Receiving Pay Rate As Single Veteran

[pearlranger]

Hello, I am new here, but not new to the VA "system." I first want to Thank the administrators and members here for providing this site. I wish I had discovered it sooner.

I am inquiring as to whether or not anyone has seen where the VA has rated someone (like myself) with SMC-L, but paying them as 'Veteran Alone'. I am married with two children. Before I was awarded the 100% + 70% disability rating, warranting SMC-L, based on housebound criteria, I was paid accordingly for my dependents.

After reviewing the rate tables, I discovered that I am being paid the SMC as a single veteran, $3145.

Has anyone seen this before, or is it possible that the VA has made a huge mistake? The SMC rating decision was effective for Sept.2005.

Any help here is greatly appreciated!

[Ricky]

Hello, I am new here, but not new to the VA "system." I first want to Thank the administrators and members here for providing this site. I wish I had discovered it sooner.

I am inquiring as to whether or not anyone has seen where the VA has rated someone (like myself) with SMC-L, but paying them as 'Veteran Alone'. I am married with two children. Before I was awarded the 100% + 70% disability rating, warranting SMC-L, based on housebound criteria, I was paid accordingly for my dependents.

After reviewing the rate tables, I discovered that I am being paid the SMC as a single veteran, $3145.

Has anyone seen this before, or is it possible that the VA has made a huge mistake? The SMC rating decision was effective for Sept.2005.

Any help here is greatly appreciated!

Nope but anything is possible with the VA. However, in your case they are dead wrong. Submit a letter asking that Finance take a look at your payment file and explain how or why they are now paying you as a single veteran.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Ricky

[pearlranger]

Nope but anything is possible with the VA. However, in your case they are dead wrong. Submit a letter asking that Finance take a look at your payment file and explain how or why they are now paying you as a single veteran.

Thank you! :0) I'll do that today. This should be fun.

I looked over my rating letter over and over and it does not specify that I would be paid as a single veteran. It states, "Entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria being met is granted from Sept 28, 2005."

What makes it more odd to me is that the letter includes all the standard information for veterans rated with service-connected permanent & total disbility for thier dependents, etc.

Thanks again!!

[jbasser]

Are you sure your SMC is not SMC S.

100 plus 60 rule? The rate for a married vet with 1 child is 3074, you add the extra child and it equals out to 3145

SMC criteria is somewhat confusing.

John

Edited October 21, 2008 by jbasser

[pearlranger]

Good Morning John,

My award letter does not specify the SMC rate actually. I just got off the phone with the VA, and they said the same thing you did, but they also said that my file does not specify the rate, so they are going to investigate it.

We will see. Thanks for your insight. :0)

Another question though please:

It seems as though I have had to keep "adding" findings to my file, requesting compensation for each disorder. As my disease has progressed, it has brought upon more and more ailments, some that were there before that I was not aware of, but are in my VA medical file. As they have worsened, I have been hospitalized almost monthly and they tell me that I am "chronic" in each of the complaints that I have and that I have had them for some time. I do not understand why the ratings counselor(s) do not include these in my file, why I have to go back and request compensation for them individually. ???

If they are in my medical file at the time another issue was being evaluated, will the VA make my rating retroactive to the medical file date, or the date that I requested compensation for them? I don't know if I am explaining this correctly, but basically, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. It was actually medical mal-practice on the Navy's side. Had they treated me for my symptoms, I would not have developed liver disease. Instead, they just kept giving me pain reliever and nausea shots, which made the autoimmune irreversable. They Navy medically retired me, I was 21 years old. The VA rated me at 60% until I developed cirrhosis, and then rated me at 100%, and then an additional 70% for other problems associated with this disease. In my medical file and lab tests, I had problems associated with my gall bladder, spleen, etc, but I wasn't aware of them. It wasn't until I started being hospitalized almost monthly that I was told that I would have these problems chronically. Basically, I am housebound because of all these ailments and the fact that my immune system is now non-existent. I have applied for compensation for these additional problems, but I feel that they should be rated from the date that shows in my medical file, not from when I was made aware of them through hospitalizations and then requested compensation.

Am I wrong here, or is this just how the VA rating system works?

Thanks in advance,

Niki :0)

[jbasser]

Good Morning John,

My award letter does not specify the SMC rate actually. I just got off the phone with the VA, and they said the same thing you did, but they also said that my file does not specify the rate, so they are going to investigate it.

We will see. Thanks for your insight. :0)

Another question though please:

It seems as though I have had to keep "adding" findings to my file, requesting compensation for each disorder. As my disease has progressed, it has brought upon more and more ailments, some that were there before that I was not aware of, but are in my VA medical file. As they have worsened, I have been hospitalized almost monthly and they tell me that I am "chronic" in each of the complaints that I have and that I have had them for some time. I do not understand why the ratings counselor(s) do not include these in my file, why I have to go back and request compensation for them individually. ???

If they are in my medical file at the time another issue was being evaluated, will the VA make my rating retroactive to the medical file date, or the date that I requested compensation for them? I don't know if I am explaining this correctly, but basically, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. It was actually medical mal-practice on the Navy's side. Had they treated me for my symptoms, I would not have developed liver disease. Instead, they just kept giving me pain reliever and nausea shots, which made the autoimmune irreversable. They Navy medically retired me, I was 21 years old. The VA rated me at 60% until I developed cirrhosis, and then rated me at 100%, and then an additional 70% for other problems associated with this disease. In my medical file and lab tests, I had problems associated with my gall bladder, spleen, etc, but I wasn't aware of them. It wasn't until I started being hospitalized almost monthly that I was told that I would have these problems chronically. Basically, I am housebound because of all these ailments and the fact that my immune system is now non-existent. I have applied for compensation for these additional problems, but I feel that they should be rated from the date that shows in my medical file, not from when I was made aware of them through hospitalizations and then requested compensation.

Am I wrong here, or is this just how the VA rating system works?

Thanks in advance,

Niki :0)

Niki, the regs state that a claim is to be rated under this criteria.http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=2bd58af5dc5f5054f4472e17139a3238&rgn=div8&view=text&node=38:1.0.1.1.4.2.68.172&idno=38

effective dates. It is the date the claim is filed or when the condition arose whichever is later. The medical record is the important thing here.

Anyway as I always insist on a Veteran to get a copy of the cfile or claims folder from the RO.

Keep filing for the secondaries as they truly effect your life.

Good luck, Keep us posted and welcome to Hadit.com. where Knowledge truly is power.

John

Edited October 21, 2008 by jbasser