Filed A Benefits Delivery Before Discharge, Seems To Be Working...

[Warone]

Hi everyone, I've been away from this forum for a while but wanted to say thanks for the help, support and information I gained by reading the quality responses and about others experiences.

I filed for a BDD at exactly the 6 month before retirement day. I'm at the 3 month mark and recieved a call from QTC medical services on Monday and during that one single phone call, the lady told me she had me scheduled the same week for all of my C&P exams... starting on the 21st of Aug 2014. Wow, within the next week I'll get a hearing, x-rays/MRI, Mental Health, eyes, and a few others completed. She told me because I had field a BDD, that my claim was going to be accelerated.

Anyone else experience this same situation?

Also, all of the examiners are within 30 miles of where I live. Wish me luck... Seems like the VA scandals recently may be helping to push the claims through?

3 months to go until retirement... Woohoo!!!!

[carlie]

Good news for you so far and good luck !

[georgiapapa]

I wish us older vets (Vietnam, Korea, WW2) would have had the BDD program. I never received any counseling regarding VA benefits prior to my discharge.

[Warone]

I agree for the Vietnam vets. But as far as counceling, it really wasn't that great. They don't tell you that much. They do tell you about the VA website and hand out a Federal Benefits books. I found out about the BDD program through this website (Carlie recommended it, the very same Carly up above this post.) ) and a lot of my own research. Unfortunately, the WWWeb wasn't in place for you guys. Even so, the current vets have to self motivate themselves to get the benefits they deserve. Luckily we have a very good NSO in my area that is more than willing to give you a lot of tips and information for filing. TIP for you future veterans out there... find a good NSO and do what he tells you.

If you know anybody that is leaving the service or retiring, please share this information with them, that's probably the best and most used resource out there. I personally have told about 40-50 guys about this website and I've had a few of them come back and thank me for the information.

[NavyWife]

Make sure to get a complete copy of all your Service Medical Records aka Service Treatment Records...

[Navy04]

Good luck and keep us posted bud.

[hubbardsw]

Good to hear BED is working. Unfortunately for me, I filled my BED claim 6 months prior to retirement but didn't get my first exam until 7 months later.

[Warone]

C&P Exam of mental health and eyes completed last week. Scheduled by QTC services and conducted by a fully qualified Dr. of Nuero-Psychology. Psych was pleasant, asked about my history, my childhood, my service, combat experiences, my treatment history, my medications, and diagnoses. Very pleasant lady, I felt it went fairly well and lasted about an hour.

Eyes exams were standard eye tests with a full dialation. Finishing the rest of the exams this next week. Will post more.

[Warone]

Update on my VA adventure so far. Hopefuly some current and future vet will read this and use this information.

Finally retired from the Army as of this month. Moved to TN. A few days after I retired, I called the VA help number from VA.gov "Contact us" phone numbers. They referred me to the Meharry Med college/center in Nashville to enroll into VA Healthcare. After I found the business deskthere, the nice lady informed me that I needed to go to the Vanderbuilt VA center just down the road. After I found that place, (it's a huge building with a monster sign out front), I walked in and was immediately handed off to an admin crazy lady who wanted to see my DDForm 214. She typed nearly all of the information from my 214, gave me a quick brief on VA healthcare, free stuff, copays, etc... handed me a bag of VA trinkets and info, made 6 copies of my 214 for me, and then walked me around the hospital/clinic on a quick tour. It looked very nice to me. She actually walked me to a window and pointed to a parking lot outside. She said, "park there next time!)... it's free. She then walked me to the third floor and said, next Tuesday this is where your appointnent will be with Dr. xxxxx and pointed at the door. So far my VA experience has been pretty good. As far as my claim, I filed for BDD 6 months prior to retirement, completed the exams 3 months before, got a letter apologizing for the delay at 2 months, retired at 0 months. The ebennies website indicates my estimated completion for disability compensation will be Feb or Mar of 2015, and so I wait,

Edited December 7, 2014 by Warone (see edit history)

[Warone]

One more update, for military active and recently retired,

I just received my rating, If you read through this fairly short thread maybe it could help you. I retired last year, Dec 2014. At 6 months prior I filed my BDD claim based on Carlie's advice. My claim was submitted through a DAV SO in June 2014, I retired Dec 2014 so it took about one year, although if you consider from retirement it only took 4 months. I guess that's not bad. I'm very happy with my rating and wanted to throw out a thanks to Carlie, all the info from NavyWife, and of course, Berta, and so many on this site that have posted helpful information. I have read and learned so much from the information here. I've also recommended this site to so many veterans that I've talked with about benefits and such. Thanks to all of you.

My experiences since last post.

Although I'm paying for Tricare Prime, I enrolled into Nashville VA at Vanderbilt and my experiences have been pretty good there, but you do have to stay on top of your appointments and scheduling.

I actually haven't received any mail from the VA, but found my disability ratings on the eBenefits website.

I'm a new member of the 100% Club

PTSD 70%

Sleep Apnea 50%

Other issues

20%

10%

10%

10%

10%

Edited May 16, 2015 by Warone (see edit history)

[georgiapapa]

Warone,

Congratulations on your award. Welcome to the 100% club.

Good luck and good health to you and your family.

GP

[Andyman73]

Warone,

So awesome to hear! Congrats on retirement and the 100 club! Sure wish I had that kind of VA experience back when I was getting out, in '98. Shoot, I would settle for an experience half as good, now. When I was going through the process, at my 6 month mark, the VA rep that was at one of my transitions assistance briefings did go through my SMR but said only 4 things were valid for claims. Took almost 3 years to get one of those original 4 SC.

I am happy for you!

Semper Fi.

Andyman

[Berta]

Congrats to you! We have a newbie , set for retirement, who also needs to read this post.

[FormerMember]

It must be TDIU rather than 100%. 70% +50%=85; 85% + 20%= 88%; 88% +10% =89%; 89% +10% = 90%: 90% + 10%=91%; and 91% +10% = 92% which rounds down to 90%. Good deal though. 90% on the first outing is very impressive. Congratulations.

Edited May 17, 2015 by asknod (see edit history)

[MarkInTexas]

Congratulations!

[Warone]

thanks everyone, I certainly don't know the lingo but I am curious, about what my letter says.

(PTSD)(combined into one)( with Anxiety, Depression and Sleep Disorders)

You are considered to be totally and permanently disabled due to your service-connected disabilities: Yes

Will I have to take more exams in the future?

Should I also apply for what ever the Social Security benefit is?

Is there anything else that I need to do?

- and asknod your math is exactly right. 92%, I assume the PTSD was the big one that pushed it over. Geez, I was so burned out at the end of my military service, but anyway, thanks to God for the decent mental health services US military has started fielding. I know it helped me out of the lowly place is was in, and of course I'm still working out these problems. I guess the raters assume I'll be seeking mental health help for the rest of my days, and they're right.

Edited May 17, 2015 by Warone (see edit history)