To "RAMP" or not to "RAMP"

[broncovet]

As many may know, Congress has passed new legislation which essentially requires VA to cut down on appeal backlog.  This plan is known as "RAMP".  

Currently, only Veterans who ARE INVITED by VA can elect to go with RAMP.  Im not sure it will do much good to write to VA and tell them you want RAMP, tho its POSSIBLE that VA may grant this request.  

A well known law firm has published some credible, and valuable information on RAMP.  If offered a chance to "RAMP" through a VA letter, its probably a good idea to:

1.  Just do it and go for RAMP.

2.  At least read the following before declining ramp, and discuss this with your representative.  

https://cck-law.com/news/news-cck-live-revisiting-ramp/

MY summary:

    UNLESS you have a compelling reason, opt "in" for RAMP.  

    CCK says you should not do RAMP if any of these would harm your claim:

However, veterans should fully consider that participating in RAMP means:

• not being able to appeal to the Board until at least February 2019.
• not being able to take their claim directly to the Board of Veterans Appeals.
• never going back to the legacy appeals process.

 

 

[pwrslm]

12 hours ago, Wayne TX said:

CONGRATS pwrslm on the increase.........that was fast.......when did you opt-in and what Lane....HLR or Suppl?     What VARO handled your file?

Hi Wayne TX

I opted in 15 May, to the HLR lane. 
I think it went through St Pete, but will know for sure when the BBE shows up. The award is already posted in my disabilities, so I know it was a win, the explanation is still pending.
Bottom line, I documented everything, it was in the original NOD. No substitute for thorough work up front.

Edited July 28, 2018 by pwrslm

[Wayne TX]

Well done on doing it right.......hard to beat well grounded evidence.

 

[jimbostaken]

On 3/20/2018 at 10:32 AM, broncovet said:

As many may know, Congress has passed new legislation which essentially requires VA to cut down on appeal backlog.  This plan is known as "RAMP".  

Currently, only Veterans who ARE INVITED by VA can elect to go with RAMP.  Im not sure it will do much good to write to VA and tell them you want RAMP, tho its POSSIBLE that VA may grant this request.  

A well known law firm has published some credible, and valuable information on RAMP.  If offered a chance to "RAMP" through a VA letter, its probably a good idea to:

1.  Just do it and go for RAMP.

2.  At least read the following before declining ramp, and discuss this with your representative.  

https://cck-law.com/news/news-cck-live-revisiting-ramp/

MY summary:

    UNLESS you have a compelling reason, opt "in" for RAMP.  

    CCK says you should not do RAMP if any of these would harm your claim:

However, veterans should fully consider that participating in RAMP means:

• not being able to appeal to the Board until at least February 2019.
• not being able to take their claim directly to the Board of Veterans Appeals.
• never going back to the legacy appeals process.

 

 

That's a very good summary of how this works.Ii received a RAMP letter some months ago, and another one a couple of months afterward. I had no idea what they were even talking about. I'm not even sure which case(s) my letters referred to. Part of my problem is that all my VA papers get filed in the order they were received in by date, so my claims are mixed up. (That's my issue to straighten out.) What galled me at the time was the continued lack of response from my NSO, weeks to return phone calls, promises to "call me back tomorrow," not showing up for scheduled hours at the clinic or the hospital, etc. I have been encouraged by the VA rep here to hold fast regarding any switching of my power of attorney during a mid-appeal.

So, my questions were never answered and I have stayed in the old system. Now, I've had a couple of favorable decisions (100%, scheduled, finally), but am planning to appeal them all or in part. It's nice to know that, going on the info from the link you gave, I still have that RAMP option for at least one of my claims. The diagram is very useful, at least I now have some idea of how even the original system works, as well as RAMP.

Now, to find a reliable and competent Service Officer so can keep the ball rolling and know what the heck is going on. Oh, and go back and organize my files by claim, not dates. Thanks for the info.

[bpweryz]

pwrslm 

i also put in for ramp on May 15, originally it stayed that estimated completion date of 08/28 - 12/28 then the other day it moved to 9/28 - 01/28/19. Just wondering if yours moved at all or did it go straight from estimate to complete? Just wondering if it went through the step in ebenefits. 

[KC3]

51 minutes ago, bpweryz said:

pwrslm 

i also put in for ramp on May 15, originally it stayed that estimated completion date of 08/28 - 12/28 then the other day it moved to 9/28 - 01/28/19. Just wondering if yours moved at all or did it go straight from estimate to complete? Just wondering if it went through the step in ebenefits. 

Don't know if you care but I got in RAMP on June 12 2018. I have an estimated completion day of Dec. 4th 2018. No movement on mine whatsoever as of yet. I'll keep people posted if they want to know. 

[bpweryz]

Cool thx.