Living The Claim

[spike]

Listen,

I am giving a piece of advice here. I understand many veterans find something that is 'wrong' with them, but if you are 100% P&T I would advise against living the claim. Let it be. Let yourself work on your health. One of my friends have said a good metaphor about this....."It's like poking a bear with a stick"-Hadit member (formerly) Jay Johnson. Your asking for the VA to re-investigate your claims. If you are 100 % PT, don't start making all kinds of different claims right away. Think about it this way and I hate to say it this way. What if the person at the VA Claims office, just got in a fight with his wife, slept in the car, back is hurting, and your the first claim he or she gets. Think that they might not 'dig' into your C-file to see if every I is dotted and T is crossed?. I have heard of some vets, losing their ratings because they started a new claim and something in the time that they had the new C&P exam (something they said or did) in the exam triggered the Rating Officer to change their rating for one of their previous ratings. Maybe because the new doctors opinion was different. Take this with a grain of salt. If you don't believe it happens, I am sorry but it does.

[Pete53]

The quality control is the BVA.

[Guest maddog66]

I had a C&P on Nov 17 for GERD. This was done by a nurse practitioner belive it or not. In any case and after the exam I went to the Release of Information Office and filed out the form to have the C&P results mailed to me. I could detect a bit of an attitude by the person taking the information but everybody has a bad day now and then. I watched her put into her binder and expected to receive the document in a few days. Since I had other things going on with the Army's Physical Evaluation Board I did not check on it until yesterday when I called the VAMC RIO office and spoke to the supervisor. Sure enough the C&P was in their computer but the person with the attitude obviously hasn't be especially proactive in doing her job. So I guess the message is that you constantly have to stay on top of them and hope nothing fall through the cracks.

[rentalguy1]

The quality control is the BVA.

And let's not forget quality control on our end. This ain't a "fire it and forget it" system folks. You have to stay on top of your claims every day. Make sure they're doing what they are supposed to do. When you receive that packet of lies, file the NOD...appeal, appeal, appeal.

Nam Vet, I'm 100% behind you and I completely feel your frustration. I've been horribly wronged by the VA myself. I know your current situation with your VARO sucks, and as I've told you, I have the same exact scenario playing out with my own VARO as you have with yours. But it is obvious that you are jaded and for last couple of weeks you've been on here screaming to anyone who will listen about how awful the VA is. But, not every RO is as bad. They all have the potential, sure, but they just aren't there yet. I read on here every day about somebody that just can't believe the horror stories that some on here tell. Now, if you spent about half of that energy into figuring out exactly why this happened to you and who screwed up in the first place, then you migh actually get somewhere quicker. You might even learn something and be able to help out when this happens to another vet in the future. You just can't sit back, scream about your plight on a web site, and wait for them to come to you.

[rentalguy1]

maddog...did you get a copy of your FOIA sheet? If not then there is a lesson learned in there somewhere. Also, you can drive back out to the VAMC where the C&P was done and pick it up in person. I know it is a far drive for some people, but I guess you have to ask yourself, "Is my claim worth it?" They can't deny you when they are staring you in the face and see knowledge in your eyes.

[spike]

If I would tell you how many organizations I volunteer at as a chapter service officer, and all the VA personnel I have made associations with, I could tell you about at least 10 in the last 6 months that have "poked the bear" by submitting claim after claim and they have 100 % just to lose it. I recommend that if you are not getting stuff done on your claim, work with an organization that has some media exposure, as well as maybe some association or connections with Senators, Congress people (like I do). I've been offered a job at the VARO and I will tell you what I can't deal with people much. I wouldn't be able to do it. However, the VA system is just like the legal system.....if you keep popping your head in their face, eventually the judge or courts will question your motives, your claims, and may lead into a full force investigation into all your VA claims. Think about it people, if they can "Save" money or benefits wouldn't it be feasible as a business to deny you claims? I can tell you guys and ladies, I have heard it from a high VA official that when a VARO has a high rate of ratings for service connected disabilites, a red flag goes up and they critique (as Quality Control) that VARO, to see if there is something going on. It's sick but its true. Just watch yourself when you live a claim is all i wanted to say...Ok off my soapbox.

[Pete53]

I poked the Bear last December and it coughed up an extra 295 a month. I poked it again cause I disagreed with the effective date. Now I am going to mail a NOD and possibly get a Lawyer. I figure I have left about 60,000 dollars on the VA Table