First Time Visitor, Going To C&p On Monday

[H4nds0l0]

I was discharged from the Air Force back in May 2009. General under Honorable Conditions for Minor Discplinary Infractions, but the first statement in my discharge paperwork was about my Adjustment Disorder as well as Axis 2 Personality traits. This past year I've been battling through some really dark times in my head, and I finally got the courage to go to the VA at the beginning of the month. All I wanted was information on my benefits, and who I could talk to try and appeal my discharge, but the guy put me in for a disability claim. I don't even know what's going on anymore, things are moving so fast. I have to be at this doctors appointment on Monday for whatever the case. I've tried googling information about all of this but I have no idea what to expect.

In my last couple of months in the service I started having sleep problems after I came back from Iraq. Came to work late a couple times. Cried a lot. Had suicidal thoughts. Went to life skills, was prescribed Celexa and Ambien and Paxil, but it just kept getting worse. Kept making mistakes on the job, screwing up paperwork, getting 'abrasive' with the NCOs in my unit. I didn't mean to. I was just in such a dark place, you know? It's funny, you can go from super troop at one end of the year, coming out of basic with honor graduate and loads upon loads of letters of appreciation for volunteer activites I kept up on, to going to Iraq, and coming back and just falling off the world.

Anyway, enough with my rant. What should I expect on monday? I really have no idea.

[pacmanx1]

This is not your award letter. You will get an award letter from the regional office that is close to you. Your claim(s) have not been decided yet.

[chr49]

So I received a letter today from "Health Eligibility Center" from Atlanta, GA and in it said I was part of priority group 5, meaning no service disability? Is this the final result of the decision, or is this just stating what i'm qualified for now while they are still reviewing?

So confused.

Don't worry, this letter has nothing to do with your disability claims. It is only related to your VA health care eligibility. Priority levels for VA medical care are set according to a veteran's disabilities, income, and assets. Since you are not service connected for any disabilities at this point, you were given a priority group 5 after they assessed your income & assets.

The letter is essentially telling you that you are eligible to receive VA medical care. You may have to pay a co-payment for any medications that are ordered by the VA. If/when you are awarded a disability your priority group will change.

The VA hospitals generally hand out new patient booklets that explain the priority levels and co-payments, etc. Did you get one? I found it very helpful.

I agree. The VA medical system can be very confusing until you get used to it.

Edited October 20, 2010 by chr49

[H4nds0l0]

Just got my white envelope in the mail. 50% disabled service connected as of August 31st, 2010. GAF was 42. Now I need to know a good lawyer to help me get my discharge upgraded since I feel I was wrongfully discharged due to my symptoms. Major Depression with Anxiety. Any help would be appreciated, I live in New Jersey.

[H4nds0l0]

Just got my white envelope in the mail. 50% disabled service connected as of August 31st, 2010. GAF was 42. Now I need to know a good lawyer to help me get my discharge upgraded since I feel I was wrongfully discharged due to my symptoms. Major Depression with Anxiety. Any help would be appreciated, I live in New Jersey.

[john999]

How long ago were you discharged? If it has been less than three years you can appeal your discharge yourself with a veterans service rep. Unless you ask for a medical discharge with a pension you should be able to get this thing upgraded to honorable. If you are not working then you should have gotten a higher disability rating. I would appeal that 50% if I were you. I got that kind of discharge after Vietnam and I got it upgraded pretty soon via a hearing with Discharge Review Board. They are pretty sympathetic to guys with PTSD since the military has a very old and bad habit of kicking out its members who have emotional problems.

In future if any doctor at the VA asks you about your life before the military just say everything was great and after your experience in Iraq it sucked. Stick around this website!

[jbasser]

I dont know your entire claim issues but with a Gaf of 42 (if it is consistantly in that range) should rate in a higher percentage. I would let the experts look at it.

J