VA always prolongs the inevitable

[eli]

I also went back through some correspondence from vet friends receiving smc t.  One quote: once my smc t was approved my monthly check went from the smc L amount to the T rate.

[eli]

1 minute ago, Buck52 said:

 Little off topic  here. but

I wish veterans can look into the VBMS  on the computer as for back as they need to  for the veterans that can't find their records.but so for Only  VA VSO And Accredited Claims Agents and some VA Attorneys can do this.

I see no reason why a Veteran can't look into these too.

Agreed, maybe when we are older and have more gray hair the VA will be more transparent.

If someone had told my great grand parents we'd be using a "typewriter" in the future to communicate instantly and globally they would've lol. :)

[eli]

2 hours ago, Buck52 said:

I understand what you meant..and using the Regs  but we need to ask ourselfs...  Are we understanding these Regs  when it comes to adjudicating Severe TBI  Veterans.

Re this, that is one of the huge problems tbi vets face.  Ben and/or Chris have written about it as well.  TBI claims are some of the most backlogged claims.  And as Berta and I discussed in the past the VA admitted to not giving the correct exams to tbi vets and also having unqualified drs do said exams.

My RO was given the award of most screwed up and backlogged tbi claims.  Joy for me! :P

But brain injuries are complicated issues, esp for non-drs.

Edited August 31, 2018 by eli

[FormerMember]

Vets confuse the two. A true SMC T is a R2 (or an R1) under the exact same criteria as the comp. rate for the appropriate R. I do not argue that. However, the universe of SMC T awards at the R2 rate can be counted in the low one thousands just as R1-2 recipients can be. It's rarer than hen's teeth. All the Vets I've encountered see the Personal Care stipend as an ugly stepsister to T at a greatly reduced rate. Here, we have two dissimilar discussions being combined--i.e. your comments re T when I was trying to explain a caregiver stipend to jfrei versus SMC L at the A&A amount. At any rate, you folks all miss the thrust of the conversation. SMC T is temporary under most circumstances because your gradually improve-but certainly never regain all your pre-TBI assets. SMC R1-2, invariably, is forever as it involves the loss of use of two or more extremities where TBI does not. Does that help?

[eli]

1 hour ago, asknod said:

At any rate, you folks all miss the thrust of the conversation. SMC T is temporary under most circumstances because your gradually improve-but certainly never regain all your pre-TBI assets. SMC R1-2, invariably, is forever as it involves the loss of use of two or more extremities where TBI does not. Does that help?

Hopefully the entire thread clears it up for many folks.  Those of us that are familiar with both "programs" differentiate the 2 by their proper names, smc t and the caregiver program.  You are the first and only person I've known to use the same verbiage for both.

The conversation re qualifying for smc t has been going on on these forums for at least most of this year if not longer.  And those of us involved knew what we were referencing; esp when the poster, often jfrei quoted the smc t regs and asked if he would qualify.

In this case as jfrei has worked through his sc approved and other smc processes/approvals he was again wondering what needed to be done to qualify for smc t.  And if I remember correctly he asked if a smc t topic could be put under the smc forum area for those needing to discuss it.

You are correct, very few qualify for smc t, it is a rough situation some vets find themselves in, thus why it was created.

Hopefully in the future the correct verbiage will be used.  smc t is a smc and that is the name by which the regs reference it.  Having been involved with vets on and off of this forum re smc t and having spoken with jfrei previously I knew what he was referencing.  It was once the temp tiered stipend was brought into the conversation that confusion occurred.  Thus my links to clarify.

So yes please by all means let us all use the correct terminology as stated by the VA.

And maybe a separate topic area can be created for smc t if it hasn't been already.

I will again state the caregiver program is temporary.  I have seen no documentation that smc t is temporary, thus the stringent rules to qualify and why so few do qualify.

If the VA called a vet in for a future assessment then maybe they would lose smc t if they no longer required that level of care.

The vet has to be and the dr has to clearly state that if the vet didn't have a caregiver taking care of them they would be institutionalized.  The VA requires the doctor to give medical justification when he fills out the paperwork.

I know/remember 3 off the top of my head that receive smc t.

Edited August 31, 2018 by eli
clarification, spelling

[broncovet]

You might try the NVLSP's training program for SMC, and it may give you what you need as it explains the diffences between SMC T and R 1.  

http://www.purpleheart.org/ServiceProgram/Training2012/10-M- SMC final.pdf