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Spongebob Tampax posted:You could always get those skate shoes that are practically banned in every store across the country too. But like skateboards, they're banned primarily for insurance reasons. Every time I see a kid using those, I feel like tripping them.
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Sep 29, 2011 13:07
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Those skate shoes are awesome don't hate. I had this huge clunky fracture boot/cast they gave me, but it got lost when is PCSd.
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Sep 29, 2011 17:14
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AB posted:Every time I see a kid using those, I feel like tripping them.
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Sep 29, 2011 17:47
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AB posted:Every time I see a kid using those, I feel like tripping them. The best part about working at Home Depot was watching kids eat poo poo on the concrete floor because of these things. It's not like we didn't have a giant sign at the front of the store, at every entrance, and inside the store just past the theft sensor gates. gently caress them and their ignorant parents for letting them become an liability. Also gently caress parents who let their kids run wild there too.
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Sep 29, 2011 19:28
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I bought a pair while drunk once, tried to use them to water ski behind my buddy's Ford Focus while I held on to one end of a tow strap, with a friend holding the other end hanging out of the rear hatch. He decided it would be funny to let it go while we were going about 35 during a turn. It was, I ate poo poo into a flood ditch. Told my 1st Sgt I fell out of my bunk.
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Sep 29, 2011 20:33
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Booblord Sagat posted:I bought a pair while drunk once, tried to use them to water ski behind my buddy's Ford Focus while I held on to one end of a tow strap, with a friend holding the other end hanging out of the rear hatch. He decided it would be funny to let it go while we were going about 35 during a turn. It was, I ate poo poo into a flood ditch. Told my 1st Sgt I fell out of my bunk. :armystrong:
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Sep 29, 2011 20:58
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AB posted::armystrong: Pfft, Marines, duh. Air Wing is the best wing
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Sep 29, 2011 22:10
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shyguy posted:I've always wanted to see somebody try to take a PT test in those.
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Sep 29, 2011 23:16
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I've been working on this for awhile and will still make some changes as things come up. However, I thought I'd push it out early because it seems like a lot of guys are getting hosed or need info as of late. This is purely based on my experiences and interactions with people that are VA employees that see patients on a regular basis.  ***REMEMBER, YOU ARE YOUR OWN BIGGEST ADVOCATE AT THE VA*************OIF/OEF Veteran’s Checklist: Navigating the VA********** Part I: Getting Started 1) Apply for 5 Years of Health Care Anyone who has deployed since 1998 is eligible for 5 years of free health care through the VA. You will need to fill out a 10-10EZ form and submit it to the VA. This will place you in Priority Group 6, and are now covered from 5 years from your discharge date. Now that you’re in the system, I’ll go over what will happen next, both from you and the VA. 2) Your first VA appointment, Intake and Processing After submitting 10EZ, you’ll receive an appointment either by phone or mail. This appointment will usually take you between 2-3 hours, and you’ll be all over the place. You’ll see nurses, an MD, a psychologist as well as receiving a primary care physician and OIF/OEF case manager. Anything that is wrong with you, whether it was documented while serving, tell them now. START EARLY. It will make life much easier for you down the road. 3) Get a VA ID Card Yeah, it needs to be done. They use this to identify everything about you and most VA check in places have a machine where you can ‘swipe’ in. It’s usually located in the enrollment office. 4)Sign up for full accounts with eBenefits and myHealthVet These are probably two of the most invaluable tools you can add for navigating the VA and MUCH better than dealing with the phone system. eBenefits allows you full access to your claims, education information, allows you to keep your contact info current and a whole table of other things. myHealthVet has the entirety of your medical records online, as well as the ability to renew your prescriptions only and send messages to your primary care provider. However, they both require an ‘in-person’ verification to access the full site, but one can be used to verify the other. Solution? Sign up for both, go verify your myHealthVet account at the pharmacy, and link that verification your eBenefits account. Screenshots of both accounts can be viewed here and here. 5) Get all your dental work done ASAP if you’re eligible If your papers DON’T indicate that you had dental treatment within 90 days of your discharge, you have 180 days to get your teeth taken care of and then the doors are pretty much closed forever. Unless you’re service connected for dental issues, a former POW or 100% disabled, you’re poo poo out of luck for dental for dental. Your best bet is vocational rehab if you qualify, and even then, that service is basic, such as cleanings and cavities but rather than doing crowns, will simply yank your tooth out. Get your mouth fixed or be prepared to pay out of pocket until you have dental insurance. 6) Buy yourself a reliable phonebook and calendar We all know navigating the phone system sucks, so be proactive. Every health professional you deal with has an extension and so will the front desk for that department. Ask for them and keep them handy if you need to change or cancel an appointment or get in touch with the provider themselves. It should go without saying, but when dealing with VA employees, don't be a dick even if the situation sucks. They deal with grumpy WW2/Korean/Vietnam guys all the time, so the younger generation is one they can relate to more. An MRI of mine got bumped up a month because I casually chatted with reception for awhile. Also, getting appointments at the VA can take a while, a LONG WHILE. Missing your appointments will only delay your care. It also looks bad on your record. Really bad. More on that later. 7) Finally, if you run into roadblocks, talk to your Case Manager at the OIF/OEF Office Remember that case manager I mentioned earlier? That is your lighthouse in the storm of the VA. OIF/OEF veterans are lucky enough to have this service because they are pretty much your ‘Go-To’ person in the hospital. Usually MSWs or RNs, they are assigned to get you where you need to go. They help connect and set up whatever it is that you’re seeking. I was lucky enough for mine to hook me up with a lifelong public transportation pass even. Use them if you seem lost as all hell. Part II: PolyTrauma/TBI Care System: I got blown up Due to the multiple injuries usually associated with mTBIs, most PCPs will refer you to Polytrauma if you have a plethora of things going on. This section of the hospital is a one stop shop for everything you might need under one department, and therefore, runs a lot smoother than going around to 5 different offices with different appointments. Here, they have a Polytrauma ‘team’ that includes physical therapists, a speech pathologist, a psychologist, an MD, a nurse, etc. Basically the care is much smaller, more manageable and highly personalized. I highly recommend it. Part III: Compensation and Pension: CPRS and You In the military we are often are in the mindset of minimizing problems, sucking it up, and driving on. Stand down Soldier. If you don't tell your care providers everything about what's going on, they A) can't treat you properly and B) you may miss out on benefits you have earned. CPR…wha? CPRS is the VA’s Computerized Patient Record System or pretty much your entire life at the VA since you signed up on day 1. Everything is recorded in here. EVERYTHING. Not just your condition, but your mood, appearance, history of drug/alcohol abuse is all typed up for your file each time. Inconsistencies in your file can hurt the chances for your claim, because it shows deception, at least in a rater’s eyes. So don’t be too proud about what pain you’re in but don’t exaggerate either. Everything is recorded. So how do I file a claim? Sign up online using VONAPP, where your important VA forms can be filled out and submitted online. If you signed up for eBenefits earlier, you can use that login to file form 21-526. Also submit any supplemental information (outside of the VA’s systems) to build your claim. Make sure any claims are submitted prior to 1 year after your discharge so you are able to receive back pay! ***Disclaimer: I highly recommend getting an advocate like the DAV or VSO to walk you through this process instead of going it alone*** The C&P This is the most important part of the process, your appointment where someone who is not a part of your healthcare evaluates you. Sometimes they are contracted by the VA or they may even be colleagues of the Health Care Provider you see on a regular basis. They have full access to your CPRS file as well, and will see how your history measures up to your current condition. See why I said to be honest as possible? They will take in as much as they can gather in one appointment with you and write a report. Note: Medical professionals cannot suggest a certain percentage rating. However, the language used in their reports will definitely influence the rater’s decision. You can request copies of your C&P reports after they are filled through a FOIA request at your Release of Information office in your hospital. You can also view all the forms the raters use for each condition here. Requesting copies of the C&P exams can pay huge benefits if you end up in the appeal process later, as the information they contain will be vital to your advocate. But I thought the Medical Side and C&Ps were separate? They are…kind of. The Medical Center’s sole job is to treat you, while the C&P is to evaluate you in your entirety. While your health care at the VA doesn’t directly affect anything, your records can for C&P and the ratings board. Getting Rated After your C&P is done, and all additional information has been sent to the VA, it gets passed up to the rating board. Time for the waiting game in the long haul This can be a few weeks to months depending on how backlogged they are. eBenefits has the status of all your claims as well. The rater will look at your entire VA Medical history in CPRS, including the C&P. They will also look at any supplemental evidence you submitted. Missed appointments are one of the worst things you can have on there, and will most definitely hurt your claim. The less you have on your CPRS file, the better. Part IV Appeals Ongoing from Dantu, he has experience in this area. Helpful Links!  Disability Rating Calculator Veteran's Benefits Forums EconOutlines fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Sep 30, 2011 |
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Sep 30, 2011 23:17
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I've got a piece of paper from a doctor in my medical records indicating I was exposed to loud noises(and hazmat etc) but at my medical out processing(forgot the acronym) I didn't indicate that I had any problems. Am I hosed for getting any sort of VA disability rating?
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Sep 30, 2011 23:22
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No you'll be fine. They'll do a hearing test on you if you file for a C&P, and then go over your service record, including the doctor's note. The hearing test, along with the audiologist's recommendation will make or break you though.
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Sep 30, 2011 23:25
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How long does it take to get to step 2? I did the EZ form and they mailed me some thing to fill out and I returned it, and its been about a month now. 
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Sep 30, 2011 23:34
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I believe it took me somewhere around 2 months or so to get my first appointment. What did they give you to fill out and return? Just make sure you watch your phone and mail. They'll call/send you stuff once, maybe twice and if you miss it, its even more of a pain. Hence why #6 is so important once you're 'in'.
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Sep 30, 2011 23:39
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Roving Reporter posted:No you'll be fine. They'll do a hearing test on you if you file for a C&P, and then go over your service record, including the doctor's note. The hearing test, along with the audiologist's recommendation will make or break you though. Also you can claim tinnitus since you were exposed to loud poo poo or whatever without ever having mentioned it while in because it can start afterwards. I never mentioned it in my sep physical or otherwise but had enough "proof" with hearing loss + loud environments. But seriously I've said it before unless youre like going deaf they aren't going to pay you for hearing loss
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Sep 30, 2011 23:43
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Keep in mind too that if you are SC for tinnitus, you will still receive hearing aids when you need them at 50 or whatever. $5000-6000 hearing aids are pretty pimp.
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Sep 30, 2011 23:46
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Roving Reporter posted:I believe it took me somewhere around 2 months or so to get my first appointment. What did they give you to fill out and return? They wanted a copy of my DD214 and some other stuff I can't remember. I was wondering because I'm moving from this apartment soon so when the mail forwarding runs out I'm gonna be hosed, haha. Hopefully they just call me.
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Sep 30, 2011 23:48
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Well I finally got my logon for eBenefits to check my appeal and it appears they have nothing on record, so it looks like the appeal the Vet Center helped me submit over a year ago isn't even in the system. Looks like it's back to the DAV, except I'm going to request a different representative. Am I the only one who has had an advocate representative be a giant douche despite me being 100% polite? AKA, play armchair doctor instead of just helping me with my claim then comparing his experiences (AS A MARINE!!) to my lowly National Guard job. [/rant] FooGoo fucked around with this message at 05:23 on Oct 2, 2011 |
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Oct 2, 2011 05:18
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FooGoo posted:Well I finally got my logon for eBenefits to check my appeal and it appears they have nothing on record, so it looks like the appeal the Vet Center helped me submit over a year ago isn't even in the system. Looks like it's back to the DAV, except I'm going to request a different representative. Seems to be hit or miss....the guy I dealt with was an army EOD guy in Vietnam (  ) and was all about people getting the most out of the VA that they could. If you can, shop around a bit because there are some truly great people who just want to help in any way they can.
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Oct 2, 2011 05:25
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moker posted:Seems to be hit or miss....the guy I dealt with was an army EOD guy in Vietnam ( That sounds like how most peoples' experiences with advocates have been and I'm glad, I must have been the unlucky one. On a related note, does anyone have any experiences with advocates in Los Angeles and anyone/organization they can recommend?
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Oct 2, 2011 06:23
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I am a non-combat vet who already has 10% disability for an injury during my loaf around service time. I am trying to raise it for mental health. If you call this number and wait on hold, click the right buttons etc. You can get an update on your claim for compensation. 800-827-1000 I called it a few weeks ago and was told exactly what was happening, how much estimated time was left. They also helped me fix my direct deposit. The guy who I spoke to also suggested I get a letter from my Psychiatrist, describing how hosed up I am. The letter was more clear then my records, there is not medi-speak, no codes etc. It laid out what I have and what my current status (as far as holding a job) is. I got the letter and submitted it last week. You can do all of it yourself, you just need to be detailed about it. From my observations of vets, make sure you do not let your anger get in the way of things. Just go with the flow and try to do your best, the people at the VA will normally try to help you to their very best as well. The biggest advocate for your health (and treatment) is you and the medical/psychological care people you work with. Get in the program now. Younger vets: I am a volunteer in a group called Vet to Vet. We do mental health meetings and stuff. We also have admin type meets with a VA case worker, psychiatrist and whoever else we need. They all tell us they are unable to reach any of the young vets for mental health because they are in denial of the issue. I just now found this article: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/4893/the-stigmas-surrounding-ptsd-and-tbi/ I will give you a tip, it doesn't matter if you are in denial now, you will get older and the VA is fantastic for taking care of you. Get in the system even if you have to use the mental health portion that you pretend you don't need. You never know, you may just have a problem that your 4th girlfriend can see - and you don't. They have meetings that allow you to just sit and chat with peers. You can also get advice and help from older vets, Viet Nam vets are just like you but they are old, wear jean vests and usually have bad facial hair. They also know how to get their benefits and over all are nice guys. EDIT: I hope you can accept this in the spirit it is given from an old man to not as old men. Wooty fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Oct 4, 2011 |
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Oct 4, 2011 21:20
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Unemployment Benefits: I'll be separating from the military in April and sitting around until the fall semester starts. Will I be able to collect unemployment, and if so, what state? I am living in North Carolina (stationed at Camp Lejeune), but have maintained my permanent home of address in NY on all tax forms for the last 5 years. Would I collect from NC or NY? Do any of you have experience with this?
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Oct 20, 2011 02:10
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sharkbomb posted:Unemployment Benefits: New York would be my guess, assuming that you've kept residency there (paid state taxes, held a drivers license, retained an address). From what I gather though, most any state you choose to move to will provide you with unemployment benefits from the military. I'm guessing New York has better UI benefits than North Carolina.
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Oct 20, 2011 08:25
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sharkbomb posted:Unemployment Benefits: It depends on your state of residence I think, I'm a resident of PA but since I lived in California for a few weeks after I got out PA told me to apply for CA unemployment. Dont think it would hurt your case to call NY and see what their policy is.
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Oct 20, 2011 22:54
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PA had some loophole that allowed you to claim unemployment without a permanent residence in state. This has been fixed, from my understanding. Thank my whole 8 month union experience for that snippet of uselessness.
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Oct 21, 2011 07:59
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Can you give a quick run down on how you got your job? I want to switch careers and I think I would really enjoy helping other vets get as much of their education/general benefits as possible. "Vet benefit jobs" doesn't seem to return much
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Oct 24, 2011 17:30
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Deleted
Whipped Buttcheeks fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Oct 3, 2015 |
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Oct 24, 2011 20:01
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You only get the cool benefits if you are rated over 30% service. VA ratings don't count. The system is jacked up and PEB liaisons generally don't know anything beyond how to fill out the paperwork. See if you can find a vet service rep willing to help. Getting the service rating right the first time is vital.
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Oct 25, 2011 00:41
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Signaleer posted:Thank you for this thread. It's been an outstanding resource so far. http://www.narmc.amedd.army.mil/acs/taskforcenarmc/Pages/cbhcowi.aspx Contact these people. I went through them while I was on medhold, and they are absolutely loving fantastic. There should be someone there that will be willing and able to help out, if not personally, then at least guide you in the right direction.
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Oct 25, 2011 01:28
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vx15i posted:You only get the cool benefits if you are rated over 30% service. VA ratings don't count. The system is jacked up and PEB liaisons generally don't know anything beyond how to fill out the paperwork. See if you can find a vet service rep willing to help. Getting the service rating right the first time is vital. Vet reps can't do poo poo in the PEB process. You can get a lawyer to help you at no cost.
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Oct 26, 2011 02:50
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Nearing a year since I filed for disability, my claim is still in the "Development" phase. To all who will file a disability claim: get a veteran service rep. to help you out, they apparently can push claims through the clogged, viscously slow nightmare of bureaucracy that is our nation's veteran's affairs. Also: get all your health problems seen while you're still on active duty, because the healthcare they offer blows whale dick.
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Oct 26, 2011 04:04
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Let this be a lesson for anybosy reading this. File under BDP before you get out. I'm sorry it's taking so long man.
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Oct 26, 2011 16:18
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front wing flexing posted:Let this be a lesson for anybosy reading this. File under BDP before you get out. You may mean BDD, Benefits Delivery at Discharge. BDD is open to service members who are currently in the process of separation or retirement and have less than six months left. The main benefit to filing under the BDD program is that it is generally much easier to get disabilities service connected as your claim and all of your examinations generally take place while you're still on active duty, so there's not as much of a need to demonstrate that a disability began during military service because they will have that information already. Another benefit is that BDD claims are usually resolved within a reasonable period of time following your release from discharge, so you would be able to get a decision much sooner than you would if you simply filed a claim the day you got out of service. One potential drawback, however, is that all BDD claims are processed electronically at either the Winston-Salem North Carolina Regional Office (if you are separating from a location east of the Mississippi or in the western hemisphere) or the Salt Lake City, Utah Regional Office (if you are separating from a location west of the Mississippi or in the eastern hemisphere). All files are maintained virtually, meaning that all documents you submit are scanned into a computer system. After the initial claim is complete, these offices retain jurisdiction over your claim, meaning any future claims for increases, changes to your dependency, etc. will go to these offices. So unless you live in either of those two areas, you wouldn't be able to go to your local Regional Office and look at your claim file. Perhaps a little inconvenient for hands on people, but the benefits of the BDD program greatly outweigh (in my opinion) any potential drawbacks. If you're having to wait a long time for the resolution of your claim, there's a few things that you should do which may help to move it along. First: look at all the letters VA has sent to you. Often times the longest delays are due to lengthy procedures that have to be followed by law, i.e. requesting your service treatment records, private treatment records, verifying the occurrence of a particular event, or requesting information from an outside party (such as social security or a previous employer). If you received a letter that requests information, send it in. If VA says they're requesting information, but you don't feel that it will add anything to your claim, let them know so they don't spend months trying to track down information of little value. If you don't have any additional information, send in the "VCAA Notice Response" which should be attached to one of the longer letters VA sends to you. This document simply tells VA that you understand the processes, you have submitted all the necessary evidence, have nothing else to submit, and waive any further waiting period mandated by law. If you filed under BDD, you submitted this document as part of your original package. Sometimes delays are unavoidable. If VA tells you that they're requesting an examination, asking for clarification, or asking for an independent medical opinion, this will always be for a good reason, but will often mean long delays while you get examined, the examiner reviews the evidence, and ultimately sends it back to VA. It can be a delay, but this is ultimately done to ensure that VA has all the evidence they need to make the best possible decision on your case. If you want to keep the delay to a minimum, send all your information in at the beginning and do not (cannot emphasize that enough), do not send in new claims before the previous ones have been decided. When VA receives a new claim while another is still pending, it is considered part of that initial claim and the whole process starts over again for the new contentions. This means new development, new examinations if needed, and new waiting periods. Thus a claim that might normally take 3-4 months to complete can be stretched out to 9-12 (or more). Finally, VA is composed of individual people doing everything they possibly can to get you all the benefits to which you're entitled. However, the process is an immensely individualized one that varies drastically from one veteran to another. Delays are immensely annoying not just to you, but to VA as well. By understanding the process and cooperating with VA in ensuring they have all the evidence needed to make a decision, you can get help to your benefits faster.
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Oct 27, 2011 03:02
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Yeah, I meant BDD. Autocorrect on my phone switched it up.
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Oct 27, 2011 04:03
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No, sorry, that's a goddamn lie. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE FILE BDD. The average wait time for the development phase in the salt lake city office is at least 330 days. Mine is nearing 400 days. They will not send you any letters, nor will you be able to get help at a regional office, or from VSO's. Just file it normally, and make sure you talk to a VSO to help you. I've been pathetically languishing since January for help, since I cannot get healthcare until my claim is processed. I've been literally turned away from the ER. And when my weekly phone calls get through an operator, the only thing they suggest is to call back in another month or so. tl;dr: file normally, get help from the very start. Do not trust the VA. They, like every other government department, will gently caress your rear end raw.
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Oct 27, 2011 06:00
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cult_hero posted:Finally, VA is composed of individual people doing everything they possibly can to get you all the benefits to which you're entitled. However, the process is an immensely individualized one that varies drastically from one veteran to another. Delays are immensely annoying not just to you, but to VA as well. By understanding the process and cooperating with VA in ensuring they have all the evidence needed to make a decision, you can get help to your benefits faster. I hate to sound cynical, because you tried to give p. good advice, but c'mon, the VA is legendary for loving over veterans. The VA doesn't give a poo poo about vets, and one rep. I spoke to on the phone seemed to think that the thousands of vets that commit suicide was a good thing, since that cut down on their paperwork. I told that dude that I wanted to speak to his supervisor, but he laughed and said "he's in a meeting, expect a call back in 3-5 days." Obviously, I didn't receive a call.
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Oct 27, 2011 06:08
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Where are you that the VA ER is turning you away? You have two years of health care after discharge if you never set foot in a combat zone and five if you did. Your claim shouldn't be interfering with your medical care. Have you called the OIF/OEF enrollment advisor at your hospital and pitched a fit with them yet?
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Oct 27, 2011 12:12
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Spongebob Tampax posted:Where are you that the VA ER is turning you away? You have two years of health care after discharge if you never set foot in a combat zone and five if you did. Your claim shouldn't be interfering with your medical care. I gave my spot away in my unit's deployment to a dude who needed the extra cash, so after that, I got caught up doing some poo poo in another base. So I never in my 5 years deployed to a combat zone. (is the mexican border a combat zone yet?) However, during my time training the idiots on the border, some hosed up poo poo happened and I got kicked out with an OTH. According to the VA, they can't help me with healthcare because I have i don't have an Honorable discharge. They know the extent of my injuries and how severe my pain is, but they can't do poo poo for me. I'm attempting to get my discharge upgraded, but that can take years. All my chips were on the BDD, and that was a huge mistake. e: I live in south FL
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Oct 27, 2011 13:05
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t_bright posted:tl;dr: file normally, What the gently caress is filing normally?
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Oct 28, 2011 00:31
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front wing flexing posted:What the gently caress is filing normally? Not BDD, which is what we've been discussing.
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Oct 28, 2011 05:04
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Ah, I remember now, we went over this a while back. Any chance on getting that OTH upgraded?
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Oct 28, 2011 05:30
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