VA Disability claims

[laabstract]

The kicker is I had my exams in February yet they still keep pushing my date back. Also I am in the the West Virginia Office now which only has a 7 month wait time lol, go figure.

[PyroFox79]

I got out in august 09 and got my first check by september or october. I started my paper work a month before i got out and i have the VFW or the DAV do it for me. I did all the exams and stuff while i was still in. Basically i did exactly what they told us to do in TAPs classes

[Mr.Caketown]

I got two of my four claims completed this week. One was for 50% (migraine headaches), one was for 30% (reactive airway disease, probably the same thing you got Brian Davis) for using an inhaler everyday before exercise, for a wacky VA total of 70%. VA is still waiting on medical records for my back and a tumor I had growing off my neck to make a decision on those two. Put them in August 302012, completed March 30th 2013 which puts it about 7 months. Pretty fast compared to the average, lucky my claim got moved to OK instead of Oakland!

haha yeah , thats what I could have however the Docs chalked it up to Asthma. So Im currently waiting for percentages to come down in my medboard but the VA people said im looking at 30% for Asthma/Reactive airway since I use meds daily , 50% for Apnea/Hypopnea and 10% for headaches . 70% is still a good number

[docsmileyface]

yeah wacky va math even though your individual claims are 90% I believe your 3 contentions will end up being 70%

[msusmc13]

Took about 13 months, and then another year and change for one claim that they deferred decision on. The back pay was awesome though. Note I started my claim when still on active duty at the VA office at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital.

[justjeff]

yeah wacky va math even though your individual claims are 90% I believe your 3 contentions will end up being 70%

VA math puts me @ 115% yet receive 70%

I even when they break it down I still don't understand the math.

[todd2968]

They go to the highest % if your hurt 10% and another 10% that means your only hurt 10%

[local_nobody]

retroactive determination of disability? i'll just leave these here....

http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Military/Special-Tax-Considerations-for-Veterans

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p525...link1000229318 (look under "retroactive determination of disability")

[martee7]

any one here have experience dealing with VA diagnosed sleep apnea? Went to iraq a healthy boot.. came back a salty sleep apnea devil dog.. hah!

but seriously, if any one here has any info/knowledge how to clear that can you help a brother out? my claim was started in mid-late 2010 or '11 (i forgot already) and was just denied in dec 2012 becauee i missed an appt that i was advised of via mail a day before the appt.. while i was across the country doing some pre deployment training to come out to afcrackistan as a contractor..

anyways, any advice, wisdom, knowledge, is greatly appreciated. if ya'll dont mind.. njzarzosa@hotmail.com would be better than here because i check my email daily vs cal guns somewhere between rarely and often..

a motivated semper yut to ya'll

[cycle61]

any one here have experience dealing with VA diagnosed sleep apnea? Went to iraq a healthy boot.. came back a salty sleep apnea devil dog.. hah!

I was tested for sleep apnea, and they found a different condition entirely. Not service related, but I was medically discharged for it and am getting 30%. PM me if you'd like to chat.

[Mr.Caketown]

any one here have experience dealing with VA diagnosed sleep apnea? Went to iraq a healthy boot.. came back a salty sleep apnea devil dog.. hah!

I had the exact same thing happen to me as far as my career goes . Went over healthy came back w/ Pulmonary issues and sleep apnea being one of those. Shoot me a message if you have questions

[Mr.Caketown]

yeah wacky va math even though your individual claims are 90% I believe your 3 contentions will end up being 70%

VA math puts me @ 115% yet receive 70%

I even when they break it down I still don't understand the math.

here is a break down of their math

[todd2968]

Today I went in for an EMG test for sciatic nerve testing for my left leg anyone been through that? Is it worth anything ?

[MustangSteveGT]

any one here have experience dealing with VA diagnosed sleep apnea? Went to iraq a healthy boot.. came back a salty sleep apnea devil dog.. hah!

but seriously, if any one here has any info/knowledge how to clear that can you help a brother out? my claim was started in mid-late 2010 or '11 (i forgot already) and was just denied in dec 2012 becauee i missed an appt that i was advised of via mail a day before the appt.. while i was across the country doing some pre deployment training to come out to afcrackistan as a contractor.. l

Sounds like you should get back with whoever helped initiate your claim first time (normally a veterans organization, CA county vet rep, someone of that sort) and see what they can do to re-initiate a new comp and pen for that condition. Not much you can do about whats already been done.

In case you haven't had sleep study already, you can also help develop the claim for sleep apnea by seeing your VA primary care provider and getting a referral to Pulmonary (chest) clinic and then onto a sleep study lab. If you are claiming sleep apnea, you most certainly have to have a past sleep study to prove it if you dont already. Not all people with problems sleeping, have sleep apnea specifically, there are other psychological and physical conditions that prevent people from sleeping well. Whereas sleep apnea is specifically caused by your breathing pattern and not being able to bring in enough air, so your brain chooses to wake you up when oxygen saturation gets too low VS letting you continue to sleep without enough oxygen to brain.

Buddy letters from other people sharing the same sleeping space as you in Iraq can help to validate that the sleep condition you have, did start in Iraq. (true sleep apnea/inability to get enough air into you while you sleep is commonly from people being overweight after the fact) so you want to add weight to the idea that it was something in Iraq that caused it. Obviously if you ever saw sick call in Iraq with any medical document talking about sleep problems that is even better.

[rero360]

Update on my claim: as I've written in the past, I filed September of 2011, I recently was activated to deploy to Afghanistan, out of state at the Mob site currently. Last week I get a call from a medical company, I guess they are contracted by the VA to do the medical screenings to evaluate the validity of the claims, I let them know about being unable to attend, they say no worries, call back and reschedule when I get home and to let the VA know. I call the VA and do so and they made a note of it in my file so my claim wouldn't get cancelled due to not making appointments.

Total BS that it took them 20 months to finally get around to just scheduling the initial appointments.