My claim for ervice connection for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as a presumptive service connected disability due to my service in the Gulf War per 38 C.F.R §3.317 was denied. Wondering how I can succesfully appeal.
VA DENIAL LETTER
“ Service connection is not permitted if there is affirmative evidence that the disability was unrelated to military service in the Gulf War. Service connection for unexplained chronic multi symptom illness to include irritable bowel syndrome is denied because evidence established that this disability result from poor diet and fitness.
Your service treatment records do not contain complaints, treatment, or diagnosis for this condition. We did not find a link between your medical condition and military service. On examination, the examiner indicated that your stated symptoms do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis for irritable bowel syndrome and are most likely the result of poor dietary and fitness habits.”
SERVICE INFORMATION & MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS:
I served in Southwest Asia during Operation Iraq Freedom. My unit did participate in ground combat in Iraq.
I have been diagnosed with IBS from VA medical doctor. I currently take both RX & non-RX medication for IBS.This information was submitted in my claim but not listed as evidence considered
C&P EXAM
Examined at VA Loma Linda. Examiner is a physican assistant. Examiner did not ask about fitness or diet patterns. Blue Button says I am unable to view the exam notes.
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”
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.
However, (and I have no idea of knowing whether or not you would likely succeed) Im unsure of why you seem to be so adamant against getting an increase in disability compensation.
When I buy stuff, say at Kroger, or pay bills, I have never had anyone say, "Wait! Is this money from disability compensation, or did you earn it working at a regular job?" Not once. Thus, if you did get an increase, likely you would have no trouble paying this with the increase compensation.
However, there are many false rumors out there that suggest if you apply for an increase, the VA will reduce your benefits instead.
That rumor is false but I do hear people tell Veterans that a lot. There are strict rules VA has to reduce you and, NOT ONE of those rules have anything to do with applying for an increase.
Yes, the VA can reduce your benefits, but generally only when your condition has "actually improved" under ordinary conditions of life.
Unless you contacted the VA within 72 hours of your medical treatment, you may not be eligible for reimbursement, or at least that is how I read the link, I posted above. Here are SOME of the rules the VA must comply with in order to reduce your compensation benefits:
NOTE: TO PROVE CAUSE OF DEATH WILL LIKELY REQUIRE AN AUTOPSY. This means if you die of a SC condtion, your spouse would need to do an autopsy to prove cause of death to be from a SC condtiond. If you were P and T for 10 full years, then the cause of death may not matter so much.
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scubasteveo0
My claim for ervice connection for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as a presumptive service connected disability due to my service in the Gulf War per 38 C.F.R §3.317 was denied. Wondering how I can succesfully appeal.
VA DENIAL LETTER
“ Service connection is not permitted if there is affirmative evidence that the disability was unrelated to military service in the Gulf War. Service connection for unexplained chronic multi symptom illness to include irritable bowel syndrome is denied because evidence established that this disability result from poor diet and fitness.
Your service treatment records do not contain complaints, treatment, or diagnosis for this condition. We did not find a link between your medical condition and military service. On examination, the examiner indicated that your stated symptoms do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis for irritable bowel syndrome and are most likely the result of poor dietary and fitness habits.”
SERVICE INFORMATION & MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS:
I served in Southwest Asia during Operation Iraq Freedom. My unit did participate in ground combat in Iraq.
I have been diagnosed with IBS from VA medical doctor. I currently take both RX & non-RX medication for IBS. This information was submitted in my claim but not listed as evidence considered
C&P EXAM
Examined at VA Loma Linda. Examiner is a physican assistant. Examiner did not ask about fitness or diet patterns. Blue Button says I am unable to view the exam notes.
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freedomisntfree
You need to file a NOD VETERAN- NAME AND SSN I am filing this notice of disagreement for the claim issue IBS, which was denied on _________. You need to address the issue that the reviewer is in err
k5one
http://vets.yuku.com/topic/143671/Sample-NOD-for-IBS#.VcuIAnF3mJA
usafa92
Did your Service Records have any entries showing IBS issues while in service? This is sometimes annotated as gastroenteritis, acute gastroenteritis, or abbreviated as "AGE". If you can show that yo
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