slangpdx

For the first time ever I learned about the Mission Act through a random phone call to a help line. I went to the local VA hospital (Portland) and did a session with a counselor who then said someone would call me about getting help in the community. I went in earlier that week and was told it would be months before I could be seen. Tomorrow will be the 3rd business day since doing the intake. How long should I wait before going back and asking what is going on? I am 70% SC, in spite of what my profile says, was awarded it in 2011.

I will add my experience since I have 70% VA SC since 2011 and was granted SSD in 2018 on the first try with no appeal, which only happens in about 10% of cases. You should apply first without a lawyer, since if you win you will not owe them their 25%. You will be doing all the work anyway filling out two lengthy questionnaires that lawyers will not know the answers to. My application took 7 months to be approved. SSD pays going back one year from date of application, if you state that the date of disability is at least back that far. Try to apply if possible in person at an office so you can ask questions if necessary. Give names and addresses of all doctors or practitioners of any kind, SS will contact them and by law they have to provide all relevant records at no cost to you. Having your VA determination should no doubt help. My disability was based on mental condition, same as my VA SC. I had to go to a psychologist exam, about one hour. I was sure the guy was baiting me to get my claim denied. Turned out he wasn't. I got my electronic record of everything submitted for my claim from all practitioners and he didn't even mention some things that were discussed in the exam. My case may have been a slam dunk because of 30 years worth of records, also my age which was 62 at the time. SSD supposedly awarded more easily the older you are, after 60 supposedly much easier (someone here mentioned that being called the "grid"system). You can get your electronic record of the proceedings including all records submitted by practitioners after the ruling, but you have to specifically request it and it costs $38, it will be in the form of encrypted files on a disc. Re SSDI: everyone always mentions this but it only applies if your SSD award is below the SSDI minimum payment, about $800. So if your lifetime SS benefit is currently above that (you can either see it online or you may have yearly statements SS sent you) you will not get SSDI . Example: Your lifetime SS benefit from earnings is $400, you will get $400 SSDI to bring you up to the SSDI minimum. If your lifetime SS benefit is $900, you get $0 SSDI since you are above the SSDI minimum. SSD benefit amount is what you would have gotten by waiting until age 66 rather than the earliest possible retirement age of 62, so it will be 32% higher. Additional info: I used lawyers to file the claim but fired them when I realized I was doing all the work. I had to file a request with SS within 15 days of the disability ruling to get their fee refunded and got hostility from three SS workers for it (it was none of their business of course). It took 11 months but I got the $5300 back. Also: there was a provision in the Build Back Better bill to raise SSDI minimum by 50%, long overdue. Apparently it did not pass.

Didn't answer the question. Wasn't asking about opinions. If the law firms aren't vetted and recommended why are they allowed to advertise on here?

Tx for responses. On another note, I see there are law firms that have placed ads here recruiting to help veterans . Since the forum is knowledgeable about vet issues, it is of course vouching for the credibility and competence of these outfits. Correct?

Don't know where else to post this so am picking this forum at random. I keep getting email from donotreply asking to donate because hadit is going broke. Then the only option for donating is Paypal. I do not use that because I have been hacked twice on it, once when I didn't even have an account but someone created an account in my name and then put my stolen credit card number on it. Fortunately both times it was discovered by the company but they still weren't able to safeguard their computers to begin with. I suppose there is a reason hadit will not allow donation by credit card but I will not be donating by Paypal. Can this site not set up a gofundme funded by credit card or some equivalent? It seems if it really needs money it will look at other options, possibly also a nonprofit grant, or trying to recruit a deep pocket donor. There may be many state or federal grants possible. Just suggesting. I am 70% SC for 11 years, have not applied for 100% because don't trust the system.

I was not asking about whether it is automatically pulled/ gathered. I was asking about the fact of the determination having been made by SS. I am including it as part of the TDIU applicaiton.

As posted in these forums: Five Year Rule) If you have had the same rating for five or more years, the VA cannot reduce your rating unless your condition has improved on a sustained basis. All the medical evidence, not just the reexamination report, must support the conclusion that your improvement is more than temporary. I was granted 70% SC for mental condition on Feb 18, 2011. Date of application was January, 2010. In either case it has now been over 10 years regardless of which date is used so SC status is secure, though rating percentage is not. I was granted SS disability in 2018 for the same reason as the VA SC rating, on the first try with no appeal. Does SS determination create an automatic presumption against lowering of rating, or greatly argue for not "improved on a sustained basis?" I have put off applying for TDIU for a while but believe I should now. I have an application with the county rep prepared and ready to go. I am 65, have not worked since May 2016. The SS determination is included as part of the TDIU application.

hello I first applied for SC status Mar 1, 2010. I was awarded 70% SC on Feb 18, 2011. Does my 10 years start running from date of application in 2010 or the date of the decision/award in 2011? thanks for any help

My rating is 70% and am pretty sure I don't have VA dental coverage. After many phone trees I got through to the Delta VADIP people, it is $45 a month for pretty much the same coverage I have now under Delta PPO, all the same dentists are in network. Met Life supposedly also a veteran plan. Crowns cost $450 after insurance payment with my current Delta, that has been the same for all 10 years or so.

Does anyone have the VADIP dental insurance for veterans through Delta Dental and can talk about it? I have had Delta Dental PPO for 12 years. The VADIP is about $48 a month vs $72 for what seems like similar coverage, but I am concerned with finding dentists in network, i.e. would they be in network for VADIP if they are for PPO, etc.

Thanks for info, I will wait to see, please advise if you can when you get the ruling.

I received 70% SC decision after an appeal with IMO in Feb 2011, Portland Oregon. The case has not been reviewed since then. I passed the ten year mark in Feb 2021 making the SC determination permanent though the rating percentage could still be changed. Reason was aggravation of high functioning autism (there was psyche “counseling” and a potentially dangerous med prescribed on active duty on a remote desert air base when I was 18-19 yo). Was awarded SSD in July 2018 on first try with no appeal needed, reasons were high functioning autism (same as VA SC award reason) and “poor impulse control”, both conditions rated “Severe” by SS. I filed an intent to file for TDIU in Feb 2019, then rolled it over to another intent to file in Feb 2020. I contacted vet rep in October to file the TDIU. I asked him to mail me the docs for review to make sure they were accurate. Never arrived, I called and he said they were delivered by trackable mail on Nov 3, they weren’t (should have asked for the tracking number, I believe there isn’t one). I called the county vet rep supervisor. They reviewed the case and found that I had applied for TDIU after the 70% award which I did not remember doing and that I withdrew that request in July 2011. (I worked for the next six years averaging $60,000/year, high year was $107,000, have not worked for four years). That makes my current claim request an “appeal” even though no VA determination was made because I withdrew the TDIU request at that time, according to the supervisor. That means the intent to file in Feb. is not the date for an award increase therefore wiping out 9 months possible back pay. Supervisor instructed my rep to get on phone with me and I got him to email me the filing documents. I then saw that VA wants a list of all jobs applied for or training received since the date claimed as onset of 100% disability for TDIU. The date placed on the form was 5-1-2016, same as SS disability date. From May to Oct. 2020 I was in the VA voc rehab program where they were paying me to apply for 20 jobs a month, and I also took two VA-paid classes in 2017-2018 (easily discoverable since they were under VA auspices) . All of which would have to be included on the form since the TDIU date is listed being prior to the job apps and the training (or attachments of the scanned pages which I sent to voc rehab). Rep wanted me to send it through as is. Wording at bottom of form says I am certifying all to be true under penalty of prosecution for fraud to get government benefits. So I cannot agree to the application as is. This was the reason I wanted to check the docs to begin with, to make sure there were no such problems. Rep knew I was working with voc rehab though didn’t know the details. Part of the TDIU application is a letter from state voc rehab dated this year saying they have no more help available to offer (it was meaningless to begin with; at my last meeting with them the two employees couldn’t wait until I got out of earshot to start mocking me, I am sick of going anywhere or to anyone for help at this point). I took my case to a psychiatrist retired from 20 years running the local VA regional office last year. After a $230 session (discounted non insurance price) he said he couldn’t make a determination on my chances of retaining the 70% rating (my concern on filing for TDIU) and wanted to charge me to review my hundreds of pages of docs for further analysis. Not going to do that. Point is, I have gotten all the help or advice possible. One useful comment was that it was “highly unusual” for my case to have gone unreviewed for 10 years. Likely indication my condition has been determined permanent and not likely to improve. He also said his office only did the comp exams, the ratings determinations were done elsewhere and were a mystery to him. I believe waiting till past the 10 year point was the right decision for filing for TDIU for peace of mind purposes since I would at least retain the SC determination even if the rating is still vulnerable. My concern is the risk of a rating reduction. Questions: - Can we just list the date of TDIU as the current date, which will then be after the job applications and training, therefore no need to list them? Is there any benefit / requirement to listing TDIU date as same as SS disability date? Don’t know why vet rep did that. If this has to be an appeal with no back pay, there is no benefit to listing anything other than current date that I can see. Goes without saying I do not trust the vet rep at this point. (Only other option would be DAV, they will not let me past the receptionist unless I agree to change power of attorney and start over, not going to do that either.) - do the job applications and training work for or against me for TDIU? That is, does looking for work show you are still trying to work and not “retired” or does it show you think you can work therefore should not get TDIU? I will be 65 in December, I was told by a different county rep that that age point helps in getting TDIU. Is the vet’s mind set a factor? At some point it seems to me it doesn’t matter, if you can’t work because you can’t find work or whether you have trouble functioning on jobs, whether you “think” you can work or not it would add up to the same thing. - is the view that my current application would have to be an appeal accurate due to the prior TDIU application withdraw? - vet rep asked if I had lost any time on job due to disability. Answer no. Is this a major factor? Thanks for any help.

Yes I am struggling with all those types of decisions, I got SSDI two years ago on first try with no appeal, on pretty much the same grounds as my SC determination was. I have not worked in 4 years.

I have been 70% SC since Feb 2010, just over 10 year mark now.

Asking if a TDIU filing can be rescinded by the vet before a ruling. No editorial comments please, just asking for a yes or no from someone who knows for sure.

URL below is to a job posting for apparently someone off the street with only an HS diploma to review vet medical records. Name of company is Maxim Healthcare Services based in Philadelphia. Is this something new? Why is this being allowed? I was under the assumption that vet cases are handled by trained doctors and psychologists at a minimum. https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=e7ab19035746f5ec&tk=1ecf1oadcovm1800&from=serp&vjs=3&advn=8600910873538342&adid=268753156&sjdu=lWi5ePLDRnMc0VlxfzXY7q5DE9ynfqsOG4Vzx876sMbDkcIiVP0ykd_ak7VrxfaZzVdb_562WZ9HzgD96qfVNdjxGkMj6gbANjH-hxmpGN0ywtR3PVXxk8Jd9AuWvyOV

Update. Got call from nurse today. They have ordered the test kit (actually 2, apparently both for me), 63 days after I made the initial request. So I guess the right thing to do was do nothing and wait, at least they have been responsive. It is a send out to a 3rd party lab. There are two versions of the test one more accurate and more expensive than the other, don't know which it will be.

Tx for reply. Phone call with VA primary care yesterday. Unknown to me it was in the works for me to get the urine test at the VA as requested but it died on April 9 because the lab head didn't do anything. I wrote electronic message May 8. Primary doc reactivated the chain, said he didn't think this was an unreasonable request, said similar to PSA which VA doesn't typically order but will if vet asks for it. He said he had no idea what or who a "Service Line Advocate" was.

At suggestion of response to a post on this forum I sent a request for a test through the va.gov portal on 5-7, got this reply today 5-18. Do I need to "reopen"? Or is it being acted on? Is the "Facility Advocate" at my VAMC? What is the "Service Line Advocate"? va.gov routes to specific hospitals. I am asking for a urine test to substitute for a scope procedure, which I know the VA can obtain through two labs it has a relationship with, I verified it. The local VAMC head sent out email last week saying they are having covid outbreaks among staff in various departments. Appreciate the honesty, but have to assume there is a substantial problem or they wouldn't have sent it. Portland Oregon. I left a phone message for the primary care medical director 5-14, no response. Also, there are now news reports of VA workers wanting hazard pay for going in, and a VA hospital in Minnesota has been reporting contradictory information on availability of PPE, sanitizer, etc. va.gov response below: ---------------------------------- Recently you requested assistance from VA. Below is our response. If you wish to reopen this issue, you may do so within the next 14 days. Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you. Response By Email (Department of Veterans Affairs) (05/18/2020 12:38 PM) Mr. ZZZZ, Sorry to hear you are having an issues and I have opened a case and sent it to Service Line Advocate to be addressed. Your case number is P-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Zozo (fictitious name I typed) Facility Advocate

Sorry still makes no sense. I was trying to use the messaging tool. Had nothing to do with finances. Nothing. Yes I get benefits electronically, so VA already has my info and I am sure I never submitted to a credit check to get them. Absolutely positive. I can check my credit report anytime, I don't need the VA's help (or whatever company this is) to do it. Are they going to say I can't message my hospital if they find something they don't like? Or something is on there illegally that can't be removed even after multiple attempts through the bureaus even after lawsuits that the vet won? (happens all the time and is an ongoing problem for many people). Especially after the Experian hack of 200 million records, that data source should not be being used for anything related to federal health care, the company should have been forced into receivership.

I tried to use the ebenefits site Thursday to send a message, and it said I had to "upgrade to premium" to be able to do that. It then asked for permission to do a credit check. I backed out at that point because my credit is none of the business of the VA or the no doubt private company that is running the site. Why is this being allowed? Is this recent? Why aren't vets protesting this? Even if I were to allow this I would likely have to unfreeze credit agency accounts to allow the check. Ridiculous. Why is this allowed?

Tx for response. I sent a detailed message through VA.gov. Will follow up as suggested (call primary care to ask how to reach medical director?) I tried using the messaging at ebenefits but you have to "upgrade to Premium" to send a message which then wanted to run a credit check - at which point I backed out because my credit history is none of the VA's business or that of the no doubt private company that is running this website. How long has this been happening and why do veterans not protest? In any case the background and subtext of this is that I got the test done three years ago ex VA for about $300 including doc visit. I showed the negative result to the head VA doc in the department who still scheduled me for surgery to remove something "suspicious" seen on cystoscopy - which the pathology report then showed was negative, just as the FDA approved urine test predicted. So the urine test was correct and the doc's judgment was wrong, while I was subjected to the risk of surgery because of the decision. A vet in line ahead of me for surgery that day was having scar tissue removed that was blocking his ureter and causing urine to back up into his kidney due to excessive prior surgery, requiring yet more surgery on this occasion to clear it. These procedures are not risk free. I have decided I am going to pursue this to whatever level is needed because my own medical records prove this approach is safer and more reliable than what the docs are currently doing. (Not to mention the pandemic issue of people going into the hospital at this time, which they should be trying to avoid where possible.) This a medical philosophy issue and there is no reason why they can't accommodate this request. Two companies the VA works with in fact do the test, and I gave the phone number of one of them in my message while naming both. I mailed a copy of the test result back at that time to three VA docs including my primary care doc and the one who did the surgery, asking that it or a note about it be put in my medical history. It never was, and the medical records office said they could not scan it in (don't know if that is true).

I have been told about the existence of a "Clinical Appeal" process. Was just on hold for 35 minutes to the number given at the local Portland hospital before being disconnected. Does anyone have knowledge of this process or what the chances of success are or how it works? I am asking to get an FDA approved urine test that will be sent out to another lab. Results will be substitute for a scope procedure that has been cancelled due to pandemic. My assigned specialist retired because of it, I do not have a new one assigned at this point. I asked a clinic facilitator about the test a month ago and have received no answer. I already called the company that does the test and they said that the VA hospital here is one of their clients, so there is no new relationship that has to be established. Cost is $100 or less but requires a doctors order.