hypertension Received My Ptsd Disability Last Month (50%), Curious About Effective Date, Possible Cue?

[lpalli]

Last month my PTSD claim was completed and I was notified that I am 50% disabled due to PTSD - combined with 10% disability on another injury brings me to 60%. I've had the other 10% since my original claim, just after I left the Army in 2007.

For the 50%, I was back paid to the date I filed my claim for PTSD in May of 2011 (last year).

My question is that in my original VA claim in 2007 I included Chest Pain, Hypertension, Shortness of Breath as one of the medical conditions in my claim. The VA came back and said that none of that was service connected.

HOWEVER, all of that was my PTSD. The problem is that at the exact time I was filing that original claim, I was only a few months out of Iraq and was still determining that all of those symptoms were in fact PTSD. In fact, when I filed I thought I actually had heart problems (etc etc). Turns out all of that was anxiety related to the PTSD.

To further complicate things, almost all of my medical evidence of PTSD was in 2007 while/during my original VA claim. After I got out, I tried to "tough it out" for a few years and didn't have any additional medical evidence (aside from a few ER visits) until I filed my second claim in 2011 and was evaluated by a mental health professional.

I've scoured the internet for a similar situation - but cannot find one. Should my recent PTSD decision be backdated to my original claim date since I had, more or less, PTSD on that claim?

Thanks for any help!

Secondly - can someone recommend a good service organization I can use to run my appeal thru (if I do one)?

[Berta]

The earliest effective date is almost always the date that VA recieved the claim.

"My question is that in my original VA claim in 2007 I included Chest Pain, Hypertension, Shortness of Breath as one of the medical conditions in my claim. The VA came back and said that none of that was service connected.

HOWEVER, all of that was my PTSD. The problem is that at the exact time I was filing that original claim, I was only a few months out of Iraq and was still determining that all of those symptoms were in fact PTSD. In fact, when I filed I thought I actually had heart problems (etc etc). Turns out all of that was anxiety related to the PTSD."

If the hypertension is clearly documented in your SMRs at a ratable level and you have had continuous medical care for it, then that could possibly warrant a re-open of that older claim.

“To further complicate things, almost all of my medical evidence of PTSD was in 2007 while/during my original VA claim. After I got out, I tried to "tough it out" for a few years and didn't have any additional medical evidence (aside from a few ER visits) until I filed my second claim in 2011 and was evaluated by a mental health professional. “

If there was,in fact, a diagnosis of PTSD in the 2007 medical record, that might also warrant a better EED.Do the ER visits reveal anxiety on the ER Certificates?

It is hard to say for sure on your potential here but any good vet rep could assess that for you and possibly advise you to file a NOD on the recent decision and/or reopen the older decision.

The VA web site has taken their list of Accredited service officers down for a while but this will help:

https://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/other_services_and_resources/veterans_service_organizations/chartered_veterans_service_organizations

In my opinion the best ones are American Legion, DAV, AMVETS, PVA, and MOPH but then again it all depends on the actual vet rep you get.

Do you have copies of your SMRs and medical records?

[Philip Rogers]

I feel it is possible to get an EED but it'll be a long battle. Of course 4yrs at 50% would be a very worthwhile retro check. Do you feel you are actually 50% for PTSD or are you actually higher??? In 1989, the VA gave me 30% for PTSD. I disagreed and after 10 yrs won a 100% PTSD rating back to day one. You could easily win in half that time these days. jmo

pr

[lpalli]

Thanks for the answers.

I have copies of everything.

I'm going to head in and talk to the DAV this week and do something. I honestly have no idea if the 50% is right or not for my PTSD. I just filed the claim and let it go its course. I'll run this all thru the DAV and see what they say.

Thanks!

[carlie]

Thanks for the answers.

I have copies of everything.

I'm going to head in and talk to the DAV this week and do something. I honestly have no idea if the 50% is right or not for my PTSD. I just filed the claim and let it go its course. I'll run this all thru the DAV and see what they say.

Thanks!

Check what is stated in the Reasons and Bases Section to see if it matches up

with what is stated in your C&P and medical records.

JMHO