100% P&T - Microphone Drop

[ShrekTheTank]

Congrats!!!

[Hucast21]

Congrats!!

[Carl the Engineer]

Winner, winner, chicken dinner,

Way to go,

Hamslice

 

[cham1968]

The road traveled has peaks and valleys but eventually you come to that fork in the road that leads to !!! God bless you brother. 

[MarkInTexas]

Thanks again, Y'all!  I appreciate the good words!  Buck, next time I'm planning to be up toward your area, I'll let you know and we can visit over a cup.  This has been an experience!

Just a quick update.  I received my envelope.  It wasn't big and brown or big and white.  More of a paper reduction act middle sized with about 25 pages folded in half.  My granted decisions matched the eBenefits and payment I received, so I'm happy there.  Got low-balled on a couple of ratings, but all in all not too bad.  It got me over the ridge.

I did read the wonderful language regarding "permanent and total" and one of the "decisions' that I was granted for for "Eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35."  Hopefully, my two daughters can get the benefit of this.

Meanwhile, Veterans Evaluation Services called me a couple of days ago about my remaining remanded conditions and the one granted that they had not processed yet.  I'm waiting for them to decide if they want to do ACE, telemed or in-person.  They advised that for in-person C&P's they are still holding off until they get the all-clear for COVID-19.  I don't look for anything that comes out of the remaining claims to amount to much, but I'll do the hokey-pokey for them and go where they tell me to.  I agreed to whatever option they decided.

I also reached out to the VA's prescription billing folks and initiated an audit to get a refund on the remaining prescription co-pays I had paid out prior to getting my previous rating increase.  I had done that once before for a couple of years of co-pays when I got bumped over 50%, and this should get the rest.  Might not be much, but it'll help pay a few electric bills I'm guessing.

I'm thinking of taking a trip over to Fort Polk in Louisiana to get a military ID card now for commissary and base access, unless they are still in COVID-19 lockdown and I am going to look closer at the life insurance.

That is one question I have.  I do plan to keep working, so will I not qualify for the premium-free $10K in life insurance because I am still working?  I read that you have to be completely unable to work for that.  Or am I missing something.  I meet all other "checkmarks" except that one.

I also have a question about CHAMPVA.  Is it pretty good for family coverage and what is the premium cost?  I'll go research as well, but I wanted to see what everybody's experiences have been with this for their family members.

I'm a cancer survivor and it all finally got service-connected.  I'm still here and plan to be here for a while longer, but now I know that when the Lord does take me, my wife and kids will be provided for.  That has been my primary goal since I started this almost a decade ago.

Thanks again everybody.  I hope you have a safe and peaceful weekend.  Take care!

Mark

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by MarkInTexas

[GBArmy]

Mark, nice success story. Your comment about asking for an audit on your prescription payouts is a good one; veterans forget about it. If you are awarded a disability that you had been previously been paying prescriptions for, they will go back and give you a refund. Same situation if you were below 50% and with a new award get to 50% combined or better. Like you said, it really is your money. They are supposed to do it automatically, but, you know, maybe it doesn't happen.As for the life insurance, there has been some recent comments on that whether or not you can be employed; I hope which ever of the experts is who did the research  jumps back in here on that. In any case, congrats on your results. You have some experience dealing with these issues and we hope that you will be back soon and often. Take care.