hypertension Va Claim Developmental Phase

[CShock]

Hello,

I’m new to Hadit and this is my first post. I was feeling pretty good about getting what I felt was a jump start on my C&P claiming by visiting a VSO 6 months prior to my effective retirement date of 28 Feb 11, meeting all my appts, providing info and completing my exam the first week on Nov. However after reading several post about the length of time to receive an award, I must say the wind has been taken out of my proverbial sail. I thought by filling under quick start/BBD that I could expect the process to run smoothly and “as advertised” I’m sure that elicits a chuckle from all who will read this.

So now for my question/concern, on 1 Mar I logged on to the ebenefits website and noticed that my claim was still in the development phase with a date of 1 Mar 11. This is quite discouraging since I visited the VSO office on 13 Oct and completed my exam the first week of Nov. Should I be concerned about the 1 March date or is this typical since I my last day of active duty was 28 Feb?

Additionally before ending my time active duty, I completed a sleep study and was diagnosed with sleep apnea and recommended for CPAP. I think I will wait until my initial results and then submit my paperwork for the sleep apnea. Thoughts?

Lastly my contentions are the following, which I don’t feel are a lot but possibly this is also a reason why I haven’t heard anything yet.

- hypertension (on meds)

- chronic bilateral knee pain (, osteoarthritis right knee, and 5 hyalgan injections. Left knee history of buckling with documented falls)

- s/p right surgery (rt knee ACL, PCL meniscus replacement and screws)

- scars and physical therapy (from rt. knee surgery 12 inches and eczema)

- chronic right wrist pain (frac)tured in 2010, some loss of motion

- right shin splints

- history of right leg cellulitis (hospitalized 4 days)

- chronic neck pain (degenerative and aggravated by the falls caused by knee buckling)

- gout

- bilateral hearing loss

- chronic right shoulder pain (some loss of motion)

V/r

Shock

[Xnavynuke]

Additionally before ending my time active duty, I completed a sleep study and was diagnosed with sleep apnea and recommended for CPAP. I think I will wait until my initial results and then submit my paperwork for the sleep apnea. Thoughts?

As this hasn't been addressed, I will chime in with what I would recommend.

I would fill out a 21-526ez and get copies of all military treatment for the sleep apnea, Additionally if while waiting for the original claim to go through you get any treatment for the sleep apnea, make sure to get copies of the treatment notes / records no matter what the source even if it is the VA, as VHA and VBA don't play nice, they can't share properly. If it hits the Jan 31, 2012 and there is still no decision submit for sleep apnea anyways. If you get a decision sooner, submit at that time.

Also, if as time passes your s/c conditions get worse put in for increases.

Just my 2 cents.

[TXNVYMOM]

CShock...I will be following your progress...my son filed his VA paperwork prior to leaving the military and had his C&P exams also prior to leaving under the BDD program. He turned in everything including his DD214 about the middle of December 2010 before leaving his duty station in Virginia and returning home to Texas. His end of service was a month ahead of yours. Good luck!!

[TXNVYMOM]

CShock...I will be following your progress...my son filed his VA paperwork prior to leaving the military and had his C&P exams also prior to leaving under the BDD program. He turned in everything including his DD214 about the middle of December 2010 before leaving his duty station in Virginia and returning home to Texas. His end of service was a month ahead of yours. Good luck!!

I read "somewhere" ( maybe on the BDD site) that they would start processing his VA claim the day after his end of service date.

[CShock]

Xnavynuke

Thanks for the insight, I hadn't allowed myself to even remotely think this process would drag out until 2012, but after perusing the site I would be jaded (now) to think otherwise, it's just disappointing. Qucik start, BBD, yadda, yadda, yadda... At least I now feel I am informed and I can stop checking the ebenefits site everyday in hopes to see a change.

Shock

As this hasn't been addressed, I will chime in with what I would recommend.

I would fill out a 21-526ez and get copies of all military treatment for the sleep apnea, Additionally if while waiting for the original claim to go through you get any treatment for the sleep apnea, make sure to get copies of the treatment notes / records no matter what the source even if it is the VA, as VHA and VBA don't play nice, they can't share properly. If it hits the Jan 31, 2012 and there is still no decision submit for sleep apnea anyways. If you get a decision sooner, submit at that time.

Also, if as time passes your s/c conditions get worse put in for increases.

Just my 2 cents.

[CShock]

Thanks,

I hope things work out for your son as well, lets try and keep each other posted.

CShock...I will be following your progress...my son filed his VA paperwork prior to leaving the military and had his C&P exams also prior to leaving under the BDD program. He turned in everything including his DD214 about the middle of December 2010 before leaving his duty station in Virginia and returning home to Texas. His end of service was a month ahead of yours. Good luck!!

[ExAirman]

CShock,

To add my own two cents, I retired from Active Duty Air Force effective 1 March 2010 and had submitted my VA claim under the Quick Start program. I received my first claim result of 10%, for one of my 11 claimed issues. My other 10 issues were deferred for further consideration. Those claims are now walking through the system and I am again in the development phase of the process.

My experience in the quick start program is excessive long due to a mistake made by the VA with my physical address (they had it wrong and couldn't seem to get it straight between the VA Claims offices and the VA medical centers) which led to me not receiving proper notification of required events.

Thus if all goes well for you, you will most likely see a response within a year. If it goes not so well... you get the picture!

Good luck!