TXNVYMOM

Thanks a bunch for all your replys!!

Sorry I am probably asking a silly question..but this is the first year for my son to receive income from the VA. Will he get a W-2? If so is it mailed out. If it isn't mailed where do you find them. For instance he's on TDRL and can get his military W-2 online at mypay. I would appreciate any answers. Thank you!

Thank you all for the information...I really appreciate it!! Pete53...I feel sure they have a copy of the DD 214 as it was hand delivered prior to leaving the service and Virginia. But...it is a good thing to go and file it with the county and then it's secure. Then we will send it certified mail....I learned that from the good folks here at Hadit!!

Just an update...surgery DONE!!! I paid out of pocket. So far he seems to be doing well and his spirits seem to be lifted. The surgeon found two impingements (bone spurs) and shaved them off, the tear wasn't too far gone to be repaired, they did some debridement and found a bubble on the labrum. The follow up visit is next week..so hopfully we we will find out more. I tried to ask the surgeon about what to expect in the future as I have heard that many people have to have a total hip replacement eventually...I think he got miffed at me...as he said all he would put in the report was what he found and did during the surgery. Through out the whole process...I have tried to stay one step ahead in order to make sure all the bases were covered..but I guess he didn't understand that there are times that if you don't get the information in the report and later find out...oh...sure if you would have said something we could have addressed that, but now it's too late to change it...that's all I was trying to find out. I just felt that he thought I was way off base for even asking. Does anyone have an opinion that I did ask the right thing or should not have even mentioned what might happen in the future. We did get the Big Brown envelope...with a 40% rating. We are looking for a knowledgeable person to help with the appeal to the Winston-Salem offce in the Fort Worth area.

Can anyone suggest someone to assist in filing an appeal to the VA ratings in the Fort Worth area? We got the big brown envelope...but were disappointed with the 40%. I feel that several issues were just glossed over. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Also...they requested a Certified copy of his DD-214. To the best of our knowledge it hasn't changed since he was discharged in January, 2011 and how do you get a Certified one quickly enough to send in to the Winstom-Salem office. He personally took this DD214 to the VA in December 2010 just prior to his January 2011 end of service.

Thanks for the link Carlie....It was a good read...but the question I am really looking for right now...is....is there an advocate for veterans on TDRL to assist them for medical care other than the VA.

Thanks John...I do feel we have the best surgeon in the area. There are others who have been denied by Tricare and are on their second and third appeals. Some are paying out of pocket to get this surgery done to the tune of 8,000.00 to 10,000.00 . This doctor is on Tricare list of physicians...so they let us see him...they just won't pay for the surgery..talk about dangling a carrot....Just trying to figure out how to get out of this vicious circle in order to get off major pain meds and on the road to recovery.

Thanks Pete...Many other insurance companies are covering this type of surgery, so it can't be that experimental...I was told that even Medicare is covering it. Dr. Phillippon does this type of surgery in Vail Colorado on professional athletes...BTW we are in the DFW area. It is a specialized surgery...so I was hoping that he could be referred out from the VA hoping they don't have someone with this type of speciality.

Hello...needing some advice...I thought I would continue here as it has a lot of previous questions and answers. Here goes.. My son was planning to have his surgery done by a civilian physician to repair a labral tear arthoscopically through Tricare Prime. My son saw the civilian doctor in May, 2011 and surgery was schedule for late July, 2011. Tricare had denied his surgery as unproven/expermental twice under CPT codes 29862 (Treatment of FAI and debridement of articular cartilage) and 29916 (Hip Arthoscopy to repair Labral tear). We have the option to appeal...however it seems that is a long drawn out process. He is currently TDRL Navy and he received 10% for his hip labral tear and 20% for his back condition. He hasn't received his rating yet for the VA, but he does have a VA PCM that he has seen twice. So here's the big question...does anyone know what the procedure would be to go through the VA for the surgery. Should he see his VA PCM and ask for an orthopedic referral or can he ask his VA PCM directly for a referral to his civilian orthopedic who does arthoscopic surgery? Does the VA even have doctors that perform hip arthoscopic surgery? Then the next question is...does the VA call the surgery he needs unproven/ expermental? I have read on other forums that there have been some active duty dependents that have had this surgery through a military treatment facility and also there are active duty military that are having their surgeries approved using civilian doctors under CPT code 29862 through Tricare. I really don't get why some are approved and others are not under the Tricare system. I realize this is a VA forum, but I was wondering if anyone has had any experience in the area...Tricare or VA. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

You bet...your are now #1 on my watch list. Your time periods are so closeto my sons...but of course....it's the VA!!

I read "somewhere" ( maybe on the BDD site) that they would start processing his VA claim the day after his end of service date.

CShock...I will be following your progress...my son filed his VA paperwork prior to leaving the military and had his C&P exams also prior to leaving under the BDD program. He turned in everything including his DD214 about the middle of December 2010 before leaving his duty station in Virginia and returning home to Texas. His end of service was a month ahead of yours. Good luck!!

Thank you broncovet. I am learning more and more each day from reading posts here at Hadit. I don't always understand each of the posts subject matter, but one day I will have an "aha" moment. It's a pretty big puzzle!! I really appreciate the help from everyone.

What does VCAA mean? Thank you.

Thank you for your response. He received a 30% TDRL rating from the Navy. We will be on the lookout for a VACC letter. I did think it was odd that the letter said compensation rather than rating due to the fact we still don't have the rating percentage.