ptsd Ptsd Claim Went Back To "secondary Rating Board"

[FS ROSS]

I have sent two claim status request in the last month via IRIS. But before I sent them I first called the 1800 number a few days before sending the 1st Iris request and got the reply " you claim is Pending".

That was rather vague, so I waited a week and sent in the first IRIS claim status request and got this:

***This is in response to your inquiry dated September 5,2009, regarding the status of your PTSD claim.

" In researching your file, our records reflect your claim was sent to the rating board and is ready for final decision. Even after a decision has been made, there are several administrative steps that must be completed before we finalize your claim. This process is in place to ensure accuracy. We appreciate your patience and you will receive notification via U.S. mail once your claim has been finalized. Your notification letter will explain our decision in detail."

I then waited about 2 more weeks and went to IRIS and requested an update on since the last one I recieved and got this one yesterday:

****This is in response to your inquiry dated September 24, 2009, regarding an update to the status of your PTSD claim.

"In researching your file, our records reflect your claim was sent to the rating board and then sent back to the Secondary Rating board effective September 11, 2009. This indicates your claim is thoroughly being reviewed for the highest rating and decision for your disability. Even after a decision is made there are several administrative steps which must be completed before we finalize your claim. We appreciate your patience as we continue to work on your claim."

I have never seen the term "Secondary rating board" before. I am already 50% for PTSD from Nam ( Purple Heart/NavAchiev with V/ Combat Action) I have been diagnosed with rather servere Chronic Combat PTSD/ GAF since 2004 has been consistantly 41-50.

Its the Secondary rating board I am confused by...

Thanks. FS Ross 1970-71 USMC/ Grunt

[VetsLady]

We have a claim at AMC in DC and have received the same style of IRIS response....that my husband's claim is "Secondary Ready for Decision"

I sent an IRIS inquiry in to find out what this means, have yet to hear back....perhaps someone will come along and answer this for us.....

Thank you!

VetsLady

[Berta]

Every few years it seems the VA comes up with new 'VA-ola'

For example we used to have adjudicators-now they are called rating specialists-

this sure is a new one to me-no wonder there is a backlog if there are 2 rating boards for each claim.

Actually we Used to have 'rating boards' but now it seems to boil down to just one person who rates.

But any decision needs 2 or 3 separate authorization signatures-maybe this is what they mean?

[Pete53]

Shinseki aid in Congressional Testimony that VA processed and decide over 92000 claims last month a VA record. The heat is on to move claims

[VetsLady]

Shinseki aid in Congressional Testimony that VA processed and decide over 92000 claims last month a VA record. The heat is on to move claims

I curious about these Monday Morning Reports....

There are none available to view after 9/28/09....hmmmmm?

I printed the 9/28 and since our claim is with AMC in DC for decision rating

and I received info yesterday that they were working on claims remanded from

2006 and I'm seeing 1 claim in the rating claims pending column....?????

Makes me wonder how accurate those numbers really are.

I also thought that perphaps in our case where the IRIS said

"Secondary Ready for Decision" - that perhaps since we had 2 issues

on appeal, dropped one which left one, that decision one was dropped

so now they are moving onto decision two. As confusing as that even

sounds to me and I wrote it, it's often been how VA speak has been I've

noticed, there are so many different ways to say the same thing in VA land,

it's confusing.

And they said English is the hardest language to learn!

Any heads up on these reports would be great. I can figure a spreadsheet,

but not this one...?

VetsLady

[VetsLady]

Every few years it seems the VA comes up with new 'VA-ola'

For example we used to have adjudicators-now they are called rating specialists-

this sure is a new one to me-no wonder there is a backlog if there are 2 rating boards for each claim.

Actually we Used to have 'rating boards' but now it seems to boil down to just one person who rates.

But any decision needs 2 or 3 separate authorization signatures-maybe this is what they mean?

I just spoke with the AMC person who returned our call yesterday. She told me a Rating Specialist and an Adjudicator are the same.

She also told me the IRIS we received that said "Secondary Ready for Decision" meant in our case, that the claim was reviewed, it went

upstairs for a rating specialist who saw something that needed to be corrected (my guess is that it was probably the dropped issue didn't get

dropped off the system but the withdrawal was in the file and they saw that), they sent it back downstairs for the correction and now it's

back upstairs with a rating specialist who is reviewing the file (there is alot of documentation of evidence in there) and they will then rate

the claim if it's approved.

This is not in stone, but I was also told by our Congressman's office that if the file goes "upstairs" at the AMC it's a favorable decision.

My stomach is in knots, for lots of reasons aside from this, but on top of everything else, this doesn't ease my worries.

If anyone else has had this experience or can shed any additional light on the subject matter, feel free to do so. It would be more than welcome

VetsLady

[VetsLady]

FS Ross....

Not sure if this additional information helped or not. My husband's claim is very old and at the AMC - he had a videocon hearing with the BVA late last year.

If your claim is still at the VARO, I don't know if this information applies to a newer claim or not. Perhaps someone who does know will come along and let us all

know.

I wish you the best of luck in your claim and hope you will get a favorable decision very soon.

VetsLady