Fdc Filed, But I Am Hearing Conflicting Info

[traveler]

I retired 1 August.

MY FDC was received by VA 8 August.

My county VSO told me that here in South Dakota, FDC are being finished within 106 days.

SO, I am on vacation, and waiting for a call for a C+P.

I called Hot Springs, which is where they said my C+P would be conducted, and they told me they have NOTHING on me.

So, I called and talked to h State VSO, and she told me it would be a LONG,LONG time before all is said and done, and that my C+P's could be out as far as January or February !!

Lastly, I go on to e-benefits, and my claim is under "gathering evidence". Why would they need to gather evidence, if I sent in a FULLY DEVELOPED claim ???? 10 items, and every single one is plain as day in my Military medical records

If I don't get a C+P before January, I think I may have to get a congressman involved.

Opinions?

[georgiapapa]

Don't get upset by what you see on Ebenefits. It is rarely up to date. If you filed for 10 different conditions, you may have multiple C & P exams scheduled on different dates so your claims may take longer than someone filing for 1 or 2 conditions. The 106 days finishing time quoted by your county VSO may be the average cited by the VA in South Dakota. Whether it is accurate or not is uncertain. The truth probably falls somewhere between what the county VSO told you and what the state VSO told you. Right now it us just a WAG. Depending on the complexity of your medical conditions, what you see as plain as day in your medical records may not be as clear cut to a rating official who has to determine the degree of disability of each claimed condition under the rating schedules in 38 CFR part 4. The rating officials would not be in a position to determine your ratings until they receive and review all of your C & P exam reports.

Although it is difficult, be patient for awhile. I would think your claim in South Dakota would go faster than claims in most states.

As far as contacting your congressman, some on this website will advise you that the action will actually slow your claim down. I have never requested assistance from my congressman so I am not sure.

Good luck to you and thank you for your service.

[traveler]

Thanks.

By the way, what is a "WAG" ??

[georgiapapa]

Wild ass guess.

[ctbenja1015]

On ebenefits it will stay in gathering evidence until after your C&P exams as they are part of the evidence. Once you get your exams it typically speeds up a little, but every VARO is different. Hang in there and thanks for you service.

[traveler]

thanks.

Yeah, I called the VA hospital and talked to the ladies who set up the C+P appts and they have "nothing" on me....so what does THAT mean?

[rootbeer22]

Traveler:

Frankly, it's the "luck of the draw" of who handles your claim, which Regional Office gets it and so many other factors that there's no real set date and all claims are unique. I submitted an informal claim in 12/13 to "save the date" (you can do that for your first claim now), and in June 2014 turned i n all of the SMR evidence including 14 DBQ's with no other evidence available to provide which made it an FDC. So, 100 days later, I got a "sorry we are late" form letter from the Regional Office. So much for FDC's being done quickly? Anyway, mine is still under "review" despite all of the efforts to submit a very "complete -final package" that could be adjudicated quickly? My advice is to find something that would help you cope with the long wait? I trully believe it's a training and resource issue and the raters just don't have enough. VBA is now discussing how they are finally chopping down the "backlog" but from what I've read, appeals are belived to be up 400% so in the end, any pressure on the VBA could be counterproductive for Vets anyway. So, keep the faith, hang in there, and hopefully you will get what you deserve someday. One bit of advice, for any orthopedics C&P, I would ask to have a witness with you at the exam. I had a nurse do mine and it was not done correctly according to the VA exam manual rules..she bent my back way past the point of pain for range of motion measurements but was supposed to stop bending when the pain started...anyway good luck...

Edited September 17, 2014 by rootbeer22 (see edit history)

[Navy04]

Nothing to worry about bud. I agree with the guys statements above. Also I submitted an FDC early part of June and I will have my C&Ps next week bud. This will be my third FDC claim, the first was 9 months, the Second was 7 months and this current FDC should be done by the end of the year. I have been helping Vets for the last two years and have only known a few that have completed their claims in less than 6 months. We all go crazy and have no patience with these claims, and as far as all the Evidence many of us have to keep fighting for Conditions, when they too were documented in our records. Good Luck

[Gastone]

Traveler: The VA moves in strange and mysterious ways. Foremost in your SC Compensation quest is be Patient but Proactive. Unless you spent the last year before retirement researching the VA Claims System, spend your time now getting knowledge regarding Appeals. Your C & P's will take place, when they take place. Hope for the Best but Plan for the Worst. You just retired and this is probably only the 1st in what could be numerous future claims. Maintain your cool and keep pressure on the VA via your VSO Rep.

Out of approximately 7 claims filed since 8/2008, I did (2) FDC's back to back in 02/2014. After the 1st was filed I realized an error regarding a VA Diagnosis. New immediately it would be denied and submitted a NEW FDC within 2 weeks of the 1st. I was right, got the denial on the 1st around 06/14. As for the 2nd FDC, just had C&P mid July. Both these claims dealt with only 1 issue being secondary to one of my VA Diagnosed SC Conditions. How many issues are you claiming? The more you claim, the longer the rater takes.

My understanding of the FDC Process is that if the rater doesn't agree that everything needed to rate your claim is in hand, your claim goes into the general claim pile, Back in 2008, you could wait 6mos to a year for a C&P. Good luck!

Semper Fi

Gastone

[traveler]

I claimed 10 issues.

Every one is clearly recorded in my service medical records.

I reviewed the VA checklist to ensure that I made note of the "key words" found in the VA's checklists.

I am trying to remain positive, the few people I know that went through the process here it went through easily, but took TIME.

In fact my sleep study, titration study and subsequent CPAP use for OSA was all done by the VA.

[Gastone]

Traveler: In your case, maybe no news is good news. If all your Claimed SC issues are already DX'd recently by USAF or VA Dr's, you may not get additional a C&P. If the Service and VA Medical records are adequate for rating purposes, pretty much cover all the pertinent DBQ questions, you may be good to go.

Take a couple deep breaths and stay cool. BUUUUUUT, start preparing your appeal strategy! Sounds like you have it locked but you never know with the VA.

Semper Fi

Gastone

[traveler]

thanks again

[Navy04]

Just figure, that I just Retired last year, so all Records should be current right. Well, between my 3 claims in the last 2 years there will be over 30 C&Ps. Just goes to show you we really don't know, sometimes the VA will beat us to Death, as they have done to me, and other Vets that I have helped, claimed multiple conditions, never had a C&P, and yet were rated well in the end. Just try to focus on your Future with your family, and whatever good hobbies you have. I assure you one thing, if you don't already have a Mental Condition, you will dealing with the Govt, Lol.

[rootbeer22]

US Vet:

Great advice, I did all of the work too and worked hard to put together a good disabilty claims package for the VBA to review. But now, it's just wait and see what happens in the future? Many of us attack thing like we did in the service with very good results. But in any beaucracy like this, one has to wait and be paitent until something happens that they you can actually act upon? Most FDCs are taking 12 to 18 moinths so we have toi wait for the long haul and hopefully it's a postive outcome. Anyway..thanks for your comments..they were spot on.

Edited September 22, 2014 by rootbeer22 (see edit history)

[traveler]

I get it. It's hurry up and wait time again :)

That said, I did a FDC and went to great lengths so the pot bellied fella at the VA in his cubicle didn't have to get up and do anything....I did all the work for them! Therefore my claim should be easy as pie. I wish I could go get him a cup of coffee or something to get on his good side to get this darn thing done!

C+P in my situation is frankly a waste of time.....it is in my records, and anyone with a brain KNOWS I'm not going to go in there and tell them it miraculously went away! "does your knee still hurt?" ..."yes"..."ok thanks for coming in".

The raters are required to do so many records, and it is tracked....Hell, I made it easy for the guy!

[Navy04]

Traveler, use this as food for thought, I am SC for TBI and Crohns, which will never be cured right, wrong the VA has me up for Review for these Two Conditions in Feb 16. So if that isn't a waste of my Time or the VA's Money, then I don't know what is. Rootbeer, thanks for the kind words.

[Navy04]

Also I am 100% VA, but not Permanent, yet with the SSDI, I was approved on the first time in less than 10 weeks and I am Permanent. Also, the VA pays my Wife to by my CareGiver, which is a darn near impossible program to get approved for, yet I will get better in some IDIOT'S Eyes!

[Stretch]

Do not miss you C&P no matter what. These exams are for range of motion and to figure out how bad each injury is. Do not miss this no matter what. After this stage you will most likely go to a rater. When you get to this stage time to take a breather. I won't be long after this that you will be rated and compensated. Just relax Los Angeles, where my claims are, is at 14 months till completion. Each state is different in the wait time. If you call the VARO you can get the legnth of time you will wait.

Do not miss any appointmente and especially the C&P.

[traveler]

yeah, I'm just venting.....I get it now.

Thanks for your service, hope you feel better....at least you have money coming in.......appointments are just an inconvenience for you now....for me, I need the money to live, quite frankly.

[traveler]

I hear ya.......I claimed 10 items, one is knee, another is PTSD and GAD, the other "biggie" is sleep apnea, diagnosed at a VA hospital...then I have some other stuff...but everything is DOCUMENTED and it is plainly clear I was in the service at that time.

[traveler]

my quotes for completion range from 106 days to 10 months. A FDC is "supposed" to be fast....