Anyone need help with a VA Claim???????

[Wildcat Dude]

It has to be location and number of claims in those areas. I was instructed to file through the fast pass system with my ischemic heart diease. I was expecting a wait of at least a year or more. I'm glad it went quicker than that as the diabetes part didn't come through for 10 months and the feet part (no feeling in either) took another 2 months on top of that but in reality, it was actually very fast as the exam for my feet was in October and I got the check in Feb or March I think. I really hope those folks get processed soon (if they don't party all the funds away)

[WheadAK]

Yes I am a newly retired Army SGM. I did my claim in June. I put all these items in the claim. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in the Army and have the CPAP machine. I had hip pain while still in and had a total hip replacement soon after a got out. I had 2nd and 3rd degree frost bite and 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my army while in. My PTSD Gaf score was 65. I have tinnitis and L/R knee arthritis. I also was diagnosed with gastritos and take daily medicine.

What do you think my rating will be.

Thanks

[Marc Marcantonio]

50% for the Sleep Apnea, 10% for the Tinnitis, and more for all the others depending on how well documented. You will likely receive about 80% would be my best guess.

[chuck]

:)

[redbeard55]

You can get in touch with Veterans services in your area an they will assist you in doing the forms to apply for the disability you are seeking compensation for, any type codes associated with your claim can be put on your application by a veterans service rep.. You can probably go to www.veterans.(your state].gov example i deal with Georgia Department of Veterans Service Ga dept of veterans service these guys will do everything making copies an helping with your claim to the VA

[redbeard55]

You can get in touch with Veterans services in your area an they will assist you in doing the forms to apply for the disability you are seeking compensation for, any type codes associated with your claim can be put on your application by a veterans service rep.. You can probably go to www.veterans.(your state].gov example i deal with Georgia Department of Veterans Service Ga dept of veterans service these guys will do everything making copies an helping with your claim to the VA

[wtrwsel]

50%

[Atomdata]

When filling out the VONAPP form it ask about retired pay. Then it want the details and the choices are; Pay types include; Longevity, Temporary Disability Retirement, Permanent Disability Retirement, Separation, & Severance.

I did 20 years and it is normal retired pay.....Which one of the above is it? Longevity?

Thanks!

[Jeffbrown763]

I need some assistance in filing a VA claim. I've been doing research online, but if anyone can provide some advice, that would be great.

[Shadow1]

Just called the VA today and its been over 11 Months on the decision of my C&P claim. They stated that they are still in the document phase of the claim. Havn't been able to contact my VSO at the VFW since hes never there. What is everyones recommendations on speeding this claim up. They also had no idea I had been going to the VA hospital since I submitted the claim last March which I informed them of. Please PM with any help that you all can give. Do I need a lawyer or what?I know that they are free from the VA right? Thanks for any help guys.

John Waugh
US Army
11B4
"One Shot One Kill"
3rd Infantry Division

[jkcanvas]

I'm not a expert on it but I can give some advice on what I do know and what I have picked up over the years helping others Veterans. Even if you don't want help remember...DO NOT GIVE UP, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING BUT IT'LL BE WORTH THE STRUGGLE. If you want to listen to the problem you're having send me a IM .

My friends father is a WWII vet, battle of th bulge, purple heart. Steelplate covering front of his brain, severe frostbite .3 days in a foxhole. Wasn't rated 100 percent untill 2003 fotr these I juries. Would he be entitled to retroactive pay.

[chuck]

Interesting to see that most have gotten a rating disability for sleep apnea. This was one of nine pending items and just recently got reviewed and got "zero" rating for my sleep apnea. I've been on machines for the better part of 10+ years and even had just completed a recent sleep study when my paperwork was submitted.

My question to all you in the know, should I file an appeal for this and is it worth it? Initially I was awarded 50% but have since been bumped up to 70%.

Thanks,

Chuck
USN RET

[Jarhead2]

You can go here.. Get an E-Benefits, premium account and you can track and see status of your claim!!

https://www.myhealth.va.gov/index.html

[wtrwsel]

Guys the best advise I can give you is ensure everything that you will be claiming is documented by the military before you get out. MRI's, sick call, Dr. visits etc, I cannot stress this enough. I went with AM Vets and they filed my fully developed claim the day after I retired. I did not hold anything back as far as any documentation, I made sure it was all there. Ninety days to the day I filed I had my VA physical and four months later AM Vets called me to give me my rating and received my finding from the VA in the mail 2 days later. I don't know but I could be the exception, I really believed I was processed quickly because I did not wait.

[Grumpy206]

If it is not documented in your military records 90 % of the time you wont get it I was in the Ranger BN and I have a lot of medical problems and didn't document them so know the VA wont rate them. There rating scale is messed up they rated my knees and said it was caused by me jumping out of plains. They rated the left one at 10% the right one as 10% and the vain problem that I have as 10% all of those 10% add up to 0%. They also rated my hearing loss and gave me 20% for that and 10% for ringing in my ears. 6 months later sent me back for another hearing test and said that they have a different rating scale know and took the 20% back. Right know I have a 70% total body and cant walk but they said that I'm employable even those my disability is so bad that the doctors and social security says that I cant work.

[CigarBasser]

Was airborne and HALO qualified for the later half of my career. Even spent time as an LNO with the guys in RRD/RRC (2007 - 2011). Some, if not all, of my injuries weren't very well documented. Pretty much a factor of the world we lived in.. Rather it made it right or not is left up for discussions of another day.

When I got out my neck didn't give me much of an issue. Think I had one annotation of the neck causing me an issue but the xrays showed nothing and I just went to Physical Therapy. Fast forward to ten years later, the neck issue manifested itself to a point of needing steriod shots about every other month. CatScan, not the basic xrays the VA do, showed a bulging disc and some bone spurs (arthritis). After talking to a friend he suggested I go see The local VA Services offices and get it reviewed.

So off to the VA office I went, They opened a file and made a request to consider my neck as a new service connected disability. At the same time she had requested a full review of all the previously approved service connected disabilities I had since it was ten years later, this later proved to be very beneficial as well. As for the neck issue, she had me secure a few letters written by physicians indicating that it was more likely than not these issues today had surfaced do to the years of jumping and can take years to surface. It took 12 - 15 months for the entire evaluation process to happen but in the end, the neck and shoulder were approved. Some of my other previously approved items were upgraded.

So in the end, don't give up. Find the right VA counselor in your local county Veteran Services office and talk to them.

Hope this helps
Dave

[Chris M]

I am thinking about retiring this summer. How long does it take to start receiving benefits? Do they pay retroactively?

[CigarBasser]

11 years ago it took about 6 months to get through the paperwork, appt's and decision.. Can't remember if the pay was retroactive to my date of retirement..

[wtrwsel]

I am thinking about retiring this summer. How long does it take to start receiving benefits? Do they pay retroactively?

It took about six months to start receiving disability and eight for back pay. The back pay is from date of submission of your VA claim. You can go to the VA right after retiring.

[altexfishin]

I was retired on a "special program" where the Doc saw you as you were outprocessing at one stop. They gave me several service connected disabilities but ultimatly awarded 0% disability/compensation. These things have only gotten worse including melonoma skin cancer from all those years on the flight line. I really don't know where to start?