Prostate Cancer

[DATO]

I was recently awarded a 20% disability for prostate cancer...radical proceedure....vietnam vet.....I was unaware of the VA benefit until 10 months after my iperation. I submitted my claim and was told the effective date is the date I filed my claim. So I miss 6 months compensation at 100% disability and the subsequent four months of monthly compensation.

Can anyone give me information on the VA's duty to inform Vets of our benefits? Is there any law outside of the one year since leaving the service, increased benfit, law?

The VA referred me to the US court of Appeals for Veterans Claims holding that claimants may not properly file and VA has no authority to adjudicate a freestanding claim for an earlier effective date.

Thank you

[jkolek]

I know what you mean, DATO. I found out about it by chance two months ago - over two YEARS after my prostatectomy. I feel sorry for the Vets who will die never knowing about the compensation.

[Berta]

"Can anyone give me information on the VA's duty to inform Vets of our benefits? Is there any law outside of the one year since leaving the service, increased benfit, law?"

They are doing better these days to inform active duty of their benefits when they transition out-but the VA really doesn't want us to know anything.

My plumber did some work here yesterday and he is still ticked off because he didn't know how to use his GI bill when he left service, and didn't go to the VA for health care for decades because he thought he wasn't eligible.He started using VA for medical care about 5 years ago.

What we don't know saves them money.Hadit provides the Knowledge we all need.

[WildBill]

We were going to Veterans Affairs getting help with my claim for prostate cancer. We did not receive the check for 100% for the month after surgery. We kept asking what was up? We were told, "Not to rock the boat until my claim was settled."We kept asking. Same answer. Long story short, we were put off until the deadline passed... six years and we lost out on $2700.00. Bent over again by the VA.