My Claim Is Now At Appeals Team!

[bm6546]

I checked about 2 weeks ago on the 800 number and was told my claim was at Ratings.

Last week I received an IRIS e-mail that said my claim is currently being processed at the Appeals Team. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the Ratings and the Appeals Team. This whole process is driving me more crazy and making me nuts,LOL. Maybe I should file a claim against the VA for making me crazy with their BS. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Brian

[bm6546]

Based upon your answer to my questions Jangrin is 100 percent correct. Your file is bouncing around in the VARO between the appeals area, rating area etc..... This happens when you have several things ongoing at one time. Once the appeal is in place they seem to have priority over the file so when the rater "checks" it out and is done with it it goes back to the appeals area.

Ricky, Thank you for explaining. Do you have any idea with all this bouncing around at the VA, how long does this all take, approx. Thanks, Brian

[Guest jangrin]

bm6546,

Thank you for clarifying your SC heart condition. Since you have had the heart condition for 40 years, it sounds like you have appealed a "re-opened" or "increase in rating" claim by appealing the recent denial for increase. That being said, you also have a new claim with with anxiety, depression and PTSD claimed as secondary to your SC"D heart.

The secondary claim will be worked as a new claim. You should have recieved a VCAA letter telling you exactly what will be needed as evidence for you to be awarded Service Connection. Your appeals claim and the new claim can be worked independently from each other, and usually are, because the pre-team will work the new claim and the appeals team will work the appeals claim. The teams don't generally work "together" each team has their own responsibilities and work independent of each other. (Your file goes back and forth, sometimes daily if necessary).

Honestly you seem to have a pretty good service officer who is trying to help you. I would study as much as you can here on Hadit about evidence and about IMO's and private doctors opinions etc. It is very important that there is a Nexus between the heart condition and the secondarys to win your claim.

If you haven't already, you will be sent for a C&P examination as this will be an initial PTSD evaluation. Scheduling appt for those can take time. I would estimate that once you get your VCAA letter the process will be between 6 momths to a year for a rating on the secondary, if you get all your records in, the exam done and you sign the VCAA election page, stating you have no further evidence. This is a pretty straight forward claim even as a secondary claim and these are getting more and more common so the VSR's are able to process them quicker than they used to. Remember the VA cannot rate your anxiety, depression and PTSD with seperate rating percentages. All mental conditions are rated together under one "total" percentage. They will have to evaluate you for all three but only one rating.

Hang in there, make sure the VA has your SSD records as well as any doctors records the SS administration used to award your 100% SSDI. Also, you should file now for TDIU as you are already 100% disabled due to your SC heart condition according to the SSA. You must file the VA form for TDIU. Many service officers think veterans can't file for TDIU until they are given a percentage award. That is simply not true. File now so the VSR knows you can not work due to your condition. It will make a difference in how they look at your file.

Hope this helps... Sorry so long winded, once I get going LOL...Jangrin :)