Big Brown Envelope

[joeyjoeyb]

Put in for increase on 4 things back in Oct 09...went from zero to 10% on 2 of the claims and 2 were deferred. The two increases also put me from 50% to 60%. I am really happy.

I am a little confused on the 2 claims that were deferred. I am not sure what that means exactly. It says in the decision letter that they were deferred for the following information : VA examiner's medical opinion. What does that mean?

Again, wanted to thank this board. I sure wish I knew about it when I retired 4 years ago. Everything just makes alot more sense now.

[Berta]

It looks to me that they were deferred pending the results of C & P exams. Have they scheduled yo yet for these C & Ps? If I were you I would get a copy of the results of those exams as soon as they are completely to get a leg up on what they might decide.

You did very well so far and this decision didn't take too long compared to most decisions.Are you still employed?

[Pete53]

Congrats on your win and deferred means they are not finished yet.

[joeyjoeyb]

It looks to me that they were deferred pending the results of C & P exams. Have they scheduled yo yet for these C & Ps? If I were you I would get a copy of the results of those exams as soon as they are completely to get a leg up on what they might decide.

You did very well so far and this decision didn't take too long compared to most decisions.Are you still employed?

They deferred my hearing loss and tinnitus. Here is the thing. I had a C&P and hearing test for my initial claims in 2007. I claimed a "right ear condition". Because I had my right ear drained a few times while on active duty and it always felt full and had that annoying buzzing. I did the ENT exam and then the hearing test. The ENT doc wrote up the report saying everything looked fine. He asked me if I was experiencing any hearing loss and told him yes and that I had a C&P the following week and we would see what the test shows. Well he submitted his report before I even had the hearing test saying all was good and I had no hearing loss. Well when I did the hearing test, it showed mild hearing loss in the right ear. Denied for right ear condition.

So now fast forward to 2009....my hearing was getting worse along with the buzzing sound. So I went to an ENT in town through tricare and they did a hearing test on me. Well it had gotten alot worse. So I asked my VSO if I could reopen the claim. He said I would have to have new evidence. I submitted a claim for hearing loss and tinnitus. My local ENT approved me for a hearing aid. I went to my C&P on May 19 and had another audio exam. The right ear was worse. The audioligist asked me why did they not do an ENT exam on me back in 2007. I told her they did. Then she said "wow, they did it backwards", they should have done the audio test first and then ENT exam. I wonder why they did that way. I told her, that is what I was trying to explain all along. How could they write a report up in 2007, when he did not even have the hearing test yet. The doctor for my latest C&P hearing test, put that in the C&P notes, that I saw in ENT, but they did not have a hearing test available (because I did not do it until the next week), and that I had my hearing test done AFTER the ENT appointment. And back in 2007 ENT recommended an ENT eval to address conductive hearing loss in right ear. THAT NEVER HAPPENED

So I am not sure if I am waiting for another ENT appointment now. Or is the VA looking to see if I was incorrectly rated back in 2007. If I get 10% for tinnitus (my hearing loss will get me 0% as of now), I am wondering if that could go back to 2006 when I first filed my initial claim. I was rated at 40% initially and got up graded to 50% in Nov 2008. So that 10% for tinnitus would have given me 50% way back in 2006. Do I have a possible CUE here? Do I need to call and set up my own C&P? Or wait to the VA to do it.

I know this is rambling on a bit, but I have wondered since my intital exam, how could they rate my on the hearing loss and tinnitus, when they did my hearing test after the ENT appointment and the ENT doc did not have anything to base his decision on, except for looking in my ear?

Edited June 26, 2010 by joeyjoeyb

[SLEDGE]

" I know this is rambling on a bit, but I have wondered since my intital exam, how could they rate my on the hearing loss and tinnitus, when they did my hearing test after the ENT appointment and the ENT doc did not have anything to base his decision on, except for looking in my ear? "

Unfortunately, what you are experiencing is normal business as usual at the VA.

The doctors wing it, you don't even have to be there, and the Regional Office does whatever they can to move the paperwork along.

Congress and the VA make a big deal out of the severe backlog of initial claims.

Which congress and the VA caused by going for numbers instead of quality in their work.

We suffer along waiting and the VA jerks receive larger bonus checks.

This is legalized fraud supported by the government.

If they ever change the standard to 'doing-it-right-the-first-time' the backlog will take care of itself, congress will have to use some other contrived BS to get elected and many more disabled veterans will be able to get the right kind of help and eventually return to the workforce.

Keep getting copies of the examination reports and all other papers generated by your involvement with the VA.

Resubmit whatever they should have looked at before the stupid denial.

Try to get everything you turned into the VA date stamped by any VA clerk at any VA facility.

Don't miss any appeal time limits.

Don't do anything rash or stupid yourself.

Don't abandon your claims.

We can't say when but, you will win your earned benefits.

sledge

[stillhere]

That is a little out of the norm. I had the hearing test and then had to have a ENT approval before I could even get my hearing aids. Did they give you hearing aids? Sometimes I have heard if you our not a cadidate for aides they do the ENT to see if there is any problem.

[Pete53]

If you need a hearing aide they usually give you one without to much of a hassle.