Hello to all the amazing people who are helping more people than you know,
Looking for help with a few questions so here is the short (longer than intended*)rundown...My ETS was Mar2016.. While still active in 2010 was on my Sr year finishing premed degree with 4.0 gpa had to stop going to college when my second kid was born and wife was very ill the following years missed alot of work but always made up for it (i had very supportive chain of command that made alot of my own med issues go unnoticed or possibly pitty..not sure but love them all miss them all) fast forward to 2016 after ets wife is better all the kids in school and with full post911 benefits left why not try to finish my degree, unfortunately over that time my health had greatly deteriorated and school was not so easy anymore, and it wasnt just school but all areas of life had become to much for me(ALL). Without going to far into a long story I was in two major car accidents in 2014-2015 went into a mental breakdown loosing touch with reality on the reg and it wasnt until this year the "Helpful Psych at VA" actually taking her time to talk with me that we found out it was more than just failing in all areas that was making me act like a different person. Turns out that a blow to my head caused alot more damage than I originally thought, and i hope one day my friends and family can see who i once was again. Towards the end of my enlistment I went to see my pcp a few times and to mental health only once very bad communication between me and anybody from that point in my life to today which I still have trouble seeking/getting help especially when i have to wait months for an appointment and speak maybe 2 min max with the dr who never remembers anything and thinks its the first time we have met almost everytime and being a walk in is even more pointless as they really are already overwhelmed with patients already....so frantically rambling to a dr or dav or vso about a number of issues just trying to get the point across with no useful outcome is how I always leave and I constantly not remembering what im talking about by the time I start talking is why I thought it might be good to get on here and write it down...sorry...so va claim background:
June 2016: First claim filed (4months after ETS)
August 2017: First claim closed rated at 80%
0% for groin > for foot injury> for facial scar> and knees
10% tinnitus
10% Blood Pressure
10% arthritis wrist
20% back issue
30% migraine
30% maxillary
<Denial: Dental> No complaints for dental had unbelievable issues with teeth dont know what or why but by this time next year i wont have ANY left. I have had 2 molars pulled in last year less than a month after dental c&p
Side note* no dental or med exam when I got out no exit exam at all..whatever the exit medical exam is called to show you are healthy and well ready for civilian transition the clinic scheduled the exam the day my orders ended so Dr said he couldnt legally see me as I was no longer in the military. Last conversation I had on base...
<Denial/TREATMENT ONLY: active psychosis/ gw claimed depression, anxiety/stress" (reason: i did not have any evidence or complaints in service but symptoms developing within time limit of leaving service hence treatment only) even though i did go to MH clinic while in service>>>#didnt know the only service records that the VA doesnt get/have access to is mental health! (Found out after calling the MH clinic at my old base with hopes that maybe a past appointment might be in their computer system somewhere...turns out they did have a record of the appointment with the MH Dr notes from the visit! #only one appointment but still #in service treatment record thats good right?
**side note after receiving the "Treatment only" decision by VA and visits and advice from the "Helpful Psych at VA" who told me I should have got service connection "at least deppression 2ndry to chronic pains associated with scd's" which i filed for within a yr of the original notification letter.
<Denial: hemorrhoids> (had/have but owell) no treatment in service prep h worked fine
<Denial: genitourinary condition> #i had a mucosal discharge documented breifly in smr> with Dr visits in service noting possible relation to <Denial: Digestive condition> problems with gallbladder heavily documented in smr which va said existed before service in confusion with an appendectomy prior to entering service. #visits in 2017 to urologist documented discharge havent been back.
<sometime between all of the psych visits from 2017 to now i have a history of TBI of what level is still unclear to me> have met with tbi specialist> still have alot appt scheduled with neurologist and neurosurgeons> TBI not rated as of right now...
June 2018: file for increase in knee rated 0% and groin 0%, and claim Depression secondary to chronic pains associated with service connected disabilities
Beginning of August 2018: Discover missing Mental Health records were available I notified VA of new material evidence to make sure service connection established and to maintain the effective date of original claim (being made available to VA within 1 year of original rating notification). This was done via VA written statement form and uploaded to the supporting documents for the now open claim for depression secondary on ebennies I also called the 1800# to advise VA and statement was taken over phone. I was also told that this would reopen the original claim for deppression.
Mid August 2018 receive notification letter now combined rating is 90% : effective date June 2018
Increase Knee granted: 10%
Increase Groin granted: 10%
Depression secondary basis to chronic pains associated with scd's granted: 50%
August continued>> while the claim was still open I met with the VA TBI specialist provided and she provided me with TDIU form since i have not been able to work due to the severity of my mental health conditions along with the form for spousal support which i faxed to claims intake but the claim closed and 90% rating was assigned but along with the tdiu claim I have a new claim opened for increase for depression and migraines which were the two most severe scds which the tdiu form asks to list on the form. The DAV has not contacted me at all throughout the entire claims process that started back in 2016 so I am not sure what I should be doing if anything more to make sure that i get the earliest effective date. I have been unable to get anything done in my day to day life and typing this has taken an entire day for me. Im failing out of school which means I wont get my post911 housing anymore of which ive used almost all of now, my wife has been taking care of me and our kids and i know its beginning to be to much for her to handle, to put iceing on the cake shes 2 month pregnant which i couldnt be happier to have another child but i dont know what im going to do, if anyone does read this long thing any advice is greatly appreciated. Sorry if it doesnt make much sense.
Thank you to all of you who are doing great things for for the vets on this website it has been a go to place for me for the past 3 years
Much love to my brothers and sisters i miss yall more than you know
Caluza Triangle – Caluza vs Brown defined what is necessary for service connection. See COVA– CALUZA V. BROWN–TOTAL RECALL
This has to be MEDICALLY Documented in your records:
Current Diagnosis. (No diagnosis, no Service Connection.)
In-Service Event or Aggravation.
Nexus (link- cause and effect- connection) or Doctor’s Statement close to: “The Veteran’s (current diagnosis) is at least as likely due to x Event in military service”
VA has gotten away with (mis) interpreting their ambigious, , vague regulations, then enforcing them willy nilly never in Veterans favor.
They justify all this to congress by calling themselves a "pro claimant Veteran friendly organization" who grants the benefit of the doubt to Veterans.
This is not true,
Proof:
About 80-90 percent of Veterans are initially denied by VA, pushing us into a massive backlog of appeals, or worse, sending impoverished Veterans "to the homeless streets" because when they cant work, they can not keep their home. I was one of those Veterans who they denied for a bogus reason: "Its been too long since military service". This is bogus because its not one of the criteria for service connection, but simply made up by VA. And, I was a homeless Vet, albeit a short time, mostly due to the kindness of strangers and friends.
Hadit would not be necessary if, indeed, VA gave Veterans the benefit of the doubt, and processed our claims efficiently and paid us promptly. The VA is broken.
A huge percentage (nearly 100 percent) of Veterans who do get 100 percent, do so only after lengthy appeals. I have answered questions for thousands of Veterans, and can only name ONE person who got their benefits correct on the first Regional Office decision. All of the rest of us pretty much had lengthy frustrating appeals, mostly having to appeal multiple multiple times like I did.
I wish I know how VA gets away with lying to congress about how "VA is a claimant friendly system, where the Veteran is given the benefit of the doubt". Then how come so many Veterans are homeless, and how come 22 Veterans take their life each day? Va likes to blame the Veterans, not their system.
However, (and I have no idea of knowing whether or not you would likely succeed) Im unsure of why you seem to be so adamant against getting an increase in disability compensation.
When I buy stuff, say at Kroger, or pay bills, I have never had anyone say, "Wait! Is this money from disability compensation, or did you earn it working at a regular job?" Not once. Thus, if you did get an increase, likely you would have no trouble paying this with the increase compensation.
However, there are many false rumors out there that suggest if you apply for an increase, the VA will reduce your benefits instead.
That rumor is false but I do hear people tell Veterans that a lot. There are strict rules VA has to reduce you and, NOT ONE of those rules have anything to do with applying for an increase.
Yes, the VA can reduce your benefits, but generally only when your condition has "actually improved" under ordinary conditions of life.
Unless you contacted the VA within 72 hours of your medical treatment, you may not be eligible for reimbursement, or at least that is how I read the link, I posted above. Here are SOME of the rules the VA must comply with in order to reduce your compensation benefits:
NOTE: TO PROVE CAUSE OF DEATH WILL LIKELY REQUIRE AN AUTOPSY. This means if you die of a SC condtion, your spouse would need to do an autopsy to prove cause of death to be from a SC condtiond. If you were P and T for 10 full years, then the cause of death may not matter so much.
Question
AFCop2016
Hello to all the amazing people who are helping more people than you know,
Looking for help with a few questions so here is the short (longer than intended*)rundown...My ETS was Mar2016.. While still active in 2010 was on my Sr year finishing premed degree with 4.0 gpa had to stop going to college when my second kid was born and wife was very ill the following years missed alot of work but always made up for it (i had very supportive chain of command that made alot of my own med issues go unnoticed or possibly pitty..not sure but love them all miss them all) fast forward to 2016 after ets wife is better all the kids in school and with full post911 benefits left why not try to finish my degree, unfortunately over that time my health had greatly deteriorated and school was not so easy anymore, and it wasnt just school but all areas of life had become to much for me(ALL). Without going to far into a long story I was in two major car accidents in 2014-2015 went into a mental breakdown loosing touch with reality on the reg and it wasnt until this year the "Helpful Psych at VA" actually taking her time to talk with me that we found out it was more than just failing in all areas that was making me act like a different person. Turns out that a blow to my head caused alot more damage than I originally thought, and i hope one day my friends and family can see who i once was again. Towards the end of my enlistment I went to see my pcp a few times and to mental health only once very bad communication between me and anybody from that point in my life to today which I still have trouble seeking/getting help especially when i have to wait months for an appointment and speak maybe 2 min max with the dr who never remembers anything and thinks its the first time we have met almost everytime and being a walk in is even more pointless as they really are already overwhelmed with patients already....so frantically rambling to a dr or dav or vso about a number of issues just trying to get the point across with no useful outcome is how I always leave and I constantly not remembering what im talking about by the time I start talking is why I thought it might be good to get on here and write it down...sorry...so va claim background:
June 2016: First claim filed (4months after ETS)
August 2017: First claim closed rated at 80%
0% for groin > for foot injury> for facial scar> and knees
10% tinnitus
10% Blood Pressure
10% arthritis wrist
20% back issue
30% migraine
30% maxillary
<Denial: Dental> No complaints for dental had unbelievable issues with teeth dont know what or why but by this time next year i wont have ANY left. I have had 2 molars pulled in last year less than a month after dental c&p
Side note* no dental or med exam when I got out no exit exam at all..whatever the exit medical exam is called to show you are healthy and well ready for civilian transition the clinic scheduled the exam the day my orders ended so Dr said he couldnt legally see me as I was no longer in the military. Last conversation I had on base...
<Denial/TREATMENT ONLY: active psychosis/ gw claimed depression, anxiety/stress" (reason: i did not have any evidence or complaints in service but symptoms developing within time limit of leaving service hence treatment only) even though i did go to MH clinic while in service>>>#didnt know the only service records that the VA doesnt get/have access to is mental health! (Found out after calling the MH clinic at my old base with hopes that maybe a past appointment might be in their computer system somewhere...turns out they did have a record of the appointment with the MH Dr notes from the visit! #only one appointment but still #in service treatment record thats good right?
**side note after receiving the "Treatment only" decision by VA and visits and advice from the "Helpful Psych at VA" who told me I should have got service connection "at least deppression 2ndry to chronic pains associated with scd's" which i filed for within a yr of the original notification letter.
<Denial: hemorrhoids> (had/have but owell) no treatment in service prep h worked fine
<Denial: genitourinary condition> #i had a mucosal discharge documented breifly in smr> with Dr visits in service noting possible relation to <Denial: Digestive condition> problems with gallbladder heavily documented in smr which va said existed before service in confusion with an appendectomy prior to entering service. #visits in 2017 to urologist documented discharge havent been back.
<sometime between all of the psych visits from 2017 to now i have a history of TBI of what level is still unclear to me> have met with tbi specialist> still have alot appt scheduled with neurologist and neurosurgeons> TBI not rated as of right now...
June 2018: file for increase in knee rated 0% and groin 0%, and claim Depression secondary to chronic pains associated with service connected disabilities
Beginning of August 2018: Discover missing Mental Health records were available I notified VA of new material evidence to make sure service connection established and to maintain the effective date of original claim (being made available to VA within 1 year of original rating notification). This was done via VA written statement form and uploaded to the supporting documents for the now open claim for depression secondary on ebennies I also called the 1800# to advise VA and statement was taken over phone. I was also told that this would reopen the original claim for deppression.
Mid August 2018 receive notification letter now combined rating is 90% : effective date June 2018
Increase Knee granted: 10%
Increase Groin granted: 10%
Depression secondary basis to chronic pains associated with scd's granted: 50%
August continued>> while the claim was still open I met with the VA TBI specialist provided and she provided me with TDIU form since i have not been able to work due to the severity of my mental health conditions along with the form for spousal support which i faxed to claims intake but the claim closed and 90% rating was assigned but along with the tdiu claim I have a new claim opened for increase for depression and migraines which were the two most severe scds which the tdiu form asks to list on the form. The DAV has not contacted me at all throughout the entire claims process that started back in 2016 so I am not sure what I should be doing if anything more to make sure that i get the earliest effective date. I have been unable to get anything done in my day to day life and typing this has taken an entire day for me. Im failing out of school which means I wont get my post911 housing anymore of which ive used almost all of now, my wife has been taking care of me and our kids and i know its beginning to be to much for her to handle, to put iceing on the cake shes 2 month pregnant which i couldnt be happier to have another child but i dont know what im going to do, if anyone does read this long thing any advice is greatly appreciated. Sorry if it doesnt make much sense.
Thank you to all of you who are doing great things for for the vets on this website it has been a go to place for me for the past 3 years
Much love to my brothers and sisters i miss yall more than you know
-c
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Top Posters For This Question
2
2
1
1
Popular Days
Sep 26
6
Top Posters For This Question
Berta 2 posts
broncovet 2 posts
vetquest 1 post
AFCop2016 1 post
Popular Days
Sep 26 2018
6 posts
5 answers to this question
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now