Question? Has Anyone Been To Houston Varo To Discuss Claim

[Capt.]

Hello All,

I believe that I am going to follow Carlie's advice and head to Houston to discuss my Diagnostic Code problem with them in person and "on the record" . Also , I need to look at the Cfile and get a copy of my C and P exams, which are over a year old.

I was hoping that someone else has been to the VARO and had a similiar experience and what I should expect. I know where it is and have been by it several times but that was years ago. Any help from our board on going there and having the chance to look at the C file and talk with a live person about my claim would be most appreciative. NEVER GIVE UP. God Bless, C.C.

[Capt.]

Thank you all for helping me...... there is something very very wrong with this and I am afraid that there is NOTHING a veteran can do. I have been trying to talk to someone for a long time and noone answers the phone at the 1800 Houston number. There is no way to get the C and P exam and Noway to see them. Our Veterans do not care to them. I am on hold right now for a over 40 minutes and no one. So it looks like I cannot do anything but try the courts and the next 5 years or so wait. I have IRIS reports to get my C and P exams but they are treating it like a claim. So I cannot effectively file a response to the VA making any reply to the decisions as faulty.

Why don't our Congressmen know about this ? I had no idea it has gotten this bad. Trying to be patient is pretty ridiculous with them. Anyway thank you for your help and I hope to figure out something else. I have active claims filed and form 9 filed with NOD. NEVER GIVE UP. God Bless, C.C.

[Capt.]

Hello All,

Well I was on the phone wait from 9:00 a.m. till 12;10pm....Noone answered....just elevator music . Had to finally hang up. Called back and then recording said they were too busy to talk due to volume. If you wanted to call back after Hours to leave a call back number....HUH...... then it auto hangs up.

Folks this thing is real ....I have also tried to use different prompts but no good ..... takes you to nowhere. Impossible to get anyone in Houston. NEVER GIVE UP. God Bless, C.C.

[Teac]

Like I always say... Houston sucks.. Once when I lived in Killeen (2005) I wrote to get an appointment to review my file....(since they would not answer the phones), at waco. I never got an answer so My wife and I drove to waco, and the guy at the front desk said, no you can't see the file, and no we don't make appointments here... its a walk in basis.. but if you want to see the file ask for a copy.. good day..

Houston is much worse I am sure.. and Iris sucks they don't reply.. and calling the va for anthing is almost always a waste of time,.

Good Luck you really will need it ...

Edited January 23, 2013 by Teac

[Berta]

I think Capt, that first you need to make sure that the diagnostic codes they used have not changed since.

What I mean is .....for example my Nehmer claim...they had to use the DC and rating from 1988 to 1994 re: IHD ,and those ratings for IHD did change over the years.

Our Schedule Of Ratings here has all of the DCs too and the dates they became part of 38 USC.

[Capt.]

Hello Berta,,

Yes I do understand the updates to DCs but in my case the Award letter is specific but when they did not acknowledge the lawyers simple NOD for a higher rating they sent a SOC that listed neither one of the two Lung awards DCs. So they listed Lung DCs that DO NOT inlcude any Pulmonary Hypertension. Like they listed Asthma DC 6602 which I do not have and does not list PH as 100 percent.

I am not happy about my lawyer just sending in such a lame NOD with no DC codes to support her weak statement. All she needed to do was send in 2 simple pages for Diagnosis of PH by HEART CATH and another by ECHO Cardiogram. With the DC award letter. Now after conversations with her ,,,,,,,( We only talk once every 4-6 months) .,,,,, she told me she was not familiar with DCs and did not know about them. So I am pretty much cooked and can't talk to anyone. Whether its VA or my own lawyer. I am positive of the correctness of the DCs and the VAs goofy response SOC. I still am in a position though to NEVER GIVE UP. God Bless, C.C.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Capt.Contaminate

[carlie]

CC,

Take a look at this thread and compare the situation to yours.