Cue for anemia, right???

[SergeantQ]

Heyyyyy my fellow veterans.... after getting my rating for Anemia for 10 percent the other day, crying, falling apart and asking GOD WHY ME, I pulled myself together this morning, crawled over to the paperwork and reviewed it again.

Thank god I did because they rated me wrong.

The code for my anemia is ‘Anemia’ 7700. The code they rated me under is ‘Aplastic’ Anemia 7716 which again I don’t possess those symptoms at all. It speaks of infections, transfusions and everything! My anemia is for blood loss where my HGB levels are low 7. 

So this is a QUE, right? 

https://www.benefits.va.gov/WARMS/docs/regs/38cfr/bookc/part4/s4_117.doc

[SergeantQ]

Yesssss this is correct. 7700 for anemia 7716 for Aplastic Anemia. My latest comp and pen was 7 hgb. 70%. This is a cue for the diagnosis code. Got to be. I hope so! 🤦‍♂️

[SergeantQ]

Bertha and Buck - decision letter attached (see page 2).  Let me know your thoughts.  To recap - I think the rater mistakenly rated me under the wrong diagnosis code.  I have 7700 (Iron-deficiency) Anemia NOT 7716 (Aplastic) Anemia as rated in the decision letter.    

This is what I have:                                                                                             Rating

7700    Anemia, hypochromic-microcytic and megaloblastic, such as

                  iron-deficiency and pernicious anemia: 

                        Hemoglobin 5gm/100ml or less, with findings such as high

                               output congestive heart failure or dyspnea at rest .................................... 100

                        Hemoglobin 7gm/100ml or less, with findings such as dyspnea

                              on mild exertion, cardiomegaly, tachycardia (100 to 120 beats

                              per minute) or syncope (three episodes in the last six months) .................... 70

                        Hemoglobin 8gm/100ml or less, with findings such as weakness,

                              easy fatigability, headaches, lightheadedness, or shortness of

                              breath ........................................................................................................... 30

                        Hemoglobin 10gm/100ml or less with findings such as weakness,

                              easy fatigability or headaches ...................................................................... 10

                        Hemoglobin 10gm/100ml or less, asymptomatic.................................................. 0

             7703    Leukemia:

                   With active disease or during a treatment phase.................................................... 100

                   Otherwise rate as anemia (code 7700) or aplastic anemia (code 7716),

                         whichever would result in the greater benefit. 

However, this is how they rated me – see attached decision letter:

 7716    Aplastic anemia:

                   Requiring bone marrow transplant, or; requiring transfusion of

                        platelets or red cells at least once every six weeks, or; infections

                        recurring at least once every six weeks ............................................................ 100

                  Requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells at least once every

                        three months, or; infections recurring at least once every

                        three months ...................................................................................................... 60

                  Requiring transfusion of platelets or red cells at least once per year

                        but less than once every three months, or; infections recurring

                        at least once per year but less than once every three months ............................. 30

                  Requiring continuous medication for control .......................................................... 10

 

 See page 2. 

 

Page 1.pdf

Edited January 16, 2018 by SergeantQ
redact info

[Berta]

An erroneous Diagnostic code is obviously a CUE.

This link holds a template of one of the CUEs I filed:

 

https://community.hadit.com/topic/71163-carpal-tunnel-cue/#comment-440001&gsc.tab=0

 

[Buck52]

The only thing I would question as to why they rated you like they did

they put this in there reasons for decision

''We have Assign a 10% evaluation  for your Primary Anemia based on  Requiring continuous use of medication''

it may not make a difference  but seems specious to me.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Buck52

[Buck52]

I think filling a Anemia claim is hard for any veteran  ...most claims are  a secondary to this condition, and they code it with a manual they use...sometimes or most of the time  the veteran gets rated with the wrong code  this veteran paid attition to his rating code and maybe getting a higher rating because they used the wrong code...and its a cue if it actually changes the Veterans ratings...Good Job to this Veteran for catching that CUE.

[SergeantQ]

Thanks Buck42. I really had to pay attention because I knew that 10% did not align with what the examiner and I discussed as it relates to the DBQ she used. I don't know. Waiting on my VSO to respond and let me know. It's worth a try. ASKNOD told me to never EVER give up. I won't.