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1)I have always retained my medical file between duty locations, the actual records jacket, from basic to AIT, then onto my unit. I'm sure it was a delegational transfer of responsibility when the AGR members of my unit made it each soldiers individual responsibility to retain the physical copy of both the medical and personnel records jackets. Since then, my father carelessly threw my folder out as he cleaned out my truck to borrow it. I've been told that there are copies, or digital records of treatment and/or diagnosis. Would the Records Management Center be the one place that would retain such copies? 2) I don't think I have any records saying I was at fob x or fob z. All I have are orders saying Iraq, the time period, and who I was serving under. Although I do have a combat action badge, and other awards for combat situations. It would be easy to get confirmation of where I was at, what we burnt, so on and so forth from fellow NCOs and Officers who I served with. 3) Thank you, I dropped an e-mail to the Los Angeles office. Will keep everyone posted with progress and feedback.
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May 19, 2011 20:20
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St. Louis should have copies of all your medical records - give them a call at your earliest convenience to find out and to request a copy. Unfortunately, there is a risk that they may not be 100% complete, as large bureaucracies do have a tendency to lose things now and again, but for your sake I hope everything's there. And you picked a good time to file your claim. The burden of proof for things like service-connected respiratory disorders has gotten lighter (see: the hundreds of new studies and articles on "Is Dust Making Our Soldiers Sick?" et al.), and TBI and PTSD are taken seriously. The caveats are that: treatment for TBI this late after the fact, depending on the severity, may be frustrating if it helps at all. Also, tinnitus is for some reason a bitch to get paid for.
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May 20, 2011 00:10
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unimog posted:So, my questions are: If they are handwritten medical records (which are not used as often these days), then they may be lost unless you have photocopies or alternative sources. Electronic records are usually stored by DOD and sometimes may be retrieved electronically. If you do file a claim and VA is unable to locate your records from RMC or your last unit, provide them with the dates and places of your treatment (i.e. if at an army medical center or hospital) and they might be able to access it. Things like x-rays and prescription lists are available to Veterans Benefits Administration employees. quote:2) If I have to prove events through statements from other soldiers, what format do they need to be in? Is there a standard form? The "standard" form is the VA Form 21-4138, Statement in Support of Claim, which is actually just a blank sheet of paper with boxes for your identifying information. Evidence can be of any sort in any format you wish. A letter will usually suffice so long as it is clear who it's from, how they know the information they're relaying, and has your claim number on it so that it can be associated with your file. quote:2) I don't think I have any records saying I was at fob x or fob z. All I have are orders saying Iraq, the time period, and who I was serving under. Although I do have a combat action badge, and other awards for combat situations. It would be easy to get confirmation of where I was at, what we burnt, so on and so forth from fellow NCOs and Officers who I served with. In regards to PTSD, if you have a CAB, CIB, Purple Heart, or any medal with a "v" device, VA will concede the occurrence of a combat stressor during your military service. So long as you have a clinical diagnosis of PTSD which is due to combat stressor, (i.e. you attribute your symptoms to a mortar attack as opposed to being involved in a car accident stateside) service connection for PTSD will most likely be granted. In regards to chemical exposures, you'll need to show three things, an event in service, a current disability, and a causative nexus between the two. If I recall, exposure to burn-pits is a given for pretty much all soldiers and marines serving in Iraq. If you have a current diagnosis of a respiratory condition, you'll meet the second requirement. The nexus is a little more difficult to show. Most likely, VA will set up an examination and ask the doctor to provide a medical opinion as to the cause of your symptoms. So long as they say there's a 50/50 chance or greater that it's due to burn pits or something else during Iraq service, then you'll get it.
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May 20, 2011 01:07
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I will give the St. Louis archive a call tomorrow and see what I can get and what it takes to get it. Unfortunately the one major incident which caused the TBI among other lingering physical issues was treated in Mosul, Iraq (2003) in a tent, handwritten records with the only computer in the tent being a vitals machine, I doubt they were scanned and stored anywhere. Although there may be some record somewhere that I was seen there. Thank you for the VA form #. I'm sure I will be needing a few of those to back my claims up. The chemical exposure should be fairly simple. I do have paperwork from the military recognizing the fact that there was a dangerous level of asbestos in the dust in our immediate living area, which seemed to be a result of the demolished republican guard barracks. Hell, I even have a picture of scrawny little pfc me with the burn out shitters!
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May 20, 2011 05:23
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Touching a little more on the burn outs: Everyone in my unit was given doxycycline to prevent malaria, and the pamphlet that came with the medication noted that it was highly active in fecal matter and should be treated with caution. There I am, stirring it up and breathing it in.
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May 20, 2011 05:29
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VA makes no sense at all. I claimed several things but these two stand out. They gave me 10% because I broke my hand and now it kinda sorta hurts if I take one of my fingers and try and pull it back to my wrist. But they gave me 0% for a internal problem I got, and will have the rest of my life. I'm actually on medication for that one and have been seeing VA doctors about it. WTF?
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May 24, 2011 02:14
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Does anyone know if there is a way to electronically submit forms to help your disability claim if you accidentally submitted it prior to attaching the scans? eBenefits loving sucks This also means I haven't submitted the authorization and consent for release of information to the VA form for this clinic because the loving screen saying I needed to submit that came AFTER I SUBMITTED THE COMPENSATION FORM....gently caress
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Jun 18, 2011 14:03
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moker posted:Does anyone know if there is a way to electronically submit forms to help your disability claim if you accidentally submitted it prior to attaching the scans? I have never messed with eBenefits. You could try to go low tech, just type up a quick cover letter explaining what happened and fax/mail it to the Regional Office.
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Jun 18, 2011 19:42
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How long o appeals typically take? A few months ago, someone at the Vet Center helped me appeal two claims and file a new one. I've received multiple notices regarding the new claim including a C&P exam, but never heard anything regarding the appeals.
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Jun 18, 2011 22:04
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FooGoo, I'm currently working the process with the DAV and this is what I was told. Appeals at the local level take 12-14 months from when you file. This allows you to gather new evidence, have more C&P appointments, them to review the evidence, etc. The [horrible] appeal process that most have heard of is when you take it to DC if you're satisfied with the ruling, which can take years.
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Jun 19, 2011 03:59
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Posting here to vent and maybe get some info on what the gently caress is going on. I separated out of the Marine Corps with Chronic Lymph-edema which essentially means I can't run basically at all and any physical exertion beyond the most basic things causes my foot to balloon up 3-4x its normal size. I used the Quick Start program and applied for my benefits. I foolishly waited until a year after my last physical/doctor appointment and when I turned in my records for review to call the VA. A. My benefits were supposed to kick in right after my EAS date 22 March. Wish I knew that beforehand  B. They didn't even send my goddamn medical records to get reviewed until AFTER I called them in the beginning of May. Should I just keep calling the VA constantly and harass them to get this poo poo done because apparently I dropped off the grid for 14 months for no loving reason and I'd rather not have it happen again. Or is it safe to just wait now until I get piece of mail saying that I'm receiving X% of disability? How long from this point should I have to wait to get info on my claim?
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Jun 19, 2011 07:46
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I'm currently in the process of guiding the umpteenth vet to the American Legion for claims help (he doesn't have service-connected disability but is owed benefits). He's a Vietnam vet, Marine Corps, and filed his claim with the VA directly 6 years ago. We got him over to the AL claims specialists, and his back pay will likely be in his account within the next six months. Advocates are the poo poo. If you already filed with the VA, you can still get an advocate to help speed things along. It's like climbing Everest with a 16th-century map versus a GPS and a sherpa.
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Jun 19, 2011 18:01
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Two questions for those who are knowledgeable: 1) For the appeals I submitted, I'm trying to see some civilian docs to say my issue is military duty related (since the VA doc wouldn't say it other than "possibly..."). If I get this additional evidence, who/where should I send it so it gets processed with my appeal? 2) I have a former 82nd buddy who's still in the Guard. His knees are shot but refuses to file a claim because last time he brought it up at a physical and they tried to med discharge him. I'm trying to convince him that VA /= military med (right?). Since it's been a few years, what should his first step be? Get a diagnosis from a civilian doc then start the claims process? Congrats to those of you who have an awesome advocate. The first time I filed I went to the DAV (in West LA for any SoCal goons) and the dude was a dick. He still got my claim filed, but I've never gone back or recommended them to anyone.
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Jun 20, 2011 01:05
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FooGoo posted:Two questions for those who are knowledgeable: It depends on where in the process your appeal is at. The initial stage is a de novo review, where your local regional office (or one of the centralized sites if your claim is a paperless claim)is the one who conducts a full review of the file. If this is where your file is at, send it to the regional office nearest to you and they should get it to where it needs to go. From the sound of it, this is where you're at, so just send it there.
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Jun 21, 2011 00:29
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FooGoo posted:Two questions for those who are knowledgeable: 1) I would send it by fax and certified return receipt mail to the Regional Office handling your claim if it is still at that level. If it as at the BVA in Washington, submitting new evidence will take you out the line and delay your appeal by up to a few months, however this sounds like really, really good evidence. Just attach it to a cover letter with your name, VA file #, and if possible the date of the claim you are appealing. 2)As far as I know you are wrong. If you get a VA rating the Guard will usually give you the boot. Even if they didn't you can't receive military pay and VA benefits at the same time. They would offset. Seeking civilian treatment will help him document it later, and for drat sure he better mention it on his exit physical.
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Jun 21, 2011 00:47
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Okay, I just got a re-cock on my PTSD appeal. My C&P is scheduled for July 12th, right around the corner. Anyone have advice for strengthening it for appeals? So far I've, -Had 2 appointments to the vet center in the past 2 months. More are scheduled but they are swamped. -Vet center recommended I keep a small journal of all triggers, how the occur each time, etc. This is 2 months old or so. -Been going to treatment at the VA(mental health, physical therapy, X-Rays/MRIs), switching my meds if need be, going to appointments. -Have copies of college transcripts proving that my PTSD has affected my schooling. Should I have friends and family write sworn statements for this meeting? The last C&P had the nerve to say "We all have certain types of PTSD...its just dealing with them". Like it was no big deal.
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Jun 29, 2011 23:57
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Roving Reporter posted:stuff Looks like you're well prepared to me but I have zero experience with the appeal process. Any idea what went wrong the first time?
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Jun 30, 2011 01:34
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Roving Reporter posted:Okay, I just got a re-cock on my PTSD appeal. My C&P is scheduled for July 12th, right around the corner. Anyone have advice for strengthening it for appeals? So far I've, It's going to depend on why it was previously denied. If it was denied more than a year ago, I'm willing to wager that it was because VA was unable to verify the occurrence of a specific stressor. In that case, just be sure to describe the combat stressor that caused your condition so that the examiner has sufficient information to determine if your symptoms can be linked to service. As far as buddy statements, transcripts, and your journal, any information regarding your social and occupational functioning should be provided to your examiner, but more importantly it should be provided to the appeals division at which ever office is handling your claim. It's important that VA be provided with as complete a picture as possible of the symptoms and functional effects of your PTSD. Beyond that, you just need to be aware of the requirements for service connection for PTSD, that being an event in service, a current diagnosis of PTSD, and a causal link between the two. Within the last year the requirements for showing an event in service have been loosened a great deal and now if you were in a situation like Iraq or Afghanistan and experienced a combat event such as rocket or mortar fire or an insurgent attack, then VA will likely be able to take you at your word and concede the occurrence of a stressful event.
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Jun 30, 2011 01:40
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RichieHimself posted:Looks like you're well prepared to me but I have zero experience with the appeal process. Any idea what went wrong the first time? I was rated 30%, but I guess I kind of hosed myself due 'putting on the mask' while in the meeting. Not fully disclosing my problems with school, or how isolated/harmful I was being to myself along with self-medicating. Part of the 'Stay-Strong, don't be a bitch' attitude. I think its natural we want others to see us as doing well, but sadly, those doctors don't see us at our worst day in, day out. I guess I need to be completely honest this time and not hold back on what is really going on in my life, regardless of how embarrassing.
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Jun 30, 2011 01:52
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Yeah don't hold back on anything. The way I looked at it was talking about this poo poo is going to suck but I'll probably never see this guy again so who cares. Spill your guts and cash those checks. I might be thinking of the wrong guy but weren't you a Batt Boy?
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Jun 30, 2011 21:29
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My right knee got jacked to gently caress, starting in boot camp. I was active for 6 years, before getting out and going into the Navy Reserve. Since I joined the Reserve, my right knee got me on LLD once, and now my left knee is acting up. My question/concern is this: After I got off of AD (12/2008), I didn't go to the VA to get rated, because I was worried it would screw me out of getting into the Reserve. Should I go get rated now, since I'm already in? Or should I wait until I'm retired? I'm in an active Reserve unit that requires a lot of physical activity, which is why I'm still a little worried about doing it. I don't want to jeopardize my eligibility to deploy or anything.
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Jun 30, 2011 22:21
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Do it now. If memory serves me well, you can have a maximum rating of 30% before they start flagging you and/or making you pay back a portion of the disability.
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Jul 1, 2011 18:36
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Where does one go locally to find someone knowledgeable on submitting disability paperwork to the VA? I'm putting together another claim but this one is not as easy as my last and would really like an experienced opinion on it
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Jul 14, 2011 19:59
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Get in contact with your county's Department of Veteran Services. They'll advocate you and take care of practically everything. All you have to do is supply whatever they need, sit back, and wait for the wheels to roll. Made my life a hell of a lot easier when I got out.
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Jul 15, 2011 18:17
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Cunty McKooze posted:My right knee got jacked to gently caress, starting in boot camp. I was active for 6 years, before getting out and going into the Navy Reserve. Since I joined the Reserve, my right knee got me on LLD once, and now my left knee is acting up. I've seen several Reservists get the boot for having a VA rating. If your goal is staying in, I would wait. E: Also you cannot receive VA compensation and military pay at the same time, they offset. Even if you don't get booted, you may end up drilling for free effectively. Which isn't necessarily bad as far as retirement goes, but still something to think about. Bulky Bartokomous fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Jul 17, 2011 |
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Jul 17, 2011 23:51
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moker posted:Where does one go locally to find someone knowledgeable on submitting disability paperwork to the VA? I'm putting together another claim but this one is not as easy as my last and would really like an experienced opinion on it In addition, there are also Veterans Service Organizations (DAV, VFW, American Legion, etc), many of which have offices in VA medical centers. The nice thing about them is they are free. Unless you can find a VA accredited lawyer willing to work for free, you can't get one involved at that stage in the game. It is illegal to charge a fee for helping with the initial application.
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Jul 18, 2011 00:00
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Roving Reporter posted:Okay, I just got a re-cock on my PTSD appeal. My C&P is scheduled for July 12th, right around the corner. Anyone have advice for strengthening it for appeals? So far I've, Those are all great things to do, particularly the buddy statements from friends and family. When I get home later tonight I'll try to find the magic language you need to put at the end of the statement. And cult_hero is 100% correct, you really need to get that stuff into the hands of the Ratings Board at your VARO.
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Jul 18, 2011 00:03
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Dantu posted:Those are all great things to do, particularly the buddy statements from friends and family. When I get home later tonight I'll try to find the magic language you need to put at the end of the statement. And cult_hero is 100% correct, you really need to get that stuff into the hands of the Ratings Board at your VARO. If you could do that, that'd be awesome. I'm getting everyone to write them this week.
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Jul 18, 2011 00:45
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Roving Reporter posted:If you could do that, that'd be awesome. I'm getting everyone to write them this week. "I certify that these statements are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief." ^ That should be the last sentence, right above the signature. For letters from friends and family members, ask them to write about changes they have noticed in you, ideally with specific examples how you were before and after your military time.
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Jul 18, 2011 03:14
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Thanks for the advice Headspace/Dantu, I'll go snoop around the VA clinic here first RR I hope you get your poo poo worked out I thought they were way more lenient with PTSD type stuff especially with infantry combat veterans drat
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Jul 18, 2011 14:56
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moker posted:Thanks for the advice Headspace/Dantu, I'll go snoop around the VA clinic here first The more likely you are to have PTSD the less likely they are to grant it. I know guys who did stints in Walter Reed and got denied edit for full disclosure: it was all clerical stuff but they made the process such a pain in the rear end it was a large deterrent IS IT THE SHOES fucked around with this message at 18:39 on Jul 18, 2011 |
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Jul 18, 2011 18:27
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Do VA payments have any sort of paystub I can look at or otherwise figure out what a particular payment is for? I was receiving $123.00 per month for disability, however I didn't receive it for the month of August, which I assumed because I submitted the waiver for it since I reenlisted. This month however, I received a payment for $12.30 for some reason. Is it possible they were trying to pay me $123.00 but misplaced the decimal? Why else would I receive $12.30 for "VA benefits"?
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Sep 3, 2011 17:20
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FooGoo posted:Do VA payments have any sort of paystub I can look at or otherwise figure out what a particular payment is for? Every time I've seen a similar issue, it's been because the VA kept a certain percentage of benefits due in order to offset an overpayment at some other time or in some other area. For example, they may keep all or part of your disability pension to pay a GI Bill overpayment at some other point in time. Call the VA Benefits Hotline at 1-800-827-1000 as soon as possible to find out what's up. Even if it is to correct an overpayment, they are required to provide notice of their intent to garnish your benefits. There is generally a reason for such payment oddities, but the VA is really bad at making these things clear beforehand.
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Sep 4, 2011 15:03
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I just wanted to thank whoever posted about the free healthcare for OIF vets, I just applied last week. I haven't dealt with the VA since I got out other than for the GI Bill. Is there a special process involved in proving you have service related issues (mostly respiratory from breathing in burning garbage every single day) or am I boned? Will that get covered when they enroll me for the healthcare or what? Also not really related but I just tried to get old W2s from DFAS and it was the most aggravating experience I've had in a long time, really made me remember why I got out. After about an hour of going in circles in their moronic phone queues and talking with brain dead customer support I finally got a number to their archival department. They said it would take 60 days to get my W2 from 2009. lmao. F-- would not enlist again
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Sep 8, 2011 01:12
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Busket_in_Posket posted:I'm currently in the process of guiding the umpteenth vet to the American Legion for claims help (he doesn't have service-connected disability but is owed benefits). How the gently caress do you guys post all these awesome success stories? Every time I go to the VA I just get sent all over the place. Whenever I actually sit down and talk to someone, they recommend that I don't get a VSO to help me. Another month goes by, and I still get not a single letter or loving email from the VA about either my disability claim or healthcare or even a loving status update. The phone system literally hangs up on me. I filed 11 months ago. My unemployment was denied. I have no money left. My wife hasn't seen our bank account yet, thank god. Otherwise I'd be out of pussy too. I just called the American Legion in my city and they said they'd help me if I called later tonight. I hope so. I havent seen a doctor since I got out of the Marine Corps. The worst part is I ran out of anti-depressants and sleeping pills MONTHS ago. gently caress. I know it sounds like a loving sob story (and I cant loving stand those) but PLEASE point me to a loving VA employee that knows their job in the great state of Florida. t_bright fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Sep 8, 2011 |
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Sep 8, 2011 17:15
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t_bright posted:How the gently caress do you guys post all these awesome success stories? Every time I go to the VA I just get sent all over the place. Whenever I actually sit down and talk to someone, they recommend that I don't get a VSO to help me. Another month goes by, and I still get not a single letter or loving email from the VA about either my disability claim or healthcare or even a loving status update. The phone system literally hangs up on me. I filed 11 months ago. My unemployment was denied. I have no money left. My wife hasn't seen our bank account yet, thank god. Otherwise I'd be out of pussy too. I'm not being sarcastic at all, but have you tried contacting your congressman on something like this?
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Sep 8, 2011 17:26
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t_bright posted:How the gently caress do you guys post all these awesome success stories? Every time I go to the VA I just get sent all over the place. Whenever I actually sit down and talk to someone, they recommend that I don't get a VSO to help me. Another month goes by, and I still get not a single letter or loving email from the VA about either my disability claim or healthcare or even a loving status update. The phone system literally hangs up on me. I filed 11 months ago. My unemployment was denied. I have no money left. My wife hasn't seen our bank account yet, thank god. Otherwise I'd be out of pussy too. They absolutely should not have recommended that you don't get a VSO. I'd contact your patient advocate there (every VAMC has one) and bitch about that. It's good that you called the American Legion. They should get you sorted. If not, which is unlikely, just get into contact with another VSO (DAV, VFW, etc.). Pram posted:I just wanted to thank whoever posted about the free healthcare for OIF vets, I just applied last week. I haven't dealt with the VA since I got out other than for the GI Bill. Is there a special process involved in proving you have service related issues (mostly respiratory from breathing in burning garbage every single day) or am I boned? Will that get covered when they enroll me for the healthcare or what? Since you just applied, you should be scheduled shortly for an initial physical. Bring up all issues, no matter how trivial, at that time, so that they at least get documented. If the problem is already in your service medical file, even better, but still bring it up. After that, if you're not happy with the results, I recommend you to get into contact with the VSO of your choice. I cannot stress how much a VSO helps with these issues. They'll be able to help you file whatever you need to get a satisfactory result. It doesn't always work out, but the chances are greatly increased when you have someone in your corner that knows exactly what they're doing. VSO's don't just help out with the VA, either. They can help with any of your benefits. I have mine working on my real property tax exemption right now and getting an updated copy of my DD-214. They really do make life a hell of a lot easier.
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Sep 8, 2011 19:35
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I'm thinking about working on a 'new guy' packet for guys getting out. Something like a checklist at for medical benefits/disability. Navigating this poo poo is hard, even after doing it for almost 2 years. I'll send it to Busket when I'm done and see if he wants to add it to the OP. EconOutlines fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Sep 8, 2011 |
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Sep 8, 2011 21:18
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gently caress the va.
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Sep 10, 2011 00:32
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t_bright posted:gently caress the va. va keeps me paid. I love the va.
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Sep 10, 2011 02:28
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