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Carl the Engineer

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Everything posted by Carl the Engineer

  1. Carl the Engineer
    I think you are good as far as your 80% comp as that is for a good period of service, etc. My only concern would be for VA healthcare now and in the future. I am 80% with an Honorable Discharge and can get free care through the VA system for anything, except dental. You, however, may not from what I read. You need to call someone at the VA and get a good answer. For other things, your last discharge may be the only one that counts. So there is that. As far as the double dipping, what would have happened, is you would have drilled for free as your comp was probably higher than your drill pay. They deduct your comp pay from your drill pay, but do it at either the start of the year or the end of the year. Not sure. But, your comp is tax free so that is payed first. What you should have done was to have kept drilling and to ask for a medical discharge from the reserves. You already had the evidence because of your VA disabilities. If I were you, I would contact your reserve unit's higher headquarters or better yet, your State HQ and beg to get this fixed. Your unit might be pissed at you, but thier HQ and your State HQ don't like bad discharges. It reflects badly on your State. In the reserves, its a competition between States. Just sayin, Hamslice
  2. Carl the Engineer
    cd928, Almost all initial claims will require a C&P exam. Sometimes, after the initial exam, you my have a paper C&P where your attendance is not required or expected, but that is rare. That is where the rater is asking the examiner to opine on something and the examiner can do it without seeing you personally. Also, the C&P examiner can be just about anyone in the medical field and as is said here often, he could be the janitor. Basically, some look at your records and some don't. And that is because they are answering questions on a form. Like measuring Range of Motion. Your private doctor could say your ROM of your shoulder is 60, but the examiner is going to measure it anyway. The rater is going to decide which to use. If the C&P examiner says 60, well then you have to fight for the 30, etc. So, yes, the C&P examiner may not use your records. Not to be critical, and I hope you appreciate this, but the VA has a habit of denying. And almost all initial claims that get service connected are low-balled. The VA comp is not VA healthcare. Two seperate missions. Hence the fight, Hamslice 2009-30%, 2011-40%, 2014-60%, 2015-70%, 2016-80% and hopefully 2018-90%
  3. Carl the Engineer
    Yep, that is what I was talking about... Hamslice PS Why ain't that in ones c-file..
  4. Carl the Engineer
    Buck, Mine is still the old way, Hamslice
  5. Carl the Engineer
    It don't matter what party you belong too, we're all getting screwed. Just read today that President Trump is going to take away Congress's work around away from the ACA (Obamacare), if they don't fix the healthcare system. I didn't know what it meant, so I read some more. Appearently, the ACA had a provision that Congress would have to be part of the ACA if the passed it. So it became part of the law. Then Obama signed a work around that let Congress join the local DC area businesses insurance groups. In otherwords, Congress did not have to participate in the ACA, and could have employer insurance. Bait and switch, Hamslice PS, a load of crap..
  6. Carl the Engineer
    We just got my wifes response from SS back today in the mail. They stated that there would not be a review and that they would not be contacting any of my wifes doctors. So, appearently what we wrote and sent back on the first letter worked for her. FWIW, Hamslice
  7. Carl the Engineer
    Vic, I would think that last letter you posted about the lost in transit medical records from Vietnam would be an open book with a good veteran's lawyer.. FWIW, Hamslice
  8. Carl the Engineer
    Vic, My wife reminded me that when our lawyer had us request some of her records for them, we had to put "For Litigation" on the requests. Just sayin, Hamslice
  9. Carl the Engineer
    Love the "Earl Sheib" reference. Just sayin, Hamslice
  10. Carl the Engineer
    All, I see that in the eBenefits "Download VA Letters" page you can print and cut out your "Proof of Service Card". I also see that they have a DoD ID Number for me. So what is this number about and what does it get me? Never knew of or seen it before...... I thought they were tracking me by my SSN. Now there is another file on me somewhere??? Hamslice
  11. Carl the Engineer
    Doc, I just remmembered if you go to the left and click on Benefits, it will come up with your additional benefits. If you hit on all of those + signs, you may find what your looking for. That is the place where it shows my spousal A&A award. Hope that helps Hamslice PS, when the interweb is not working well, I can't see that or my payment history. That I can not explain....
  12. Carl the Engineer
    Vic, I would be interested in where you found "ANTICIPATION OF LITIGATION". Not because I don't believe you, but, can it be a real thing in ones file at a medical instatution? The reason I ask is my wife had some poor work done to her by a doctor and we are having a hard time finding some of the records, that in this case, would prove he was at fault, etc. Again, while I believe you, I just can believe that is a thing. But then again, nothing suprises me much anymore. Thanks, Hamslice PS, how about a court order for your records...?
  13. Carl the Engineer
    I will have to let you know. We just filled out my wifes (awarded Oct 2015) form and sent it in. She goes to the doctor at least 3 times a week, and had two surguries last year, so it was pretty simple. Not sure what they do with that info, though. Hamslice
  14. Carl the Engineer
    DocJ, My last claim, I could not find on eBenifits any information before I got the letter in the mail. And I used all of the tricks I read about. Before they listed your disabilities on the site, you could start a (fake) new claim and when going through the process, you could look at your current disabilities and they may have a new listed disability. The VA letters is pretty fast and the most accurate. If you went with a lawyer, they might know something more? My claim 3 rows back, I did find out a day early by looking at my disabilites, but I think it was in the letters by then already. Maybe someone has found a new way?? FWIW, Hamslice
  15. Carl the Engineer
    I have talked to Peggy a couple times and she (he) did give me information that was not on eBenifits. But it was information that is not on eBenifits anyway. I had to pay back my severance pay before getting my VA comp and everytime my comp rate changed, I would call Peggy, and she (he) would tell me my new date that I would actually see money in my account. She (he) was accurate as to the time and amount of the first deposit. FWIW, Hamslice
  16. Carl the Engineer
    "The V.A. told ABC 6/Fox 28 it was notified by a third party that Manis had died." So, the VA can find out through a "third party" that you died, yet, you need to show the VA a death certificate to get DIC for your spouse. And then the military retirement system takes the VA's word for it, Isn't that fourth hand. When my dad died three years ago, the funeral home requested death certificates because they send oen to Social Security automatically. We (the family) could buy as many as we wanted, first one free. Maybe the VA should hook up with SS on this one and not rely on "third parties". And who the hell is this "third party"? Anonamous? That's the story! A crime, Hamslice PS, Thanks, Berta. Nice.
  17. Carl the Engineer
    A giant sparkler for you!!! Hamslice
  18. Carl the Engineer
    I see from your post that your husband is 100% tbi/ptsd. Just so you know, from what I read on the VA site, if he is in jail for any lenth of time, he will be reduced to 10%. I also read, that you can ask for a part of your part of his comp. Not sure how smooth that goes. The big take away from what I read is that you need to notify the VA of when (if) he goes to jail, because if you don't, and he gets out he will not get back to his 100% until he settles up from when he was in the jug. I have a lot of experience on the other side (I'm a cop), and can tell you that a call to the District Attorney asking the best way to make this (whatever happened) right, will go a long way if figuring out what you need to do. Its free, and he will either tell you he can help you or he will tell you it is out of his hands. Again the call is free. Bottom line is, what did he do?, Hamslice
  19. Carl the Engineer
    Matthew McConaughey, I like him in the Lincoln commercials. 'All Right, All Right, All Right' Hamslice
  20. Carl the Engineer
    "We are dunbstruck that the VA doctors" Nuff said, Hamslice
  21. Carl the Engineer
    You need to wait and see what she saw. LOL. Could be good for you, could be bad. At least you have some recourse (I think) if its bad. I am trying to remember is they used on on my shoulder, but know for sure they used one when doing my back, neck and elbow. I am supprised by now that the don't have an electronic body mapping eqluipment for joint travel system with a computer. Kind of like a major league umpire calling balls and strikes. Four laser beams and his job is mute. FWIW, Hamslice
  22. Carl the Engineer
    OK, before this post goes sideways, let me say that we all should be leaning forward in the foxhole and helping other Vets and not worrying about who gets credit for what. There are some regulars on this site that have helped many Vets and then there are the sharpshooters like myself that can only help Vets with simular issues that have simular experiences. I think we are all trying to look out for the tripwires set out by the VA, and have a successful claim vs the VA. I read a lot of posts that I have no clue as to what is being talked about, but I learn from you all. And if someone wants to pat someone on the back or sing their praises, so be it. Why go negative. Just sayin, Hamslice
  23. Carl the Engineer
    Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. I had a VA C&P examiner point me in the right direction once. Rare, but does happen, Hamslice
  24. Carl the Engineer
    Asknod, I smell what your cooking, and like the conversation. You sure write different than you sound on the Hadit audio shows. LOL. I would add one thing, and I think Buck has mentioned this before. The gap between 90% and 100% disabled in pay. Makes no sense to me. And then all the add ons, etc. When the difference between 70 and 80 percent is around $250 and the difference betweeen 90 and 100 is around $1200. The differences between the 10 percentages should be the same or on a sliding scale. A Veteran (like me) with arthritis in most if not all limbs, some heart issues and of course hearing, will nickel and dime (heard that by Asknod on the audio) themselves to maybe get a 90, but never a 100. Just too hard to get to by 10% or 20% at a time. As an example, I will need two bilateral 10's to get to 85 rounded up to 90. After that I would need a 75% to get to 100. Never going to happen. All crippled up with no place to go, LOL. When they made the VA schedule they must have borrowed the guy from the IRS who wrote the tax codes.. So, my thought would be to take the highest amount paid out to a current Veteran, lets just say with all the extras, $8500.00. That should be 100%, and with simple math 10% would be $850.00. And get rid of all the extras and IU, etc. And make it more realistic. As an example, and not picking on anyone, but 50% for sleep apnea, while appropriate, in my mind does not stack up as being half a person when applied to work. My boss works full time, teaches school at night at the college and is a volunteer fire-fighter and has sleep apnea and uses a cpac, etc. And screw the VA math BS. Just fricken add. So, in my world, you get less for each disability (like my exampe above), but it counts as a whole number. Anyway, too simple, I know, Hamslice
  25. Carl the Engineer
    Not sure if you use it or look at it, but check out your eBenifits calender or your MyHealthyVet calender. I have found "paper" C&P's on there from time to time when I was waiting for my last claim to get done. It could give you an indication of what the VA is looking for at which "VA Facility", etc. A paper C&P is what I call an exam where the Veteran is not present. The doctor takes time to look at your medical record and opine about something the rater is looking for. It scares you the first time you see one on your calendar and it happened like a week earlier and you think you missed a C&P which can be detrimental to one's claim. Anyway, hope it goes your way, Hamslice
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