1. Higher level review. Use this option if you dont have new evidence, but think the decision maker erred on your claim.
2. Supplemental claim lane. Use this option if you have new "relevant" evidence.
I personally opted into RAMP about a week ago, after procrastinating a while. Why did I do this:
My claim was from 2015. I checked on vets.gov and there are more than 148,000 Claims ahead of me AFTER waiting 3 years. And, my claim has "not" been certified to the Board, so that is another 773 MORE days, according to the BVA chairmans report, here:
This means if I stay in legacy appeals (and dont opt into RAMP), that I estimate it will take 5 or six MORE YEARS. Waiting "another" 5 years is unacceptable to me in any circumstances.
So, I opted into ramp against the advice of my attorney. Why? Because I have a reasonable chance of getting my appeal done in 125 days, that the VA promises. The attorneys always say, "there are too many unknowns in RAMP". Well there are at least 5 unknowns in legacy appeals: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. I would rather get denied in 2018 (so I can appeal ) than to wait until 2023, or later, and still maybe not get my benefits and still have to appeal.
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broncovet
I will start, with some general information about RAMP.
You may, or may not get a letter from VA asking you to opt in to RAMP. You can still opt in anyway, by completing this form:
https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/docs/appeals-RAMP-Opt-in-form.pdf and sending it to the address on the form. Currently, you have to make a choice:
1. Higher level review. Use this option if you dont have new evidence, but think the decision maker erred on your claim.
2. Supplemental claim lane. Use this option if you have new "relevant" evidence.
I personally opted into RAMP about a week ago, after procrastinating a while. Why did I do this:
My claim was from 2015. I checked on vets.gov and there are more than 148,000 Claims ahead of me AFTER waiting 3 years. And, my claim has "not" been certified to the Board, so that is another 773 MORE days, according to the BVA chairmans report, here:
For 2017: https://www.bva.va.gov/Chairman_Annual_Rpts.asp
This means if I stay in legacy appeals (and dont opt into RAMP), that I estimate it will take 5 or six MORE YEARS. Waiting "another" 5 years is unacceptable to me in any circumstances.
So, I opted into ramp against the advice of my attorney. Why? Because I have a reasonable chance of getting my appeal done in 125 days, that the VA promises. The attorneys always say, "there are too many unknowns in RAMP". Well there are at least 5 unknowns in legacy appeals: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. I would rather get denied in 2018 (so I can appeal ) than to wait until 2023, or later, and still maybe not get my benefits and still have to appeal.
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Wayne TX
Great points....exactly why I opt in RAMP as my claims go back to 2015 and have not even been certified by the Legacy Board. None of us are getting any younger so RAMP was an alternate worth the ris
Unique11128
Hi Buck2, Unfortunately, I was denied I chose the higher level review and the DRO missed several things in my record that were clear evidence to grant my claim. 2 weeks later after the den
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