Newbie And Lost

[TXNVYMOM]

It seems like I have such a silly questions to ask after reading everyone's post and how long it has taken some to get their ratings. But money is short and he is facing surgery hopefully in the near future, so these questions have been weighing heavily on our minds, as he's on major pain medication and surgery is looming, and it's going to be tough to find a job prior to surgery and then there's recouperating time . My son was medically discharged from the Navy for hip and back problems at the end of January 2011. He used the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) to file for his VA rating. He turned in all of his medical records (about the size of a ream of paper), his DD214, and attended all of his doctor appointments prior to leaving the Navy on terminal leave around mid December 2010. His first DOD deposit will start tomorrow and he is signed up for TRICARE, is seeing a private pain managment doctor, just had his MRI on both hips. He has had his first appointment with the doctor at the VA, who told him see you in 6 months. So here are some of my questions.

1. Best guess, how long should it take the VA to rate his conditions?

2. How are you notified of your rating.?

3. How are you paid by the VA and do you use mypay to see an upcoming deposit?

4. At what point do you decide to continue with the DOD payments or accept the VA payments?

5. Does anyone have any advice for someone at this stage of the process? Are there any pitfalls he should be looking out for??

6. Because he is seeing private doctors, should he be keeping those records and who would he turn them in to and when??

I am sure the above dates sound ridiculous, but it's taken him 3 years to get to this point, he wasn't given an opportunity to have surgery while still in the Navy. We would really appreciate opinions from those who have bravely gone before him and know how the VA system works....right now it's a pretty confusing beast.

Edited March 1, 2011 by TXNVYMOM

[carlie]

He is currently TDRL Navy and he received 10% for his hip labral tear and 20% for his back condition.

TX,

I do remember reading that you can not be on TDRL any longer than

five years.

Here's a pretty good link that answers many questions I believe you might have.

Hope this helps.

www.turbotap.org/portal/transition/resources/PDF/Compensation_and_Benefits_Handbook.pdf

[TXNVYMOM]

Thanks for the link Carlie....It was a good read...but the question I am really looking for right now...is....is there an advocate for veterans on TDRL to assist them for medical care other than the VA.

[TXNVYMOM]

Just an update...surgery DONE!!! I paid out of pocket. So far he seems to be doing well and his spirits seem to be lifted. The surgeon found two impingements (bone spurs) and shaved them off, the tear wasn't too far gone to be repaired, they did some debridement and found a bubble on the labrum. The follow up visit is next week..so hopfully we we will find out more. I tried to ask the surgeon about what to expect in the future as I have heard that many people have to have a total hip replacement eventually...I think he got miffed at me...as he said all he would put in the report was what he found and did during the surgery. Through out the whole process...I have tried to stay one step ahead in order to make sure all the bases were covered..but I guess he didn't understand that there are times that if you don't get the information in the report and later find out...oh...sure if you would have said something we could have addressed that, but now it's too late to change it...that's all I was trying to find out. I just felt that he thought I was way off base for even asking. Does anyone have an opinion that I did ask the right thing or should not have even mentioned what might happen in the future.

We did get the Big Brown envelope...with a 40% rating. We are looking for a knowledgeable person to help with the appeal to the Winston-Salem offce in the Fort Worth area.