Need Your Advice

[navydoc2]

Let me start with a little background information, I am currently rated 80% with IU. My sc are 70% depression, 10% right knee, 10% tinnitis. This increase for IU was just recent in August. The last few months my blood pressure has been out of control and The docs have increased my meds but I still have pitting edema in both legs and run about 150/90 with the med increase. My psych doc has asked if I have ever been tested for sleep apnea since I complain of lack of sleep, chronic fatigue,and difficulty concentrating. I've had to drop out of Voc Rehab due to these symptoms. My vocrehab counselor is calling me infeasible. My questions are:

Should I just apply for P&T? I've applied for SSD and am waiting to hear back should I wait for this before applying for P&T

Should I apply for high blood pressure first then sleep apnea?

Should I wait to be tested for sleep apnea first before filing for high blood pressure?

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

[navydoc2]

You are a young vet, navydoc2, with school age children. I saw a C-span roundtable discussion with a VA rehab chief, discussing why a younger vet should not receive IU too early. "It could take away the incentive to seek gainfully employment." I know it's tough to admit to oneself, however, If you feel that you are permanently unemployable, and can prove it. you should consider the Chapter 35 benefits for your family. College for the young one's. You need to protect the benefits, so the VA will not take away the school assistance to your kids, when the time comes... When my son was in the 11th grade, I lost my P&TIU, and I had to NOD to get the P&T back to the original date. I am pleased to report that I did prevail, with the help of the DAV, that time. This was two decades ago. A Hadit member more knowledgeable than this old obsolete vet, can fill you in on the details & chapter 35 protection dates....

That is exactly why i'm asking the question about P&T. I have a young one starting college and will have two that will be there the same time; I think for my family this is the right way to go. I guess I'm wondering if high blood pressure and sleep apnea will get me there versus just asking for P&T. To answer darkhorse's question no I did not include the IU award letter in my SSD claim I figured they will get it from the VA since I signed medical release forms.

[darkhorse]

Navydoc, I would submit a copy of that yourself just to make sure. This is huge for your SSD claim and your Voc Rehab denial adds weight too.

dh

That is exactly why i'm asking the question about P&T. I have a young one starting college and will have two that will be there the same time; I think for my family this is the right way to go. I guess I'm wondering if high blood pressure and sleep apnea will get me there versus just asking for P&T. To answer darkhorse's question no I did not include the IU award letter in my SSD claim I figured they will get it from the VA since I signed medical release forms.

[navydoc2]

I will take your advice and take the award letter to the SSA office monday dark thanks.

[john999]

You have to be 100% or IU for 20 years for that rating to be protected. I am guessing that includes the ability to keep getting Chapter 35. I don't think I have ever heard of a vet losing P&T status while remaining 100% or IU. I think they usually reduce your rating and as a result you lose Chapter 35.

Bob

Were you reduced two decades ago from IU or 100% to a lower rating? If you are a young vet it is pretty shattering to be IU P&T because your ability to have a career is ended. This is very expensive in the end. It means no IRA or 401-K. It hurts your SSA payments as far as the amount. However, if you can't work, then you can't work. That is why they have these ratings. If I had gotten IU when I was 22 years old what would I have done with my life? Nothing probably. There should be some other incentivised rating to pay vets at 100% level until they are able to prove that they can work and earn enough to make a decent living. In my day if you lifed a finger to help yourself you would be reduced if the VA found out about it. There is every incentive to remain disabled, and no incentive to strive to be really rehabilitated. Now at my age I would be nuts to even try to work even if I could work. I would be punished severely.

[broncovet]

Navydoc

You should ask for EVERY benefit you feel entitled to at the earliest possible time you feel you are eligible. No, I am not suggesting you put in bogus claims..that your runny nose caused by your allegies to your dog, was somehow service connected. But, By waiting, you are hurting your own effective date. I think that the VA LOVES to make Veterans think that they can only work on ONE benefit at a time. That is, if you have PTSD, lost a leg, broke your back, you should apply for each one seperately and wait patiently until the first one you applied for is approved. You will be costing yourself money, that you deserve that way. If you have 3 conditions you feel are service connected, by all means apply for them all at once, even tho it will be a little more work for the rating specialist to consider all three, than to consider only one. Another "trick" the VA often does is to only consider one condition, then shred the evidence of the other two, so that their numbers look like they got more work done than they really did. The rating specialists are getting paid to serve Veterans needs..it is not the responsibility of the Veteran to make sure that rating specialists have an easy job, tho, by dotting all your i's and crossing all your T's you may well save yourself some of the VA's paperwork delays.

Suit yourself, but if you want to throw money away, I would suggest you go for your full benefits and donate some of it to hadit, so that other Veterans can be helped also.

(You know what...I dont even know if hadit takes donations, I just kind of assumed they do. Maybe someone who does know can chime in here)

[navydoc2]

If thats the case it makes sense for me to keep trying to get to 100% so I will file for high blood pressure and sleep apnea. I am not receiving chap 35 benefits at this time, I am not twenty but I'm not 60 either; I have not worked almost 2 years now due to sc injuries; If I could work believe me I would. I think jumping from job to job and getting fired is not in the best interest of my family.