Claim Decided On March 10th. Now What?

[pilgrim01]

I called the 1-800 number on Friday and the rep told me that my claim had been finalized and given a rating on Tuesday, March 10th! She said she could not see what it was though. How long until I see or hear anything in writing? I filed my claim mid-August under the "pre-discharge" program. Don't know the actual name. I retired Nov 1st. Thanks!

[cvsp]

68,

Thanks goodness for hadit! The sad part is, if you did not read it here (Virtual) and told the phone rep how to do his or her job, you would be left out in the dark. I think most of us, upon completion of our claims and thanks to hadit will be more versed then some if not most of the phone reps.

PS I know one of the IRIS call centers is in Ohio.

[pacmanx1]

pilgrim01

You mean 40%, I am a total of 230% but combined 100%. VA do not add like we do. In Sept. 2007 I filed a claim for fibromyalgia. May 2008 I was given a C & P exam and the doctor stated that my fibromyalgia is/was severe, constant or nearly so. VA then asked me for additional evidence and I made the mistake of telling them all my symptoms. I thought it was all over, but VA sent me to an exam for depression in Aug 2008. My file then went to the rating board in Nov 2008, came out For more development and VA again sent me to a C & P exam for fibromyalgia, depression and numbness and tingling in my arms and legs in Feb. 2009. Mar. 9th went back to the rating board, Mar 13th went to authorization, Mar 17th got my increase letter. All together been fighting about ten years but really been pushing for four years. Once I got to 60% I started looking at my symptoms, talking to my doctors, reading the regs. and applying for increases. Some were denied because I called them the wrong thing like back pain and it should have been fibromyalgia but now I could go back and have the back pain SC for being aggravated by SC fibromyalgia. It takes some time to get to know how VA like to play their little games but the more you get pissed off the more you dig. At least that is what happened to me. My appeal is still pending, I new it would take a few years for that to be completed so I opened new claims and they processed them faster. My appeal just went to the AMC and from what I have read on hadit, it will take about another year or more, maybe two years.

Pete992

[pilgrim01]

Pete,

So are you saying that I should open a new claim instead of an appeal because the process is faster?

[pacmanx1]

No, unfortunately I think you should wait to you get your award letter. After you get your letter let hadit know what was said in the reasons for decisions and you could read CFR 38 part 4 to see if VA rated you at the right level, hadit can help you understand. Also you can go back to the AMVET if you are in the area, if not we are here and if you don't like the decision. You can file a request for reconsideration based on new evidence your (MRI). The request for reconsideration should be faster than filing a NOD or oping a new claim. If you agree with the award then you could open a new claim. What VARO is rating your claim?

Pete992

[pilgrim01]

Thanks, Pete!

So, I should file a request for reconsideration due to the MRI/X-ray? Gotcha! Also, my doctor called me today about my MRI results and told me the same thing as my X-rays (degenerative, bulging discs, etc). He also said that he is referring me to Orthopaedics so they can see if they will operate, give steroid shots, etc. :P Roanoke, Virginia is rating my calim. Why do you ask?

Is NOD-- Notice of Disagreement?

[pacmanx1]

Yes, NOD means notice of disagreement. Some VAROs are better than others, I asked because maybe someone else on hadit may have had good or bad experience with them and could chime in on and make suggestions. How many claims did you put in for? are your retired?

Pete992