captain soggy

Do 100 % disability and unemployable by schedule rating need to send in this form. How do you know if your are a scheduler rated or TDIU rated.

How do I get signed up for dental care now that I am rated a 100% P&T. My wife and I both took early social security. I am 63. Is there any reason I should try to claim SSDI now.

April must be the lucky month for guys named "CHUCK" I got my notice 100% P&T and a retro check this month also. Chuck

Got a call from the VA. The man informed me my claim for IHD under Nemher had been approved and my effective date was 1992. He said I should be setting down before he gives me the retro pay amount I am owed. Good thing I took his advice. He gave me a number which I wrote down on a piece of paper and gave it to my wife. She thought it was a telephone number. I was totally speechless. He also informed me my claim for TDIU was approved at 100% P&T no future exams required. I did my claim my self with help from forums like Hadit and Jim Strickland and a lot of research on how to do it right the first time. I am still thanking I am going wake up and find this to have just been a dream. I filed my claim for IHD in march of 2010. About 4 months later the VA called and said they had noticed my VA doctor had stated my already 40% rated lumbar DDD had gotten considerably worse and would I like to apply for an increase? So I said yes. Then in august 2010 the VA called and asked me if I wanted to file for TDIU. So I thought sure why not. They went through my claim folder and found old claims I had made years ago rated at SC but 0% rating. It was so long ago I don't remember even making these claims. So I got 60% IHD, 30% asthma, 20% right leg radiculopathy, 10% left leg radiculopathy, 10% tinnitis, and 40% lumbar DDD. The strange thing is this whole thing started when I asked for an increase rating for my 40% lumbar DDD and that was the only that was denied. Like God the VA moves in mysterious ways.

Your right. Spine surgery is the LEAST complicated surgery a neuro surgeon would do and the most complicated surgery for an orthopedic surgeon.

On 02/16/2011 I stepped on my dogs food bowel setting on the hallway floor. Twisted by SC back and my Non SC rt knee. Yes it hurt like hell,could hardly stand up for 3 days. Finally broke down and called the VA clinic and talk to my pcp nurse. She asked if my back was SC, I said yes, she said "see you at 3 pm tomorrow. Totally blew my mind. Next day seen the doctor and got the usual No hands on exam from his office chair. Hydrocodone for pain and set up appointment for PT and ortho consult. So it has been a month and still no word on the physical therapy or consult appointment. I would like to get the PT started as my knee ligament or a tendon is popping in and out of place. I bought myself a knee brace and that has really helped but PT is ones that should decide that if I ever get an appointment.By the way the dogs are still pissed at me.

Like you I had a C&P for my service connected lower back injury from being blown up in Vietnam by a rocket. The doc did not use any kind of measuring device but probably didn't need to since the most I could bend was 20% in any direction.I had applied for IU prior to this exam. Two weeks later I was ordered to have a repeat ROM C&P exam. The same doc need it again with the same results. Maybe they didn't believe the first test or the first test was related to my claim for an increase in my disability rating on my back and the second on was for my IU claim?:

I am the original poster of this topic. I am glade to see so many replies especially from you guys that have been on the front lines with this issue. Based on what I have read so far I thank I will buy a catastrophic health plan. It has a high deductible up front and will cost me some money but I thank the peace of mind will be well worth it,knowing that if I have my second heart attack I can just go to my local hospital,which does open heart procedures,get fixed up and be done with it.No frustrations and fighting with the VA to pay for the treatment might save me from having a third heart attack.Oh well, I really didn't need that new camero convertible anyway.LOL.

My Healthy Vet site now has a secured e-mail site that goes directly to my PCP and health care team. I sent them an e-mail to try it out and they replied within an hour. Then I sent an e-mail asking them about an appointment and again they replied with the answer. If, and that's a big if, this continues to work out it will be the best way to communicate with your doctor. No more phone calls waiting for the clinic to answer the phone. No more being connected to the nurses voice mail and leaving a message and they never get back to you. Plus I can save all the messages and they have the persons name on it that is replying to my message.Now I know who to talk to directly if I have a problem. Hope this continues work out.

Does anyone know if the VA prescribes diet pills to help a person trying to loose some fat?

example: Let' say I have an illness that requires me to go to a civilian hospital ER. How do I contact the VA to let them know I went to the ER and I am being admitted to the hospital for an emergence surgery. I know I am suppose to contact them as soon as possible but what department do I call? Also should I call the finance dept.so they know they are going to get a billing from the hospital as my only insurance is the VA?

3 to 4 weeks seems like a long time especially when you can not hear without the auditory enhancement instrument. However when I was purchasing my aids from a civilian company they took 2 to 3 weeks to repair them. Had to be sent in also.

well today it has been one year since I submitted my claim for IHD due to AO exposure. During this time I recieved two letters about 4 months apart stating they are still working on my claim and are sorry for the delay. Oh well the retro pay is like a savings account so sooner or later I will get my compensation.

I am waiting for a decision on my claims for IHD which was submitted in march 2010 and hearing, asthma,back DDD, and TDIU I submitted in august 2010. Since then I have seen my doctors 3 times for pain treatment from by DDD and yesterday my doc scheduled me for PT and an orthopedic consult with the Seattle VA doctors. The Question is should I continue to submit the latest medical records while waiting for my present claims to be decided or would that cause someone to have to find my c file and put the latest information in it and cause my file to go out of the present rotation and screwed up or placed on the bottom of some pile prolonging my waiting time even further. I am thanking of just waiting it out until I get my denial letter and then submitting my NOD with the latest treatment records.

Good idea where do I down load the form and who do you send it to. Thanks

Same thing happened to me maybe it was part of the testing I e-mailed them that I got the e-mail but no message on site. Have not heard back from them. Let us know what you find. I use seattle office.

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE VA MEDICATION FORMULARY IS POSTED ONLINE SOMEWHERE

I have had several C&P exams of late. Are the results of these exams ever entered into my Medical Record at the VA clinic so my doctor can review them. If not how do I get the results entered into my VA medical record?

I have similar lumbar spine problem like yours. Last year I had a hell of an episode and could hardly walk. I went for a lumbar epidural and had it done 3 times one week apart. Great success I was up walk almost pain free for about 3 months and them seemed to fall back to my normal level of pain and problems which are covered with hydrocodone and motrin fairly well. I may need to get the series repeated in the future and that is ok, it works well. I would avoid surgery if possible 50% of back surgery patients end up WORSE then they started.

Thanks to all who commented. It seems there are two schools of thought from what I have read here and elsewhere. 1 the VA is ripping your file apart trying to find ways to reduce your current rating or 2 reopening old claims that where denied years ago to see if your condition is bad enough now to warrant approval of the old claim. It well be interesting to see how this plays out. Just hope they don't try to drop my 40% rating I have had for the last 17 years.

I made a claim for IHD due to AO and that was all I claimed. I wanted to keep it simple and after being rated for this single claim I would consider applying for my other problems. Well it is not working out that way. First I get call from the VA they noticed in my medical records that my back problem, which I have been rated at 40% for the last 17 years,appears to have worsened and they want to know if I would like to file for an increase in my rating. So I did. Then I get a call asking if I wanted to apply for TDIU. So I did. Then I get a call for QTC tell me I have a C&P exam for hearing loss. I do wear hearing aids I get from the VA . I remember making a claim for hearing loss some 24 years ago and was denied. I never recently ask for a claim for my hearing loss. Today I get a call and QTC has scheduled two more C&P exams for my Asthma claim I also made 24 years ago. Seem like anything I made a claim for 24 years ago they are reopening them. So much for keeping it simple. Do you thank this will hold up my rating for IHD? Is this normal SOP for the VA to do?

Excellent, there is more info on that one page then in the entire VA hand book.

I have had USAA for the past 34 years. It is hard figure out exactly how much my premiums are because they keep giving me back some money every year and adding some to my savings account. I have over 6 thousand in it and when I have 35 years with them I start getting some of that credited back to me also. All claims I have had with them have been handled fairly and quickly. I am totally satisfied with them. Have you ever heard of another insurance company giving you back some of your money because they had made enough to cover all the claims for the year.

QTC called and told me they have set up two appointments for my claim. One for my DDD and rediculopathy and one for a hearing test. Three years ago I found out I could get hearing aid from the VA and applied for them. I received an exam and was given two aids. I never made a claim for compensation for hearing loss with the VA. I can not remember making any reference to my hearing loss in my statements for a claim for IHD due to AO and DDD with rediculopathy. Anyone have any ideas why they would send me for a hearing test?

Just to let you know I was told yesterday by the VA in Seattle that my claim is going to rating today. I filed my claim in march 2010 for IHD secondary to AO. So they are working on the claims and IHD secondary to AO is on a priority status.