Tinnitus Denied! Ugh!

[SergeantQ]

My hubby claim was recently denied for tinnitus. The rater wrote  in her notes ' least likely to have happened in service.' 

She didn't say anything in her notes about what my husband told her about how he was airborne for many years and jumped out of airplanes. How the noise and ringing from the helicopters clearly was a contributing factor. She never mentioned buddy or statement of case he turned in. His mos was admin (71lima) but the things he did under the umbrella of the mos (air assault, air borne jumper, generator operator) seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. My husband said she was very nice to him and he really thought she liked him and that the exam was going in his favor.  He also got one of them hearing audio pillows.  I told him she played him. and the truth is this is happening more and more each day. We are vets and they are just treating us like ish! Denying us and making us jump through hoops for 10 percent but paying the next vet $100k in back pay because of the hurry-up-and-wait concept. I'm sooooo freakin mad! 

Problem I'm having now is the va reduced my husband from 70% to 60% due to a rating calculations error. So, by dropping us to 60% next year we won't qualify for the Illinois state property tax exemption. Which is why we tried to go for tinnitus and get 10%. So that means next year if we don't find a way to get back up to 70% then that's $1400 dollars added back on to our mortgage. I'm just sick with worry right now. My husband over there sleeping like a baby but I'll be up all night. These rates can really ruin your life. Now I know why vets go postal! ??

Signed, flatlined

 

[Navy4life]

Talon;

that was good advice!  Just to add to it, here is the table to see if it would warrant a 70%...

SergentQ do you know how to use this table?

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=6338d97b4fb9053c6488c6951cb558ec&mc=true&node=se38.1.4_125&rgn=div8

[SergeantQ]

No I haven't tried using it but as soon as I get a break, I'll check it out. Thanks for sending.

[TALON II FE]

IF he were at EXACTLY 60%, a 10% would only be worth a 4% increase, which would be flattened back out to a 60%  There is a calculator here on Hadit, I am pretty sure, but there is even an app you can download to your phone.  Make sure the 10% will help you, so you don't get blindsided later if it won't, but follow thru regardless; you never know if it will be a player further down the road.  Most of us get worse, not better, as we age. I am 100% Total scheduler, but not Permanent yet, so I need to contest all the lowballs and a few of the 0%s to try and get proper ratings so it doesn't hit me a few years from now, too. I just need to get my C-File first...

[Palma114]

2 hours ago, SergeantQ said:

wow! that's crazy! It's so sad how they do the veterans. like whatever happened to the benefit of the doubt? We only want what's fair and just. Not trying to milk the system. We didn't even know about Tinnitus until another vet told him about it a few months ago. Seems like we are in the dark about a lot of things and then when you do find out - you are punished for not submitting a claim earlier. So you just can't win. But thanks for the encouraging words - we are certainly moving forward with the NOD.

SergeantQ, you can win!

It's takes a little time, research, and Hadit, to understand this game or system, they run on Veterans, I agree it is not fair, va have got raters that have never served not one day in the military, and they have a mindset that Veterans are trying to "get over" on va.

This Hadit site here has tons of information and help, because every denial or move va makes, their is always a counter move to be made. Just stay patient, continue to research and gather information, and remember you biggest problem or fight will be your VARO, because they think they can do whatever they want to, because they don't see you as being knowledgable to the system, so they will lowball or denial, just to see what you do. Inwhich you have a better chance at the BVA anyway, if you have all you proof, IMO, and evidence in order.

[SergeantQ]

Okay thanks all for the advice. I appreciate it. I plan to do the research and try again. If it doesn't happen, I know we will be fine no matter what.