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Ramp was a waste of time

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Richard1954

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Ok... so I have been confused by what is going on with my claims,  I opted in to ramp Jul 2018 . The claims were already in an appeals status  and I had already requested de- novo reviews. So they took a claim  that did not even exist in one case (Heart)  and requested  a C&P exam. In another case they decided to ignore the issue and what had been written when I requested an earlier effective date for my TBI rating and then denied the EED.  In another case I asked for a separate rating for my sleep apnea,  ( separate and apart from my asthma/copd) and I requested a step increase in my SMC  from L 1/2 to M, because any rating 50% or more entitles the veteran to addition SMC. When the illegally combine a sleep disorder with Lung disease and then deny the SMC I think this is wrong, in fact the BVA has awarded a few separate ratings for Lung Disease and Sleep Apnea. I understand the special rules regarding Lung disease and that they do not award separate ratings for these conditions. My legal argument is that the VA should not be denying a separate rating for sleep apnea because sleep apnea is a sleep disorder not a lung disease.... Anyway I already knew  that this issues will have to be decided at the BVA or higher.. In fact,  I want this to go to the Court of Appeals, and if denied I will take it outside the system to a federal court. For too long the VA has improperly rated sleep apnea as a lung disease and denied me and possibly thousand of other veterans separate ratings when we have a lung disease. In my case I have Asthma rated 60%, COPD 100% and Sleep Apnea 50%. But because of the rules I get screwed and all three diseases are rated as one, first its not right because it fails to take into consideration how serious and different the 3 separate diseases are, and while Asthma and COPD do overlap, sleep apnea does not . Anyway the va then took my knee issue, and hearing issues and requested new C/P exams. I have already had 4 hearing exams ( one just last September) , and two c&p for me knee issues.. Why they need new C&P exams is beyond me and a waste of time and money.  In a different post I indicated they had my claims at pending a decision, and then they were back at seeking information ..well now I know why... So I now have to appeal these two denials to the BVA, and it has to be done on a special 21-4138 that they supplied and they give  6 different options and I have to select 1 option for all appeals.  So In my case Ramp was a waste of time because all they did was deny the claims again  and I have to send them to the BVA anyways.  ( Maybe they saved me a little time, under de-novo they would have denied them under the old system too) Anyway they are off to the BVA and I have new C&P exams sched for the 22  of Jan for my knee, and then at a different office in a different town on the same day a hearing test. I really think ramp is a crappy system. Also when they wrote the denials, the letter actual reads as if they left some lines out of the decision, over all very confusing. I understood the old system and should have just waited for a decision under that system...  Sorry for the long story..... 

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Question For Broncovet

How long have you been in Appeals before opt to Ramp?

 if you had stayed in the regular Legacy  system ? was your time line 5.6 years or waiting for 100.000 vets to get their claims adjudicated? 

How do you know they work the claims as a come first for adjudication? they may take a veterans claim that they can work and not take  a long time to adjudicate it....as to the speed UP the process is a lot faster than taking the ones that opt over to RAMP First!!!.....simply if this Veteran was already in the legacy program for years...and was on the verge getting his claim Adjudicated  rather then him opt over to RAMP..Looks like to me that would take a longer time or add more time for the adjudication of his claim?

 say you been in it for 3/4 years or more and opt over to RAMP....and you been in RAMP Now say 6/7 months. WHAT IF THEY WERE ON THE VERGE OF ADJUDICATED YOUR CLAIM AND YOU WAS NOT INFORMED OF THAT ?  AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET WORD THE LEGACY SYSTEM IS LIKE 100.000 VETS BEFORE YOU AND YOU OPT OVER TO RAMP  AND NOW YOU BEEN IN RAMP A LOT LONGER THAN THE 125 PROMISE DATE FOR A DECISION? AND TRULY NO PROMISE DATE FOR ADJUDICATION!

 ''You could lose your place in line at the BVA. If you currently have a docketed claim at the BVA, we highly suggest you keep your place in line. If you join the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program you could lose your current place in line at the BVA. If your claim is denied in the first phase of the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program, the BVA will not even begin to look at your claim until February 2019 at the earliest. There could be a chance your claim gets pushed back even farther than February 2019. The VA is not guaranteeing that denials will even be heard starting in February 2019 – that is an estimate.''

Source: ''woods&woods LLP''

How is your claim moving along in RAMP vs the Legacy system that you was in or had been in for 3/4 years..YOU MENTION YOU HAVE ABOUT 3 MORE YEARS OF RAMP?? ?  Do the math here!!!!

Edited by Buck52
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  • HadIt.com Elder

asknod/Alex

You have nothing to apologize for, you simple was given out valuable information that none of us Regular Vets can't get or knew about?

  And you being a accredited VA Claims Agent  all your information is welcome here...you can see the V.B.M.S. as we can't, you earn that right becoming a VA Accredited  Claims Agent and your well know knowledge with the VA Claims process is certainly welcome here.

 They are always some we can't make happy and see things to gripe about just because some are more intelligent than others or more experienced in VA Law ...This is how we all learn  by information passed on these forums ,  without it a lot of us would not be where we are today.

I say keep up the good work and share any information your allowed to share with us..I & Many other Veteran Brothers take your word to the Bank.

RAMP is just to ''controversial debatable'' so -to-speak and has not been fully proven and for a lot of veterans,  we'll they just have to do what they think is best for them.

Edited by Buck52
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1 hour ago, Richard1954 said:

Ok so  I get a recorded message from a company called Veteran Services Logistics Health Incorporated  the message was that I had two c/p examinations scheduled one for my hearing and one for Heart condition/Knee . The were scheduled on the same day 2 hours apart in two different towns in opposite directions, ( one town to the left of my town and one to the right of my town).They left a number for me to call if I need more information so I called them and told them it isn't possible to make both appointment within 2 hours apart explaining its at least 75 miles between both locations. According to them the  first  appointment is one hour long so how in hell did they figure I could make two appoints within two hours of each other?  I called them and told them to reschedule one or the other, so they called back with another message saying that they rescheduled the hearing appointment for another day 60 miles from my home in Austin Texas,. I called them again and said hey can't you get me appointment in my Area between Killeen and Temple Texas?  They said first, that they could only reschedule an appointment once, then they said that this was the only appointment they could get, because the VA is dictating that I must attend these appointment no later than 22 Jan. Basically what they are doing is cramming me with these appoints and I either accept them or not but they will not reschedule them. They gave me the 1-800 827-1000 number and told me to call the regional office and asked them to approve  rescheduling the hearing appointment. Right, so I play the game and call the number, but anyone who deals with the va know this is the universal number to the regional offices in 48 states. Of course they answer with a recording saying select from the menu, but they never give the menu..... so I called the scheduler back and explain to them that the number isn't any good. They said sorry.... that's the number they gave us and nothing we can do.   Ok so I am stuck with these appointments.   The hearing test is not a big deal because it has to be administered by a licensed hearing specialist, I just don't want to drive 60 miles for a 10 minute test.  The heart/knee exam is scheduled at a family medical clinic who only employs one  Chiropractor/NP. I know understand how anyone except a heart specialist can do an adequate heart exam, and I detest Chiropractors and NP anyway.  In fact no matter who was scheduled to do the heart exam, I am just going to refuse to undergo the exam, because I don't have heart problems and I don't have an open claim for a heart condition.  So folks, not only are they cramming thru denials, but c/p exams as well and we do not have any choice as to how far we are willing to drive to get to an appointment or they type of medical specialist we would like to see.   I have 3 Medical Hospitals and a lot of medical clinics in my area and they are sending me to a one Horse town ( Copperas Cove) a family medical clinic  for an examination.  I am now trying to get an appointment in my area to get a IMO for my knee. Damn the VA .

Sounds like a real shit show to me the VA is putting you through.

I'd expect nothing less of them.

 

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  • Moderator

Veterans are free to chose RAMP or wait 5.9 years for their legacy BVA  appeals (estimate per BVA Chairmans REport, here..you do the math and add em up: https://www.bva.va.gov/Chairman_Annual_Rpts.asp  ).  That is year 2025, unless you have an advance on the docket.  This isnt "fake news"..its the BVA Chairmans report.  Or, maybe the Chairman's report is fake..I dont know, but I do know the 5 year plus delay to the BVA is the REAL DEAL.   

I have made my choice..the VA can keep their SOC, and their 5.9 year delay.   I have already opted into RAMP.  Win lose or draw,  I dont want to still be waiting "in the year 2025".  

For those who chose to wait 5.9 years.., knock yourself out.  

 

Edited by broncovet
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I didn't request RAMP but the VA awarded me  30% for asthma within 90 days of claim submission. It may have been fast-tracked due to me living in a homeless shelter. I thought it would take at least a year to receive a payment.

Edited by Wanderer
clarification
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  • HadIt.com Elder

It may be just me or my opinion  but I think In RAMP they take the easy  claims cut an dry to adjudicate claims before looking at others that's opt in Ramp to work before the more incomplete claims  if that makes a lick of sense? ..and probably rightfully so  to speed up the process  but that don't explain why there's a 90% denial rate?

Edited by Buck52
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