[Thank You Everyone!]

Congratulations Saturneptune!! That's GREAT news!!!

AimHigh86

[Got It]

Congratulations!!!

[Smc & Temporary 100%]

It looks like you have done everything that you can do. There is one other thing you can do if you want and that is to go to the VARO and ask for a Councilor and have them explain what is going on face to face.

I have done this before when helping another veteran and it actually helped.

Good Luck

Thanks Pete. I guess I'll just patiently wait.

[Smc & Temporary 100%]

Last February, I was award 2 months temp 100% for heart bypass surgery. I immediately filed a new "claim" stating that I should have received 3 months temp 100% for my surgery (per the rating schedule) and SMC for the 3 months of temp 100% (per the total plus 60% rule). It is now June, and no one, not even the IRIS inquiry, can tell me anything other than my claim is "still open and in development". I would have thought that this claim would be processed relatively quickly since my original claim was already adjudicated; I am merely asking the VA to correct an oversight. Why do I feel like they are waiting for me to die? I have since developed a chronic lung infection, and quite frankly, I no longer have the strength to stay on top of my claim.

[C R D P Credit From D F A S]

I recieved it March of this year. They back dated my effective date to last November.

Thanks. And congrats!!

[C R D P Credit From D F A S]

I just received mine about a week ago. It was the CRDP VA Offset of my retirement back to the date I was awarded 100% effective. It was a surprise, but a nice one as I had an unexpected expense come up that killed my budget and the $600 dollar credit fixed it.

Chief: How long ago did you receive your VA decision letter?

[C R D P Credit From D F A S]

Hopefully this DFAS action was triggered by the VA and they are close to correcting my effective date for temp 100% after heart bypass surgery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :)

[Finally!]

Aim High,

Congrats!! I appreciate all the info you gave me on my claim. Yours is the closest I have found to mine. Dealing with the VA these last three months has been quite an ordeal in addition to getting over this six way bypass. They lost the surgeon's report three times, plus other delays, I have no idea when I will hear anything. The 800 number seems very vague at best.

Did you ever hear anymore on your third month? Hope you get better really soon. I can already tell after three months that some days it is a struggle to maintain a positive attitude. Hang in there.

Thanks Saturneptune! No, I still haven't heard anything on my third month of temp 100 percent, but there could quite possibly be movement on my claim: yesterday I received a CRDP credit in my retired pay account from DFAS, which I'm hoping means that the VA and DFAS are talking and trying to sort out my retired pay as a result of the temp 100 percent. I'm always hoping for the best, taking things day by day.

[C R D P Credit From D F A S]

I just received a CRDP credit from DFAS. Roughly $350. Could this be an indication of movement on my claim, or has anyone else received this credit recently?

[Is Erectile Dysfunction A Rated Condition?]

Thanks for the info. So if I go ahead schedule an appt with my VA doctor for E.D. now, would that preclude having to wait for the VA to schedule a C&P after they receive my claim? They can just acquire my medical records from the VA clinic, correct?

[Is Erectile Dysfunction A Rated Condition?]

Is E.D. a rated condition? I'm having sexual side effects from my HTN (I'm SC for HTN) meds. My doc took me off of metoprolol and put me on bystolic, which is supposed to have less of an effect on the libido. No change. Now I'm on Cialis, but it is very expensive. Should I bring this up to the VA, or is it a waste of time and effort? Forgive me if this is T.M.I.

[Sleep Apnea]

You should be able to get your diagnosis pretty quickly if they aren't shuffling their feet. I had my sleep study at Walter Reed, and the next morning a doctor was able to give me a verbal diagnosis and CPAP machine there on the spot (I was active duty at the time). A formal letter with the results came in the mail a few weeks later. Hang in there, it shouldn't take them long.

I'm not sure about your travel pay question.

[The Run-around?]

This is typical VA BS. You can't assume they will use their brains or common sense for anything. I would draft a letter for your cardiologist and state in writing that you "required 90 days convalesence leave". If he'll do it, you may want to also put in the letter that the bypass was "at least as likely as not" associated with your service connected heart condition. Leave no room for their interpretation.

Good luck and hope the bypass helped!

Thanks. They already granted SC for my heart condition, which is why I don't understand how/why they won't follow the rating schedule for heart bypass surgery. It clearly states "three months" temporay 100%. I think the VA purposely frustrates us to make us give up. But what do they have to gain by shorting us our compensation? New office furniture or something? LOL!

[The Run-around?]

Check your calendar dates. The VA starts payments on the first of the following month, regardless of the effective date. So, if your effective date was April 2nd, you prolly wont receive any cash until May 1st. Not sure if that's how it is for temp conv, but that's how it works for regular disability. Ripoff.

My heart surgery was 2 Jul 09, which should be the effective date. Logically, the 3 months of temp 100% should then kick in for Aug/Sep/Oct, with the 10% thereafter kicking in on 1 Nov 09. In VA-logic, they made the effective date 3 Aug 09 (the date they received my claim) and only gave temp 100% for Sep/Oct with the 10% thereafter starting 1 Nov 09. They made an entire month disappear. :D

[The Run-around?]

I have found that if they ask for something no matter what give it to them.

Amen to that. I'm sending my evidence in again. This time I'm including my hospital discharge instructions and a copy of a letter my doctor wrote for my job, but I don't know if it's what they're looking for. It should be a no-brainer that heart bypass surgery requires at least one month of convalescence. This is really wearing me down and makes me just want to give up. :D

[The Run-around?]

Good point. But my hospital discharge paperwork doesn't specify a convalescence period. They may use this against me.

[The Run-around?]

I was recently granted service connection for heart bypass surgery (temp 100%, 10% thereafter) secondary to SC hypertension. I submitted a 21-4138 on 11 Mar 10 to let the VA know that in their 26 Feb 10 decision, they only gave me 2 months of temp 100% instead of 3 months (as per the rating schedule 7017 for coronary bypass surgery) and the inferred SMC (100% + 60% rule). I foolishly expected them to make the correction based upon the evidence I already provided.

Today I received a VCAA letter where they want "medical evidence showing you had surgery and/or received medical treatment for a service connected disability which required a convalescence period of at least one month, or hospitalization of at least 21 days." For the SMC, they need evidence showing the I "have a single service-connected disability evaluated as 100 percent disabling AND an additional service-connected disability, or disabilities, evaluated as 60 percent or more disabling."

How could they ask for evidence of my surgery when they just granted service connection for heart bypass surgery???? How can they ask for evidence of a single service-connected disability evaluated as 100 percent disabling when they just granted 2 months of temporary 100%??? And surely they must know that I was already 70% for other disabilities...?

Is this a ploy to frustrate me to give up on my claim, or do they genuinely need this information AGAIN?? I have nothing new to give them except for what they already have.

[I Won 100% Sc Back To 1995]

I've noticed that the VA seems to work mysteriously fast when their feet are held to the fire, so...yes it seems like a possibility. I hope it works out for you!

[Welcome Home Vietnam Vet]

Welcome home??? Too late on this end. My father, who served 2 tours in Vietnam, died 3 years ago. Ironically, just days before his death he told me how excited he was because the VA finally granted his Agent Orange claim. He never received a penny of that compensation.

He was wearing his KOREAN veteran hat when he died. For some reason, my father never spoke much about or seemed proud of his service in Vietnam.

[Good News!]

Congrats! How long did it take them to recalculate your correct percentage?

[Chronic Pain And Ruined Life]

The fact that you are reaching out is a very good sign that you are a fighter. Never give up. Remember that you are not alone. There are many shoulders here, as many of us are also dealing with chronic pain and money issues. Just take one day at a time...that's what I do.

[Claim Approved @ 80% Total]

Congrats Marine!

[Claim For Increase Is "in Establishment"]

That's what so disappointing about all of this...no veteran should have to "ask for" any compensation. We've already fought our battles when we served this great country of ours; we shouldn't have to "battle" the VA and comb thru all of the laws and regulations to receive our entitlements. But sadly, it IS a battle. That's why I'm grateful to everyone here at hadit.com.

[Claim For Increase Is "in Establishment"]

Sorry, but I doubt you'll get housebound because part of the requirement is that it be, more or less, permanent. jmo

pr

Not exactly. There are two options:

For reference, it's 38 CFR 3.350(i)

(i) Total plus 60 percent, or housebound; 38 U.S.C. 1114 ( s ). The special monthly compensation provided by 38 U.S.C. 1114(s) is payable where the veteran has a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent and,

(1) Has additional service-connected disability or disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent, separate and distinct from the 100 percent service-connected disability and involving different anatomical segments or bodily systems, or

(2) Is permanently housebound by reason of service-connected disability or disabilities. This requirement is met when the veteran is substantially confined as a direct result of service-connected disabilities to his or her dwelling and the immediate premises or, if institutionalized, to the ward or clinical areas, and it is reasonably certain that the disability or disabilities and resultant confinement will continue throughout his or her lifetime.

I would qualify under Option 1, which we call "statutory housebound" because Option 2 is "housebound in fact."

[Claim For Increase Is "in Establishment"]

The VA rep probably meant to say "in development" instead of "in establishment".