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ricosuave
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Posts posted by ricosuave
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Hello all,
Recently my father, a Vietnam veteran, passed away from his service connected Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer. It is connected from his time in Vietnam, Agent Orange exposure. He was 100% disabled rated and all that from his cancer. We are currently about to go through all the forms for DIC and burial benefits with his VSO next week. However we have one concern. His VSO stated that his cancer had to be listed specifically as the cause of death to make the DIC process go smoothly and get approved.
His Lymphoma is listed as the cause of death on the death certificate but on that certificate it only says "lymphoma".....it doesn't spell it all out and state "non-hodgkins lymphoma".
This is what concerns us. How picky is the VA on specifics? Has anyone gone through this before, maybe with this same service connected disease and offer an opinion if the VA will deny my mother DIC? All the VA has to do is look at his medical records and see that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and was 100% disabled rated.
Maybe my family is just worrying too much. It just that my mother really needs that DIC to survive.
Lymphoma And Dic Claim Question
in DIC
Posted
Yeah, the lymphoma is listed as direct cause of death. He never was diagnosed with any other form of lymphoma.
Under direction from my Dad's VSO, who I had consulted with a few days before he passed away, I had called up my Dad's primary care physician (who signs the death cert.) within hours of my Dad's death and asked him to make sure the lymphoma was listed on the death cert.
I just thought he would spell it all out instead of putting just "lymphoma" on there.
Unfortunately the 10 yr rule for DIC goes against us as he was battling the cancer for 4 yrs and didn't get the full 100% disable rated until roughly 1.5 yrs ago.
No autopsy was done. But towards the end it was the VA doctors (who treated him the whole time) who recommended the cancer fight was over and pushed for Hospice care. I know if I do have issues with the DIC those doctors would go to bat for me and my Mom.
I'm glad to hear people think I'm ok with this as far as getting my Mom's DIC approved. Until I have the award in hand I'm going to be nervous.
-Rico