ptsd Out Of The Mouths Of Docs

[nlualum82]

I'll be making a few posts in categories to cover my bases.

I am 47 and SC'ed for 50% hearing loss. I work as a mail processor at the PO, 16 + years (8 years 8 months 2 weeks and 6 days 'til retirement).

Last year I finally got active in the process and got good advice here at Hadit.

After seeing a VA Psych and an SO, I filed for some other things we felt should be considered. WHAM! Been between 5 and 8 months since the claims went in and I got 2 letter in 2 days advising me of 4 C & P's this month!

15th - ENT for chronic otitis

19th - Audiology for tinnitus

26th - a 1215 Ortho for a jeep wrecked knee and a 1300 in Psych for them to determine between PTSD with MST, depression secondary to hearing loss, something else, nothing at all?)

I picked up my progress notes from the PsyD at the Vet Ctr. and made my appt. with my VA Psych at the VA clinic.

The Doc. and I talked, I told him about the C & P's and he said they might not want me to work anymore.

Sounds good to me - my PO is known to be hard on its employees.

I have to wonder if it's possible, though. I thought you wouldn't end up TDIU unless you were unemployed. I would think the post office would avoid letting a vet go based on his disability, even imagine that these gov't entities would collaborate to find some function at the PO rather than put me on a Federal paycheck for sitting home.

Any thoughts?

It is pure speculation at this point, but don't want to make a wrong step.

[JR Reihs]

Gary

Take your sick leave and get the hell outa there, before you stress yourself completely out.

[Arch]

Arch and all,

I'm pretty sure and want to remind all that there is not an offset

from SSDI - but I do believe there is an offset for SSI,

SSI is what you get from SSA because you don't have enough

earning quarters built up for the other.

Please correct this if I'm wrong.

carlie

Carlie, Im not sure either but I dont get SSI I get SSDI 100%, I did get a letter from the VARO giving me a partial grant of ?? Percent. I called today and it should at least be 50% possibly 60%, its still waiting for calculation of back money and the actual award leter not just the SOC which they mailed to me. Im gonna file the form 9 anyway as they did not rate the "only remaining hearing ear" as I see it high enough. The also rated the SRT as 76% at 90Dbi, should have been 48% at 70DBi. So thats the VARO's for you

Arch

[Guest DON20906]

There is no VA comp / SSDI offset...yet. Only if you are on NSC pension is that a concern.

QUESTION??

Isnt the TDIU offset by your disability income? And SSDI is also subtracted? Am I wrong in misunderstanding the regs?? Ive been on SSDI since 1987 and have recently been able to get SC'd for Hearing and tinnitus. I wonder how or if I would be gaining anything or not by applying. B)

Arch

[sbrewer]

john999 said...

"The magic number under FERS is 18 months of employment to get OPM disability retirement. If you get SSDI it will offset your OPM". Do you know how the offset works? Do they just subtract out what your OPM disability retirement is?

Also, if you have retirement established in a previous company that you worked, can you take it in lump some if you become disabled without penalty? Would this be offset too?

Thanks,

sbrewer

[stevedenesha]

The SSDI/OPM Disability offset works like this: If your approved for OPM disability only then there's no offset but if your approved for both SSDI and OPM then the first year it's 60% of your high 3 salary minus 100% SSDI the first year and the second and subsequent years its 40% of your high 3 salary minus 60% of your SSDI.

Steve B)