Carl the Engineer

john999, Thanks for your imput. We are going to take B. Will be scheduling a visit to SS office here shortly. Will be scheduling a visit to my employer insurance, happens to be the same insurance that I will be buying my advantage plan from, so they should know what happens to the deductibles, etc. All of the hospitals and doctors in norhern WI are in cahoots together, so there are no options. Ran the program through Medicare website and if we chose original Medicare where there is no drug plan our estimated out of pocket was $530,500.00. So, no, that aint going to happen. Just upset that getting on Medicare (because you paid in your whole life) it is going to cost us money. Thanks again, Hamslice

Intersesting..

pete992, Let me run this by you; My wife goes on Medicare Oct 1st and we need to make some decisions..... Bear in mind, I dont need insurance, I am 70%. I have employee insurance which covers her currently and it costs me a total of $4700 a year. Premuims and deductibles, etc. I use it too as it is more convenient. If we take B, which we have too I believe (under 100 employees), with the best Medicare Advantage Plan, the plan would cost me about $4000. So total about $9000 a year. I we take B, and I cancel my employer insurance, than the total goes bizerk because of her medications, etc. So, my wife getting Medicare is going to cost us money. I dont see a way around it. What a crook. And we will not qualify for any assistance because of income.. Hamslice

Then, in my case, I hope to be 80% when I retire in 5 years. To old to do what I do now, so I will probably claim IU because I will be getting old. Ha, ha... People older than me at that time will be working, but I will be too beat down physically from my years wearing the Flag on my work uniform. 41 years....

Just the other day, I was thinking about this same issue. I was thinking, why would we (the taxpayer) pay unemployment when a Veteran would have normaly retired because of age. Then I was thinking, at what age would the "age" be. 60, 62, 65 or 70. Dates the gov uses for other things regards older people. Then, I was thinking how do we (the taxpayer) justify the payment. Could not think of anything, except its probably the right thing to do. And then, when I read the article, I started thinking and this is my thoughts; If you are IU, your employer is not paying into any kind of retirement for you like when you were active duty (points or days toward retirement) or civilian job with 401K matching, etc. Lost potential income towards retirement. With that, I think it is fair to collect no matter what age. Hamslice

Bump for Berta

I believe, with the new rules, if you start a new claim before your last claim is finished, i.e., money in the bank, they will combine the two. So your claim that is just about done, would be thrown in with the new claim. I would wait until the current one is done. Thats me, Hamslice

My private insurance deductable is usually paid by the first of February every year, becasue of my wifes MS, and I am 70% VA, so they do ask me when I go to either about the other, but have never had any bills, etc. When I turn 60, if will have VA 100% and Tricare for Life. When I turn 65, I will have VA 100%, TFL and Medicare. The trifecta. Can only imagine how much that is going to cost me?? Hamslice

Andy, The C&P is ordered by the VA because of your claim. If your claim is for your left foot, then anything left foot you should bring with, including your EMG on Monday. The examiner will not examine or should not examine you right foot, as you would have to make a claim for that. The examiner, as far as I know, will not start a claim for you. However, the examiner can comment, i.e., "you should claim that", or "if you have that, you can claim that secondary to". I have had both happen, and I did win, etc., but it was another seperate claim. I am 10% SC'd for plantaar fasciitis on my right foot, which happened on active duty. The examiner basically looked at my medical diagnosis and touched the bottom of my foot and i said it hurt. Done. And I think they took an x-ray, but not sure. I now have inserts for my shoes from my private primary because of my employment insurance. When that ends, well see what the VA docs say about it. Thanks, Hamslice

If you didn't see a goniometer, then it didn't count.......

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/opinions-orders/14-7017.Opinion.3-6-2015.1.PDF It reads like a "not me, someone else's fault" circle jerk, except we are talking about "supposedly" smart people, not a handful of privates hiding out in the motorpool...

Go on eBenifits and download you letter. Thats the fastest way to see whats up.. Hamslice

I just read the transcript. I'm lost. Not unusual, Hamslice

Berta, I work nights, so this is breakfast reading for me. I will always responed, but not on everyone elses normal time lines.. Thanks for you help. I do have the report for that ECG and it say "Upper normal heart heart size", however I do have another doc that says enlarged left ventricle. Just need to find it. Hamslice

Can you tell us the ECG narrative that appears on the upper right hand side of the ECG? Attached above ^^^^ In the award for "0" HBP, did they state they considered the X ray of heart and the EKG? Nope ^^^^ I assume these tests results were available when you filed this claim, or occurred during the claims process Yes, however from military med file, not VA.. Still these are VA medical records they had ,so if they did not consider them at all in the award letter, they appear to have committed a CUE. It would be a violation of 38 CFR 4.6. if you also had filed for heart disease too. I did not file for heart disease as I did not know what that was at the time, just HBP. Also that rating sheet might contain the wrong diagnostic code for CAD, and that would be another CUE ??? "would it be unreasonable for them to have seen an enlarge left ventrical and an abnormal ECG also in the record, to also service connect for heart desease?" if you had claimed the heart disease as well as the HBP..they should have considered the evidence. Did not claim for heart disease. Service connecting the heart disease is a separate issue from the SC HBP. Did not know that until recently! Do you get ample care for any cardio issues now? I just asked my primary and he said everything was OK There isnt enough info here to know if 1. VA overlooked significant medical evidence on the past rating and 2.if the heart enlargement was indicative of CAD or IHD then, and by medical evidence has gotten worse. Did you ever claim heart disease at all? No, see above Is the VA presently treating you for heart disease? No, I dont know if I need it. I have not checked the Schedule of ratings...if you feel the CAD was at 30 % then , what do you feel would be the rating now? All I am saying is that in 7000 you get 30% just for xray showing enlarged heart. Even if a veteran does not claim a specific disability, the rating sheet will list it as NSC....sometimes... Dont see it anywhere. Can you scan and post the Reasons and Bases for the HBP award letter and also the Evidence list and rating sheet. )Cover C file number, name, address prior to scanning it) Let me know if that is not it.. What is the present rating for the heart disease? Not claimed previously Are you an incountry Vietnam Veteran who has been diagnosed with IHD? Not Vietnam, Iraq only.. Have you since filed a claim specifically for the heart disease? Not yet, running it by the experts first... Edited by Berta, Today, 05:22 AM.

Berta, Here is the ECG. My mistake, borderline, not abnormal.. Hamslice Berta, Here is from claim response, Hamslice

If one filed a claim in 2008 for hypertension (HBP) and was susequently service connected for hypertension through his military medical records (zero, controlled by meds), would it be unreasonable for them to have seen an enlarge left ventrical and an abnormal ECG also in the record, to also sevice connect for heart desease? And if they didnt, which they didnt, do I, Start a new claim for heart desease. Or, a cue? Or, what?? Thanks, Hamslice From what I read in 7000, you get 30% for enlarged heart by x-ray, which I have on record in 2004 with an x-ray. And I also have an abnormal ECG, however, dont know how that plays..

Just looked, I have seven, yes 7 SC'd at a zero rating. Probably should look to increase all 7 every 2-3 years, just to see what sticks.. Anyway, Hamslice

How did you find out you were denied without letter?? Hamslice

This is why I never tell the VA anything except what I want them to know. I have to hand feed them the medical evidence for my SC'd ailments as it is, why would I help the prosecution, i.e., me being the defendant, etc.. Remember, its a battle, and the VA's only obligation to help is to make sure there is a table for the "volunteers" to put the coffee pot on!! Hamslice

OK, found it. You cant have any other compensated disability. In other words if you not getting any money from the VA and have two or more zero's, you can get 10%. So, none for me... Hamslice

A veteran may have a number of disabilities each evaluated as zero percent which produce a 10 percent combined disability rating, entitling the veteran to disability compensation. At the beginning of fiscal year 2009, there were more than 13,000 veterans in the category of “compensable zero” ratings. From another web site, saying this is posted on the VA site. Hamslice The question would be a VA reg adressing this issue. Hamslice

"Further, it is possible for veterans with multiple zero-percent ratings for different disabilities to be paid at the 10 percent rate. To learn more, talk with an experienced VA-accredited claims agent at The Rep For Vets®." http://www.repforvets.com/Veterans-Disability-Overview/Zero-Percent-Ratings.shtml Ok, so that took me about two seconds. Just need to find out where this law firm is getting this from. I too, have multiple zeros. Interesting, Hamslice

My neighbor calls me a "zero" from time to time. Does that count?? Hamslice

broncovet, I currently have too much income and am at 70% SC'd. I am also a wartime veteran. Just a lot of hoops to go through for an extra $100 bucks a month, but will plug along as usual. Thanks, Hamslice