cowgirl

Question- did the VA recognize or award you IU for the last day you worked gainful or Non-Gainfully? Thank you, Cg'up!

Thanks Betty and Happy New Year to you! Given the abbreviations we use could stand for many things, I'll try to do better. For instance crdp is Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP), previously waivered retirement pay (taxfree) set aside as 'VA waiver'. The VA waiver was simply presented on pay slips but carried no true monies, just a 'set aside' of the retirees own pay. Yes, retirees paid themselves for disability pay!? CRDP pay reimburses a portion of the disability pay owed retirees by %'s, pro-rated until 2014. Now vets with IU are given all crdp owed according to effective date. Crdp is usually dispersed by Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) which renders pay to active and retired veterans. So thank you for responding - I'll let you know how it plays out. Cg'up!

From what I read CRDP (backpay) may be 60-90 days after an IU award. Any comments or experiences ? Thanks y'all, Cg'up!

Yes

(Thank you, just reconfirming the posted question)

Congratulations - what a great feelin it must be for you and yours!!!! After I got 90% - got ssdi and iu, so be diligent if thats what you need. Be sure to get a new copy of your Cfile uptodate and place that in your personal files. All the best to you ~ ! What a rocking way to start the new year ! Read and re-read your claim for possible errors, I did and am thankful......God only knows. Cg'up!

But doesn't ChampVa stop at 23? even if the student is in school? or, did I miss something? Yes, thank you all good posts and information ~ ! Cg'up!

Ok, pardon me my slip is showing. Sometimes I use the old cellphone, text lingo, little to no punctuation, but honest I mean well. There are times when a struggling vet (including myself) has tried to write, rewrite a question to make sense of it before hitting the send button. Then, edit, edit and hope not to erase the whole shabang. I defer to the person who says pardon the spelling and grammar but they want to get a question or advice posted. Guess it depends the on the mood, level of frustration and attempt to make sense of often senseless VA shananigans. Thanks for keeping quality checks up LarryJ, jolted me like a cup of camp coffee - shazam! Cg'up!

Was discussing this, don't know the answer, it doesn't apply to me and mine. ChampVa and most other insurances stop for full time college dependents at 23, but Chapter 35 stops at 26. Anyone familiar with any exceptions? Thank you, Cg'up!

Welcome back Skunk, glad to hear how upbeat you are! Breathing exercises from pain management help me avoid arguments with myself - ya got anything like that? Best to ya, Cg'up!

Oh Yes, good advice! Another thought, if one plans to give a copy of a medical report or clinical notes to a VA examiner, maybe type or write a statement at the top addressing it for the compensation examiner. "I am providing you/VA examiner a copy of VA Dr.XXXX 2 page medical opinion for my 'XXX condition', Sept 12, Year" sign and date it." (think I did that for physical therapy report before) got it into my records B)!" I did have one examiner not prefer to take my copy but I left it all the same when I departed. Best to ya, cg'up! Your VA physician's medical opinion successfully re-opened your claim --it must have been strongly worded. The C&P Exam, if scheduled with the VA, should support your physician's opinion. Make sure your C&P Examiner has a COPY of that medical opinion. And, unless you have recently requested a copy of your medical file and claims file, please hand-carry any additional, recent medical documentation to your C&P Exam --and leave copies for him or her to read. The Examiner will be instructed by the VARO to either review the medical file or not reviiew the medical file, we are nnever told weather or not they reviewed the medical record --but they should, damn it. Study the C&P Exam before you go ... Hang in there. God Bless. ~Wings

Er, I noticed jbasser posted that in November, prior to holidays, hope its quiet by now! yow!

Aw thanks sweetie!- been away for a while, looking for my 'eee'. Glad to hear from you, I've gotta catchup,catsup or ketchup myself?! ha. Blessings all around, Cg'up!

I see your rating is 40%, I suspect you are in other health care, non-mental health and possibly with medication?. If so, I am sorry for that. What approach are you thinking? Has your condition or depression changed since last service connected? or by having this condition listed with your main diagnosis is there a possibly a different rating available that you know of? Last I've read is Mental health ratings are not sorted out, but grouped together. I searched for CFR 38-4 mental health ratings and found this - maybe helpful or not...others may chime in with advice too § 4.126 Evaluation of disability from mental disorders. (d) When a single disability has been diagnosed both as a physical condition and as a mental disorder, the rating agency shall evaluate it using a diagnostic code which represents the dominant (more disabling) aspect of the condition (see §4.14 Best to ya, Cg'up!

Hello, let me ask whats on my ole mind reading your post.is the primary reason you were awarded SSDI a major service connected condition? Were you reduced to 70% for one condition or an overall total of sc conditions? Do you see a private practioner that could refute the VA doctor or VA CP examiner findings? Which doctor 'reduced' you ? examiner or staff doc? What was your original service connected rating decision before the 100%, if any? Meaning' did ya start out low, go high (100%) then (70%)? thats dramatic if so. Your inquiry is a concern, SSA is recognized as a most difficult agency to prove up SSDI and I sure hope you get all the TDIU you deserve. Just keep up with the paperwork, don't give an inch and make sure you have all possible copies of your exams, xrays(written comments at least), lab results, etc. that were used to make this decision. I also hope you have a copy of SSA doctor assessment of your condition, mine validates my sc issue(s) rendering me disabled and unable to work. I wish you all the best, my questions are just questions, Cg'up!

Hello Been, Thought, was your military disability the main reason you were awarded SSDI? Read the decision and see what disability or sc conditions or physician statement the VA used to validate your IU. Being rated 70% or 100% does seem to qualify you for IU, but the bottom line comes down to meeting IU. imcgho,*cowgirl humble opinion Cg'up2009!

Decision Assessment Documents is a wakeup term to me. Don't recall reading one of those, maybe long time ago. Thank you I like your honesty. Happy New Year~! Cowgirl'up!

Not Pete, but I requested my records from Vocational Rehabilitation, took about a month to recieve in the mail. Suggest you start there and if not, ask again and again. I do not think the VA is supposed to destroy records, maybe retire them after veteran passes. My vocational records showed some 'career vocational testing results, but no specific personal medical information that I recall. Best to ya, cg'up2009!

Great topic and experienced lessons. Sure helps to get organized, simple or elaborate, whatever works for the vet - just recall medical opinions and paper is what wins claims. For some, paper copies in shoeboxes are better than nothing ~ ! Just a few things I do. I use binders and file paper copies of VA decisions in plastic sheet protectors for easy access.(easy to copy too) costs a little, but works for me. I learn to make paper copies of IRIS replies asap and file with the 'claimed item' for backup.(missed one few years back,ow!) About quarterly I request paper copies of my VA medical records to read, reread and file. (found just a few mistakes) A few months after claim decisions I request a paper copy of my Cfile to (yup) read, reread, reread and file and reread. Did I mention Paper? ;) Best to y'all, Cg

Free - congratulations on hanging in there for the SSA! What a relief that must be, you are so very deserving with all that you've gone through. Keep a tight watch and tight notes on your VA claims - I feel thats your next win very soon. Have a Merry Christmas - hugs! - Cowgirl'up2009!

jayg, Congratuations and well-done. It is truly an early Christmas time for you, your wife and chldren. After I got my a VA deposit earlier this year - zero'd out all the bills, husband and I kept pinching ourselves....after struggling for a decade. Then we got the 'overpayment' letter and shocked, - the $$$$$.00 wasn't in our account any longer! Got the letter on Saturday, held my breath all weekend, called a few places - told not to worry - their error - still couldn''t breathe till I saw it in writing. Researched similar vet experiences on the net, many many other people get 'overpayment' letters ! Hope they get their glitch fixed so the letters don't come out 'automated' anymore. From the top and bottom of my heart - I am so very happy for you and so many others that have suceeded in getting whats due. IU has been a big adjustment to my ego and been down for a while over it. Now that I see you recieve whats necessary and due - I am so uplifted ~ I had to read aloud the part of your post about your wife clutching the envelope to her chest - my husband can relate to that euphoria with me. Have yourself a ball or two!! Congrats and all the best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Nice to see you Capt. Contaminate, and I think your name is cool. What is your current heart condition 'diagnosis'? Just curious. best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Jim you've earned more feathers for your Angel Wings !! You're awesome

Pete - Happy Birthday in Advance ~ ! Thank you for the information, I've been really curious myself if SSDI would transfer seamlessly into SSA when the time comes. Sure helps to prepare for the future a bit - thankful to God and Hadit. Cg'up 2009! name='Pete53' date='Dec 7 2009, 04:45 AM' post='179505'] Dec 23, 2009 I will be 66. Today I am 65. Since I lasted to full retirement age I am safe with Social Security. I hope that this helps Veterans who do not know for sure how it works.

Congratulations !!! :D And it ain't over - you just got started on this journey! Sure hope you'll treat yourself to some good things now - you deserve them! Can still remember erasing debt with my backpay - magical~! From the top and bottom of my heart - I am truly glad you got your due. Thank you for your service, Cowgirl