How do i ask for IU P&T?

[Sheila]

I have been rated for 15 years at 80% IU.  I went to the VA and since my family uses a subsidy (tax credit) for Obamacare, the VA told me i need to enroll and will no longer see me even though i'm priority group 1.  I even showed them the documentation that all Priority group 1 vets can be seen for their sc disabilities but they made me re-enroll.  The problem with this is we have 5 children and we really need that tax credit for our health insurance.

I'd like to open up my case and see if the VA will grant me P & T.  I've never been called back for a C & P in all of my 15 years and my disability is a result of a parachute accident so i'm not really worried as my ratings are all based on complications from the repair surgery.

When i went to the DOD website, it wanted to open up a claim for a new disability and nothing really applied.  Any suggestions?  Can i just write a letter to the Regional office asking them to consider P&T?   Thanks for any insight.

[Sheila]

I wanted to update.  I just received the VA's rating decision and they did grant me 80% P&T.  On one of the ratings that i see on ebenefits they changed the effective date to Aug 2019 and not 2004 like it once was.  Should i leave that alone?  I do have concerns about losing that effective date with having it for so long.  Thoughts?

[GeekySquid]

12 hours ago, Sheila said:

effective date to Aug 2019 and not 2004 like it once was.

the date you see on ebenefits is the date of the change or increase. If they did not change or increase that particular rating, then yes challenge it as it affects your protection for a specific rating.

For example if you have 40% for 5 years it gains a level of protection against reduction. If at 6 years you get bumped to 50% for that rating the 40% has a protection from being in effect for 5 years, but the additional 10% does not. When you have been at that 50% for 5 years, that additional 10 percent has a 5 year protection and the 40 will have a ten year protection.

there are various levels of protection from being reduced, including being 55, P&T, along with the protections from 5 years etc up to 20 with a rating when they would have to prove you committed fraud in getting the rating to reduce it.