nehmer

[380]

I filed for smc (bladder cancer) in april, in june I was notified the va reopened a claim for me under nehmer and added it to the smc claim, I was then notified the claim went to preparation for notification on August 10, since then nothing. Does anybody know why nehmer claims are taking so long?

[Berta]

Unfortunately almost all claims are taking a long time to get properly addressed by the VA.

I assume that you already have a TDIU or 100% rating for service connection that would possible put the bladder cancer into the SMC criteria.

Have you tried to get a status via IRIS?

IRIS is the "Contact Us" link at the main VA web site.

Maybe "Peggy" ( what we call the 1-800-827-1000 #)might be abletto tell you more.

You might be eligible for a very favorable EED due to Footnote One Nehmer.

It is explained here: 

https://community.hadit.com/topic/85442-nehmer-footnote-one-agent-orange-claims/

And this is more discussion here on Footnote One- most of the veterns here under Nehmer were Footnote One veterans.

I was a "should have coded" Footnote one AO widow.I think I found years ago one other Footnote one "should have been coded" decision. However it i a facet of Nehmer that cannot be overlooked.

The ratings for AO bladder cancer are in this excellent article by Hill and Ponton, excellent vet lawyers:

https://www.hillandponton.com/agent-orange-bladder-cancer/

I am assuming something on one of your past ratings sheets that identified Bladder cancer ith a rating, as "NSC" not service connected, triggered the VA to re open the claim under Nehmer. If so , that means the VARO is doing the right thing on the re opened claim.

When you get the decision, you can ask NVLSP to review the retro as they did for many of us here.

Not only COVID but this issue caused a delay in claims. It was an important delay and finally Blue Water Navy AO veterans got the proper equity they deserved:

https://www.nvlsp.org/news-and-events/press-releases/nvlsp-triumphs-court-orders-va-to-redecide-thousands-of-claims-for-blue-wat

 

 

 

[john999]

If you have bladder cancer and you have to wait a couple of years to win your claim that is outrageous.  Some vets can't wait that long.  Us AO vets have waited decades for justice.  Every Nam vet I know has AO problems.  

[Berta]

Peggy got canned- the VA web site has a new way to contact the VA.

https://www.va.gov/contact-us/

I tried it yesterday and it is awful so I complained to the White House Veterans Hotline About it.

As a widow of a veteran, there was no way I could fill out the blank fields properly.

IRIS was different-I never had problems with IRIS- and sometimes they responded fairly fast.

VA has a separate survivors clam help department- they are next on my list to contact.

I always ask for an email response frm the VA. That means you have hard copy of what they say.

A local Vet friend ( GSWs 2 PHs , PTSD, and 100% P  & T under 1151 award I helped him get). was always afraid to call Peggy- but one day he did and came over and said they helped him a lot- I said 'so what did they say about your question on your claim', and he said"I dont know" but "they were nice."

Veterans often cannot hear well, or are medicated and that makes it difficult too to call them -the new contact phone # is there,  and there are so many elderly vets that VA should make their web site a easy as possible to navigate.

A phone call cannot be taped here in NY without both party permissions, but an email reply from VA is documented evidence.