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 

Top 10 VA Disability Claims Articles

  • tbirds-va-claims-struggle (1).png

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

     

  • 0

A Strange Phone Call From Regional

Rate this question

iceturkee

Asked by iceturkee,

 Share

Question

iceturkee Proficient

iceturkee

Posted
Posted

as some of you may know, the VA is working on IU for me, based on a comment made by the shrink who did my mental health claim. to refresh your memory, she wrote that although i had been long retired for medical reasons, the odds of me ever working again (even in a sedentary job) were highly unlikely given the chronic nature of my depression and the fact i suffer from long periods of social isolation. the VA deferred IU with my entitlement to service connection for depression, for development and scheduling of a medical.

a few weeks ago i queried IRIS to find out when this exam was going to be scheduled. that lead to monday afternoons call from regional. in a nutshell, the guy asked me if i wanted to pursue IU since i did not initiate the claim. I told him i was under the impression (and verified by a VA management analyst in st. pete who is my reporters friend media contact) that the VA initiated the claim (based on the shrinks comments) and verfied by st. pete. he said yes that is all true but sometimes doctors do things without the veterans knowledge or veterans wishes. i told him that if the VA wanted to give me 100 percent because they thought i was qualified, i would gladly take it.

long story but the medical should be scheduled soon, probably at the VAMC in Orlando.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Answers 7
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters For This Question

Popular Days

Top Posters For This Question

Popular Days

7 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • HadIt.com Elder
Pete53 Grand Master

Pete53

Posted
  • HadIt.com Elder
Posted

In the wonderful zany world of the VA they actually think being over 65 can qualify for full pension provided other conditions are met. I suspect there are a lot of older Veterans who are entitled to benefits they don't know about.

Veterans deserve real choice for their health care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
iceturkee Proficient

iceturkee

Posted
  • Author
Posted

In the wonderful zany world of the VA they actually think being over 65 can qualify for full pension provided other conditions are met. I suspect there are a lot of older Veterans who are entitled to benefits they don't know about.

i will agree that there is probably a startling number of veterans who are unaware of their benefits. me, personally, i'm not 65 yet...only 61!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • HadIt.com Elder
john999 Grand Master

john999

Posted
  • HadIt.com Elder
Posted

Iceturkey

The VA was asking you if you wanted IU. If you did say "yes" I think you will have it pretty soon because the VA has made up their mind. I use the St. Pete VARO. If they called you all they want to know is should they go ahead and award TDIU or not. I would not look that gift horse in the mouth. I got a call like that about SMC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
iceturkee Proficient

iceturkee

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Iceturkey

The VA was asking you if you wanted IU. If you did say "yes" I think you will have it pretty soon because the VA has made up their mind. I use the St. Pete VARO. If they called you all they want to know is should they go ahead and award TDIU or not. I would not look that gift horse in the mouth. I got a call like that about SMC.

really, that is interesting to know!! Did you get ehw SMC? it sounded like the next step was a medical because he mentioned contacting the nearest VAMC, which for me is orlando.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
iceturkee Proficient

iceturkee

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I got my SMC within weeks of the call. I think if the St. Pete VA called you about IU they mean to grant it.

i hope you are right. just have a question, though, why would i be told i would be scheduled for a medical soon?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to question listing


  • Tell a friend

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

  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Lebro
      Lebro earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      spazbototto
      spazbototto earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      Paul Gretza
      Paul Gretza earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Community Regular
      Troy Spurlock
      Troy Spurlock went up a rank
      Community Regular
    • Week One Done
      KMac1181
      KMac1181 earned a badge
      Week One Done

  • Our picks

    • VA Disability Claims: 5 Game-Changing Precedential Decisions You Need to Know

      Tbird posted a record in VA Claims and Benefits Information,

      These decisions have made a big impact on how VA disability claims are handled, giving veterans more chances to get benefits and clearing up important issues.

      Service Connection

      Frost v. Shulkin (2017)
      This case established that for secondary service connection claims, the primary service-connected disability does not need to be service-connected or diagnosed at the time the secondary condition is incurred 1. This allows veterans to potentially receive secondary service connection for conditions that developed before their primary condition was officially service-connected. 

      Saunders v. Wilkie (2018)
      The Federal Circuit ruled that pain alone, without an accompanying diagnosed condition, can constitute a disability for VA compensation purposes if it results in functional impairment 1. This overturned previous precedent that required an underlying pathology for pain to be considered a disability.

      Effective Dates

      Martinez v. McDonough (2023)
      This case dealt with the denial of an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) 2. It addressed issues around the validity of appeal withdrawals and the consideration of cognitive impairment in such decisions.

      Rating Issues

      Continue Reading on HadIt.com
      • 0 replies
      Tbird

      Picked By

      Tbird,

    • Are all military medical records on file at the VA?

      RichardZ posted a topic in How to's on filing a Claim,

      I met with a VSO today at my VA Hospital who was very knowledgeable and very helpful.  We decided I should submit a few new claims which we did.  He told me that he didn't need copies of my military records that showed my sick call notations related to any of the claims.  He said that the VA now has entire military medical record on file and would find the record(s) in their own file.  It seemed odd to me as my service dates back to  1981 and spans 34 years through my retirement in 2015.  It sure seemed to make more sense for me to give him copies of my military medical record pages that document the injuries as I'd already had them with me.  He didn't want my copies.  Anyone have any information on this.  Much thanks in advance.  
      • 4 replies
      RichardZ

      Picked By

      RichardZ,
    • Caluza Triangle defines what is necessary for service connection

      Caluza Triangle defines what is necessary for service connection

      Tbird posted a record in VA Claims and Benefits Information,

      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
      Tbird

      Picked By

      Tbird,

    • Post in ICD Codes and SCT CODES?WHAT THEY MEAN?

      Timothy cawthorn posted an answer to a question,

      Do the sct codes help or hurt my disability rating 
      yellowrose

      Picked By

      yellowrose,

    • Post in Chevron Deference overruled by Supreme Court

      broncovet posted a post in a topic,

      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.   
      Lemuel

      Picked By

      Lemuel,
    View All
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use

  I accept