Jump to content

Ask Your VA Claims Questions | Read Current Posts 
Read VA Disability Claims Articles
Search | View All Forums | Donate | Blogs | New Users | Rules 

  • tbirds-va-claims-struggle (1).png

  • 01-2024-stay-online-donate-banner.png

     

Unofficial Win

Rate this topic


RuskiLinguist

Recommended Posts

I recently joined this site and felt completely empowered to represent myself (Yes, I remember the fool for a client joke) and see if the system works without having to hire a lawyer.

October 2009, I filed for service connection for Depression. After seeing a VA Doctor, I was told I am suffering from PTSD (never heard of it until then), in addition to MDD. So in June 2010, I applied for PTSD also. I only had 1 C&P exam, and that doctor gave me a pretty good write-up. That was in July 2010.

I got the call today (5 October 2010) from my DAV rep saying she just signed some letter telling me that the VA had just rated my PTSD at 100%. I have no further details than that, but promise to follow up with the details when the official letter arrives. Total time table was a year almost to the date, but the timeframe between C&P exam and the VA decision was only about 9 weeks. I think the delay between application and my C&P exam may have been my own fault for filing multiple claims.

The VA evaluated both my MDD and Depression with an initial applicaiton date of my October 2009 filing.

Bottom line is that I feel I would have never even attempted to try for VA benefits if I had not found this site. I will certainly direct all of my veteran friends to seek answers here.

Thanks so much T-bird, and all who come here every day to help soooooo many of us!!!

A well earned salute to you!!!

RuskiLinguist

P.S. I will update my profile when the official letter arrives.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 16
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • HadIt.com Elder

My advice is when the money hits the bank that is official.

Veterans deserve real choice for their health care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder

Congrats!!!! Everytime someone wins I do a little "happy dance," as much as my old arthritic body will allow!!!!! It's kinda like an "old snoopy" dance. I'm doing it now!!! If the VA had given me what I deserved,, in the beginning I wouldn't be here. Every win is a win for me. Go VA, Go VA!!!

pr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Founder

RuskiLinguist -

Congratulations on your success. Remember find out if you are permanent, you are total in VA speak total and 100% mean the same thing. Are you schedular or TDIU? Have you paid any co-payments at the VA? If so you can recoup all of them back to the effective date of any rating over 50%. You do this through your local VAMC I think through patient affairs. Also check out your state benefits

What a wonderful post. My favorite line "Bottom line is that I feel I would have never even attempted to try for VA benefits if I had not found this site. I will certainly direct all of my veteran friends to seek answers here." This is high praise for all of us. We have helped one veteran's life change for the better, all of us, it is an amazing thing.

I recently joined this site and felt completely empowered to represent myself (Yes, I remember the fool for a client joke) and see if the system works without having to hire a lawyer.

October 2009, I filed for service connection for Depression. After seeing a VA Doctor, I was told I am suffering from PTSD (never heard of it until then), in addition to MDD. So in June 2010, I applied for PTSD also. I only had 1 C&P exam, and that doctor gave me a pretty good write-up. That was in July 2010.

I got the call today (5 October 2010) from my DAV rep saying she just signed some letter telling me that the VA had just rated my PTSD at 100%. I have no further details than that, but promise to follow up with the details when the official letter arrives. Total time table was a year almost to the date, but the timeframe between C&P exam and the VA decision was only about 9 weeks. I think the delay between application and my C&P exam may have been my own fault for filing multiple claims.

The VA evaluated both my MDD and Depression with an initial applicaiton date of my October 2009 filing.

Bottom line is that I feel I would have never even attempted to try for VA benefits if I had not found this site. I will certainly direct all of my veteran friends to seek answers here.

Thanks so much T-bird, and all who come here every day to help soooooo many of us!!!

A well earned salute to you!!!

RuskiLinguist

P.S. I will update my profile when the official letter arrives.

Tbird
 

Founder HadIt.com Veteran To Veteran LLC - Founded Jan 20, 1997

 

HadIt.com Veteran To Veteran | Community Forum | RallyPointFaceBook | LinkedInAbout Me

 

Time Dedicated to HadIt.com Veterans and my brothers and sisters: 65,700 - 109,500 Hours Over Thirty Years

 

diary-a-mad-sailor-signature-banner.png

I am writing my memoirs and would love it if you could help a shipmate out and look at it.

I've had a few challenges, perhaps the same as you. I relate them here to demonstrate that we can learn, overcome, and find purpose in life.

The stories can be harrowing to read; they were challenging to live. Remember that each story taught me something I would need once I found my purpose, and my purpose was and is HadIt.com Veterans.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Tell a friend

    Love HadIt.com’s VA Disability Community Vets helping Vets since 1997? Tell a friend!
  • Recent Achievements

    • Lebro earned a badge
      First Post
    • stuart55 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • stuart55 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Lebro earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Sparklinger earned a badge
      First Post
  • Our picks

    • Caluza Triangle defines what is necessary for service connection
      Caluza Triangle – Caluza vs Brown defined what is necessary for service connection. See COVA– CALUZA V. BROWN–TOTAL RECALL

      This has to be MEDICALLY Documented in your records:

      Current Diagnosis.   (No diagnosis, no Service Connection.)

      In-Service Event or Aggravation.
      Nexus (link- cause and effect- connection) or Doctor’s Statement close to: “The Veteran’s (current diagnosis) is at least as likely due to x Event in military service”
      • 0 replies
    • Do the sct codes help or hurt my disability rating 
    • VA has gotten away with (mis) interpreting their  ambigious, , vague regulations, then enforcing them willy nilly never in Veterans favor.  

      They justify all this to congress by calling themselves a "pro claimant Veteran friendly organization" who grants the benefit of the doubt to Veterans.  

      This is not true, 

      Proof:  

          About 80-90 percent of Veterans are initially denied by VA, pushing us into a massive backlog of appeals, or worse, sending impoverished Veterans "to the homeless streets" because  when they cant work, they can not keep their home.  I was one of those Veterans who they denied for a bogus reason:  "Its been too long since military service".  This is bogus because its not one of the criteria for service connection, but simply made up by VA.  And, I was a homeless Vet, albeit a short time,  mostly due to the kindness of strangers and friends. 

          Hadit would not be necessary if, indeed, VA gave Veterans the benefit of the doubt, and processed our claims efficiently and paid us promptly.  The VA is broken. 

          A huge percentage (nearly 100 percent) of Veterans who do get 100 percent, do so only after lengthy appeals.  I have answered questions for thousands of Veterans, and can only name ONE person who got their benefits correct on the first Regional Office decision.  All of the rest of us pretty much had lengthy frustrating appeals, mostly having to appeal multiple multiple times like I did. 

          I wish I know how VA gets away with lying to congress about how "VA is a claimant friendly system, where the Veteran is given the benefit of the doubt".   Then how come so many Veterans are homeless, and how come 22 Veterans take their life each day?  Va likes to blame the Veterans, not their system.   
    • Welcome to hadit!  

          There are certain rules about community care reimbursement, and I have no idea if you met them or not.  Try reading this:

      https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-emergency-care-at-non-va-facilities/

         However, (and I have no idea of knowing whether or not you would likely succeed) Im unsure of why you seem to be so adamant against getting an increase in disability compensation.  

         When I buy stuff, say at Kroger, or pay bills, I have never had anyone say, "Wait!  Is this money from disability compensation, or did you earn it working at a regular job?"  Not once.  Thus, if you did get an increase, likely you would have no trouble paying this with the increase compensation.  

          However, there are many false rumors out there that suggest if you apply for an increase, the VA will reduce your benefits instead.  

      That rumor is false but I do hear people tell Veterans that a lot.  There are strict rules VA has to reduce you and, NOT ONE of those rules have anything to do with applying for an increase.  

      Yes, the VA can reduce your benefits, but generally only when your condition has "actually improved" under ordinary conditions of life.  

          Unless you contacted the VA within 72 hours of your medical treatment, you may not be eligible for reimbursement, or at least that is how I read the link, I posted above. Here are SOME of the rules the VA must comply with in order to reduce your compensation benefits:

      https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/3.344

       
    • Good question.   

          Maybe I can clear it up.  

          The spouse is eligible for DIC if you die of a SC condition OR any condition if you are P and T for 10 years or more.  (my paraphrase).  

      More here:

      Source:

      https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/

      NOTE:   TO PROVE CAUSE OF DEATH WILL LIKELY REQUIRE AN AUTOPSY.  This means if you die of a SC condtion, your spouse would need to do an autopsy to prove cause of death to be from a SC condtiond.    If you were P and T for 10 full years, then the cause of death may not matter so much. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use