ptsd Best Way To Submit Documents To Va

[hedgey]

So I've almost got my TDIU form & documents ready to send in. I had to talk to the VSO about a different matter, but discussed the TDIU with him. He insists that the only correct way for me to submit paperwork to the VA is to hand my ORIGINAL documents over to him and he would make copies for my file in his office, then forward the original documents to the VA. I told him I wasn't thrilled about that plan, since the VA seems to lose documents, but he insisted.

I got to wondering about this. I sure didn't hand over personal letters from deceased family members, I provided copies for my claim (I didn't go through this VSO for my PTSD claim - he told me I didn't have a chance and told me not to file). Why would this guy want to be responsible for handling people's original documents?

The VA doesn't seem to mind copies, from my experience. What has been everyone else's?

[LarryJ]

Larry,

Doesn't the office take care of expenses or reimburse expenses ?

Naw, carlie. I AM the "office", I guess.

See, it's sorta like this: When the JWV was notified that the Texas Veterans Commission and the VA were going to have classes and offer the accreditation program, there were ALL of the JWV posts that were notified, and there were no takers, except for me. Pitiful, huh?

Well, I knew that when I "volunteered" to become a vso, that our little post didn't have much money, I knew that I was taking the vso job strictly on a "volunteer" basis and there would be no "pay" involved.........that's okay.....I have enough money that I can share. And, when it comes to automobile expenses, office supplies, dues, etc., if I don't pay for this, then it has to come out of the JWV and we try really hard (Poppy Drives, etc.) to collect money that goes directly to the Veterans at the VAMC (we just bought some new furniture for the surgical waiting rooms, for example), and I figure that if I had to be reimbursed then that would be just one more thing that we COULDN'T help the veterans with.

Like I said, $2.50 buys quite a bit of paper, really.

[LarryJ]

LarryJ -

You've actually seen changes/documents show up in eBenefits? I've been waiting months for movement of any sort on two claims, and have seen no change in the way the system reports status yet my VSO says I should be seeing something soon....

Yup, I have. I've got two claims that I am following (my own claims) and they showed up within a couple of days of my filing them.

I do know that it took me a heck of a lot of effort to even be able to "get in the system", and I was already part of the myHealthEVet program, etc.

It appears that it is like a couple of the "in-house" VA computerized systems that I, as a vso, am SUPPOSED to be able to access, to help my veterans........................................................................................................nada...........suction sounds.

[Vync]

I know. It frustrates me because I DID get in and so many others didn't. I got in at the end of July right before their maintenance window closed the portal again. I check it periodically for others that post about it, and its down. The only thing I can think of is possibly a capacity issue with the Authentication database. Moving something like that, and making sure it's all in one piece and not truncated or the primary and secondary keys don't get farked is a Huge Endeavor (think, taking North Africa). I don't know why its taking so long, but I understand some of the concepts to apply even if I don't know what their specific hardware/software setup is.

Brokensoldier,

This line from your screenshot really says a lot about how much the VA cares about what we send in:

"Copy of handwritten statement, believed to be from veteran."

I also got my access before the MHV/DS2 link went down for permanent maintenance. It was a nightmare of daily and evening phone calls. Their level 2 supervisor eventually was relaying messages between me and their programming staff because I was talking way above his head in computer-ese. My understanding is that MHV and ebenefits are separate systems which require a lot of handshaking and validation during the MHV to DS2 upgrade. I found out that my DOB was wrong in DEERS. I pointed this out and they were able to fix their code, which was not catching an error, after I got my DOB corrected. Somehow, I still doubt they have added a feature which lets the user know that the personal data in MHV does not match what's in DS2.

The MHV and ebenefits help desks kept originally just telling me to drive to the RO for in-person authentication. That's over 100 miles each way, so I decided to wait it out instead. If they would have agreed to pay me travel for the trip, I would have been out the door and on the road to the RO asap...

[brokensoldier244th]

Thats probably because the copy they are referring to was a journal/letter page from a letter to my wife about three weeks after I was hurt and had gone to AIT. I list in it some of my frustrations trying to get care at the BAS, to get my command to not think I was another malingering trainee. Its not on an official form, and its handwritten just as I did it then, in the dark, in my bunk, after CQ and FireGuard (right before about 3 hours of sleep). Its in there mainly as really anecdotal supporting info and other than my name at the bottom, doesn't look official at all. Its already in my Cfile, I just tacked it on with some of the other stuff I sent in to help establish a case for left leg service connection for the same thing as my right (that they rated after I discharged)

Brokensoldier,

This line from your screenshot really says a lot about how much the VA cares about what we send in:

"Copy of handwritten statement, believed to be from veteran."

I also got my access before the MHV/DS2 link went down for permanent maintenance. It was a nightmare of daily and evening phone calls. Their level 2 supervisor eventually was relaying messages between me and their programming staff because I was talking way above his head in computer-ese. My understanding is that MHV and ebenefits are separate systems which require a lot of handshaking and validation during the MHV to DS2 upgrade. I found out that my DOB was wrong in DEERS. I pointed this out and they were able to fix their code, which was not catching an error, after I got my DOB corrected. Somehow, I still doubt they have added a feature which lets the user know that the personal data in MHV does not match what's in DS2.

The MHV and ebenefits help desks kept originally just telling me to drive to the RO for in-person authentication. That's over 100 miles each way, so I decided to wait it out instead. If they would have agreed to pay me travel for the trip, I would have been out the door and on the road to the RO asap...

[brokensoldier244th]

That's where I know im blessed. I pass the RO every day on my way to work, and the VAMC in Lincoln, while not huge (no surgery) has its own imaging clinic and PTSD (for those guys) and PT/ambulatory onsite. Im really right at the center of where I need to be. I couldn't imagine living in TX or FLA or GA. YIkes.

I did my inperson at the RO, corrected my DEERS info to match up with my VA stuff in about 40 minutes. The system works great, when it works-its the getting it to work that is a PITA> As a System Analyst I look at it and shake my head. More than once ive contemplated applying to work at VA in their IT section.......

I also got my access before the MHV/DS2 link went down for permanent maintenance. It was a nightmare of daily and evening phone calls. Their level 2 supervisor eventually was relaying messages between me and their programming staff because I was talking way above his head in computer-ese. My understanding is that MHV and ebenefits are separate systems which require a lot of handshaking and validation during the MHV to DS2 upgrade. I found out that my DOB was wrong in DEERS. I pointed this out and they were able to fix their code, which was not catching an error, after I got my DOB corrected. Somehow, I still doubt they have added a feature which lets the user know that the personal data in MHV does not match what's in DS2.

The MHV and ebenefits help desks kept originally just telling me to drive to the RO for in-person authentication. That's over 100 miles each way, so I decided to wait it out instead. If they would have agreed to pay me travel for the trip, I would have been out the door and on the road to the RO asap...