Any vets here ever apply for disability?

[SSGSAD]

Well, I had my appointment with the VA yesterday. I had to talk to a shrink and then see the optometrist. This was cool, but I thought it was very strange they didn't look at my arm, ankle, knee, and hip. Well, I got a call today with the results. I must say, I am not especially disappointed in the percentage, but more so their reasoning. They totally ignored the fact that my arm was almost torn off during a jump and permanently disfigured. They discounted the fact that I had an injury to my eye that causes it to black out and gives me pain every now and then. They also snubbed my claim for ankle, knee and hip pain resulting from years of jumping. What did they count? You guessed it, PTSD!

I felt better when I just refused to go. Now that I know these people will quickly label me, but ignore the real damage, it pisses me off! I am going back and they are going to recognize the pain that I deal with!

Go to the American Legion, and join, then ask for a rep., and they will help, and you will most likely get all of it .....

 

[Crbn79]

Go to the American Legion, and join, then ask for a rep., and they will help, and you will most likely get all of it .....

I've heard the same thing.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Well, I had my appointment with the VA yesterday. I had to talk to a shrink and then see the optometrist. This was cool, but I thought it was very strange they didn't look at my arm, ankle, knee, and hip. Well, I got a call today with the results. I must say, I am not especially disappointed in the percentage, but more so their reasoning. They totally ignored the fact that my arm was almost torn off during a jump and permanently disfigured. They discounted the fact that I had an injury to my eye that causes it to black out and gives me pain every now and then. They also snubbed my claim for ankle, knee and hip pain resulting from years of jumping. What did they count? You guessed it, PTSD!

I felt better when I just refused to go. Now that I know these people will quickly label me, but ignore the real damage, it pisses me off! I am going back and they are going to recognize the pain that I deal with!

Good luck. Everyone keeps telling me to try again for my knee. Its stories like this that make me say screw it.

 

[SSGSAD]

Good luck. Everyone keeps telling me to try again for my knee. Its stories like this that make me say screw it.

I get 10% on my knee, an AL rep., helped me .....

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I get 10% on my knee, an AL rep., helped me .....

I know some people win. I just had such a horrid experience with the VA in Louisville that it makes it real tough to put myself through that mess again.

 

[cook4army]

Here's something e that vets may not know of...once your awarded a percentage, if you disagree or find more paperwork to substantiate your claim, you can file an appeal. The worst they can do is say no. They will never reduce your percentage, just increase it.

When end I retired on 2011, I had the DAV look over my medical records. Out of 21 separate items I could file a claim for, I was awarded my percentage on just 8 of them

 

[Que]

Go to the American Legion, and join, then ask for a rep., and they will help, and you will most likely get all of it .....

We have a local VFW here and I was going to give them a call. The DAV is going to be on our campus with a mobile service van to serve student veterans and I was going to speak with them, too. I can understand them not recognizing the ankle, knee, and hip, because I really didn't start feeling/noticing the pain until I stopped jumping and never went on sick call for it. As for my static line injury, it is in my records and it's plain as day that my bicep is almost touching my elbow!

 

[Que]

Welcome to the real battle. At this point in my life it's not worth me fighting. I know a fella who got drunk on annual training, fell down some stairs and gets a $800/MO check for the rest of his life. His back isn't even injured. He never served in combat yet gets PTSD and back injury LOD benefits. But real vets have to get their missing leg xrayed...

I know a soldier who punched through a window and severed many tendons in her hand/wrist. She was upset that her boyfriend had to stay home with his wife. She got 100% disability!

 

[MrSmitty]

I applied a number of years ago for some benefits, due to hearing loss, and high blood pressure, but after receiving a letter from the VA I wrote them back, and said I was going to stop the process. I felt that our men and women getting hurt in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve the medical attention, not me. I'm just a peace time, cold warrior, just proud to have served.....that's all I need

 

[Bill B]

First, the VFW or American Legion service reps will be glad to help. You don't have to join for them to help you.
I filed when I got out (94) and was given less than 10% on my knees. At the time they told me I was making too much money for them to see me for anything other than my knees.
Last year I filed to be seen for my knees and was told that I make too much money for them to see me unless my insurance company refused to pay.
F**k the VA

 

[Alpo]

I've been through the process for Agent Orange exposure and hearing loss. The process can take quite a bit of time as people have mentioned, however it is important to file as that date typically triggers the start date for benefits if any are determined at some future date. There are guys I served with who are in wheelchairs with injuries so severe they cannot effectively use their hands for work. They are getting 70%. The stories we hear about 100% disability for immaterial injury are normally just that: stories. Believe me, if you deserve 100% disability, you wouldn't want to be in that condition.

Even though the doc's may not have allowed for your "real" injury, they may have assessed the best way of gettin you the most money and filed that way. You want to be careful appealing. Contrary to what others have said, the VA can take money away if the assessment was in error.

 

[actaeon277]

Remember, the VA is NOT there for the VET. You may think so, but it's not.

The VA is there for the GOVERNMENT.
Spend as little as possible, write good reports, delete records so that it looks good.

AL, VFW, and DAV will fight for you.

 

[1775usmarine]

I get 10% on my knee, an AL rep., helped me .....

Same here for a torn meniscus. They went in in Sept to fix it and remove a cyst. I still get pain from time to tiem I guess with the weather changes but working on the railroad I'm sure I'll have more problems in the coming years before its 100% good.

 

[Redtbird]

I don't know about other counties, but in downtown Bloomington there is a Veterans Affairs office where I went to file my forms. The staff there know how to word the applications and forms to help the veteran get some assistance. The last time I filed, for additional benefits, it did take right at one year, but the boost in percentage and benefits was worth the wait. I'm now at a level where I don't pay for any of my prescriptions from the VA Pharmacy.

If you do get denied the first time, appeal the decision at once. Check on the availability of a local Veterans Affairs office and go in and talk to them and see what they say. It sure helped me.

 

[Informed Decision]

As others have said... It's good that the process has been started. I got out in 1980 & only applied back in November. Had help from a VSO that set everything up including establishing the American Legion to be my "rep". It does seem to give your issues more clout when dealing with the VA. I'm now getting a small disability payment & have a $7000 set of hearing aids out of it all. My recommendation would be if they ask if you want them to be the primary care provider .. SAY YES!!! Say yes to anything they're offering cause if you turn it down, it's hard to get it back after it's taken off the table. Yes care is slow compared to the private sector but unless it's an emergency them work with the system. I never felt I deserved anything cause I never saw any "action " I served between "nam" & Desert Storm, but my BIL's convinced me that I earned it equally as much as they did. Good luck in your quest . Also THANK YOU ALL that have helped to keep me & my family safe!!

 

[Que]

I can't help but to laugh. I submitted my disagreement with VA through the DAV back in April and was told my case would be "expedited". I called yesterday to see if anything else was needed and was told it would be approximately 6-8 years before they get to my case. The guy at VA looked at his records and said they are just finishing up with claims from 2012 and they've pulled people from initial claims to the reevaluations, so it may only be 2-3 years. I now see how some vets took their claim to the grave.

 

[1775usmarine]

That's crap. I had my knee "fixed" in sept but I have a feeling they didn't fix it 100%. It took 18 monhts for my claim to process and I waited maybe 9 months before I decided to get it fixed.

 

[ruger1800]

Do you guys have your surgeries at the va hospital or do you choose your own surgeon.

 

[1775usmarine]

Min was at the VA hospital in Chicago. It lasted from 730am to 4pm my wife the whole time had no idea what was going on with me and when she tried to go back and get info they basically yelled at her to go back in the waiting room. None of the doctors even came out to tell her when my actual surgery was done. Hell I could of died and I'm sure they would of let her sit all day till they figured out....oh crap dead vet we should probably find out who he belongs to. I would assume my surgery last 2-3 hrs with the rest me coming to from being put out.

 

[ruger1800]

To the best of my knowledge surgeons, doctors, ect...who work for or with va are immune from malpractice lawsuits, that's enough to scare me away from the va, from my understanding a lot of surgeons practice on vets before entering the real world.