VA is paying for this. She said the VA sent me a letter explaining why I won't get a second 100% Temp award for the second Total Knee Replacement and why they took 20% away from me when it was awarded in 2010 had something to do with the knee before I had the Total knee replacement. so in asking this question am I or am I not entitle to another 100% Temp for the one year because they did another Total knee replacement on the same knee? thank you

I have a question I just had another Total Knee Replacement (Revision) service connected on my left knee this June 4th 2018 I applied for a 1 year temporary 100% disability one month prior to the surgery with all the paperwork including from the VA approving another knee replacement and Tri West under the VA paid 100% of the claim on the same knee. My first knee replacement was back in Nov of 2016 I received the Temp 100% for the 1 year instead of getting an increase the VA took 20% away from my knee and gave me 30% so I still ended up with 40% I should of been awarded 60% so now I'm still at 40%. My question is am I entitled to another 100% Temp for 1 year with my second knee replacement? for some reason my claim says it was pushed back until 1/19/2019 and it has been under review since then with no change. The VA has been sent all required documents x-rays, photo's of the surgery just about everything you can think of I sent in to boost my claim as required. My last knee replacement it took the VA 3 months in order for me to receive my 100% temp for 1 year, now I have a feeling this second replacement is going no where. But I did receive a retroactive back pay for the first claim 3 months later that is. I did spoke with someone from the VA and I was informed you only get 1 100% Temp for a service connected injury no matter how many times you go in to have surgery on the same injury, she more or less said I'm lucky that the VA is paying for this. She said the VA sent me a letter explaining why I won't get a second 100% Temp award for the second Total Knee Replacement and why they took 20% away from me when it was awarded in 2010 had something to do with the knee before I had the Total knee replacement. so in asking this question am I or am I not entitle to another 100% Temp for the one year because they did another Total knee replacement on the same knee? thank you

So by reading this the VA can still take my 30% rating back even after having another total knee replacement because the seconded knee replacement had corrected the issue in the first place from what I'm reading or maybe I'm reading too much into this. sounds like the same issue I was going through when I applied for service connected for Malaria which is noted in my medical records but the VA turn it down because I could not show I was sick on active duty and what part of Thailand up by the Cambodian border I was in what's worse is that the Marine corps. does not keep very good medical records back then but that's another story at a later date just got tired of fighting the VA over that issue. Well I hope the VA did not lie to me about getting the 100% temporary for one year again for my second knee replacement all these VA rep's have informed me that I'm entitled to it but in the end it all goes south. Thank you for the information that you sent to me.

Well surprised enough I'm having the same knee replaced again this June because I fell again and did some damage to require a full left knee replacement revision (TKR) I was approved by the VA again to have a full knee replacement through Tri West and I apply for the Temp 100% again because comp and pension here at the VA told me I have to apply again all over for the Temp it is now shows up in eBenefits as Temp 100% disability for left knee replacement I assume I will receive the pay starting after this June. Comp and Pen did tell me that the VA can take away your ratings any given time and the 30% for the TKR also includes scars and pain that's why they took the 20% rating away from me and that why I'm still at 40%. I was also told I can apply for an increase up to 60% which is max for a knee replacement but from what I have seen in the news the VA is having budget troubles paying out disability's for all the Iraq vets that are just now filing for Disability including myself. To me it seems like you apply for a disability then they take another one away to keep you at their level.

Hello I had a 40% rating then was award a 30% to add to that 40 % rating which would have come out to 60% The VA said that since I had a full knee replacement I no longer get the 20% for knee pain and scars so my rating remains the same 40% so this is what I was told this morning by the VA online Chat she later responded that I can confirmed this with a lawyer if I wanted to and he would tell you the VA can take back rating even if they are over 5 years old because she said that if you have a service connected disability that was corrected then your rating will be reduced or zeroed out This is from the chat this morning: Evaluation of left total knee replacement, previously s/p surgical left knee with bicompartment DJD, ACL insufficiency, meniscus disease and surgical scars, currently 20 percent disabling, is increased to 100 percent November 29, 2016, and 30 percent effective January 1, 2018. So can anyone confirm this for me?

I have a question hope you can help, I'm going to have to have a Left Knee Revision arthroplasty Replacement this is service connected I had the full knee replacement back in December 2016 then I sustained an injury to the same knee resulting in Revision arthroplasty Replacement I just found out today. So question number one is, Will the VA put me back on Temp 100% since they are going to have to replace the left knee again? And how do you word the statement just right in order for the VA to start process this before I go into surgery? 2nd question is that the Doctor seen in the Xrays and MRI's that my right knee has a severe Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis to include severe medial compartment joint space narrowing and severe lateral joint space narrowing and severe anterior joint space narrowing on the Right Knee, The doctor said this is due to me favoring the right knee because of the injury to the left knee. So if this is true how does one write a statement to ask for a secondary claim or maybe a service connected claim due to the injury's to the left knee? I still have an open claim for some other issues so my original claim has not been closed as of yet so far e-benefits shows me having 10% for hearing, 10% for High Blood Pressure, 0% for that special (K) award and 20% for the left knee for scars and pain, and 30% for the Total Knee Replacement, but for some reason I'm still getting my original 40% the 30% has not been added in yet unless they are waiting for the claim to close out which they keep extending. My claim started 7/16/2015 and it was pushed up to 01/18/2019 have no ideal why? but anyway before I submit for a temp award again what's the best wording or statement to use without it getting rejected, and also for my right knee as well? I have all documentation to send in but I wanted to see if anyone has a good ideal on how to write out the wording in support of my claim and another Temp award to 100% again. Thank You

Last rating for hearing loss and HP was in 2008, my knee replacement was a 100% temp convalescence award I received 13 months of 100%. after that I re-injured my knee with the replacement and it has to be replaced again due to the injury, the VA says they will pay for the replacement nothing was defective in the for the TKR. So I have to give the Doctor a surgery date for now. I was awarded 30% for the knee replacement on 01/01/2017 then I noticed that in e-benefits I see that they took the 20% away from my old award for having two knee surgery's on the same knee because I had to wear a knee brace, but since I had a TKR in that same knee there was no reason for the VA to continue the award for the 20% because per comp and pen said it's because I had a knee replacement that corrected the old injury in order to award me the 30% for the knee sounds confusing I know. I could not get a strait answer if I had the knee replaced again that the VA would put me on the Temp 100% for one year or not hate to have this done and find out I have to put in for an increase after the fact. I get better care in the private sector then I do going to the VA Hospital, I feel they treat Veterans better than the VA does. I have worked for the VA and I have seen first hand how Vets are treated in clinics and Hospitals it's sad but true, on the outside you get that one on one doctor to patient care but with the VA it's like going to an auto shop you are in and out and good luck. As what the VA will tell Veterans "If it is not documented, It never happened". The Marine Corps health records are a prime example of this.