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.

 

 

[HorizontalMike]

6 minutes ago, bpweryz said:

Have been in Pending decision approval since aug 1st. Anyone else in the same boat 

Not sure that I have seen "...pending decision approval..." grouped like that before.  The BVA is really black&white, they have made a decision or they have not.  All of us at this level of appeals get rather anxious and we tend to try and "read" the tea leaves, attempting to predict the final outcome.  I am as guilty as, or more so, at doing this and having to constantly remind myself to avoid doing exactly that.

FWIW, mine no longer says "pending decision" or "estimated completion date".  Mine states that a decision has been made and that I am being notified of that decision via mail.  That said, I have also seen it posted that I have/had been notified, when in fact I (or my lawyer) have NOT been notified with hard copy in the mail.  That is why it is very important to constantly monitor your case online through ebenefits/vets.gov frequently.  That is/was part of my reasoning in hiring a lawyer as well.  Attorneys also have a higher level of access to BVA records than just us veterans, and that is well worth the $$$ IMO.

[bpweryz]

I know, my past experience is that in a few weeks they make their decision and send it out update ebenefits and be done.  Who knows. At least it has moved faster that any of my past standard appeals.  

[Wayne TX]

bpweryz........about in the same boat with ya........been at Pending Decision Approval since Aug. 10......... 111 days now in HLR..........estimated dates....Aug. 23-Sept. 9.   Getting close.....asked for Informal Phone Conference but that has not happened yet. 

Edited August 29, 2018 by Wayne TX

[bpweryz]

I know, my past experience is that in a few weeks they make their decision and send it out update ebenefits and be done.  Who knows. At least it has moved faster that a regular appeal would. My estimated dates are 8/25 — 09/16 

[Wayne TX]

I suspect Pending Decision Approval means someone has rated it and is now waiting for a higher-up Rater to sign-off to advance into Preparation for Notification.  HLR....butstill no Informal Phone Conference has taken place as requested. .

[HorizontalMike]

Looks like another change in direction... AGAIN...

Geez... semantics...