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RichieHimself posted:Can any of you VA gurus shed some light on this form for me? http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/21-8951-2.pdf As long as you're not in the IRR anymore and are not planning on going back to the military in general, I'd assume checking the 'waive military pay and allowances' would be fine since you haven't received any training. Not a lawyer or anything, but that seems like the proper course of action and if anyone seems to think you hosed up somewhere, you'll get a phone call about it. Of course, keep trying the 800 number. My usual method is to beat the 0 button at the option menu until I get a person, seems to work some of the time. That form should only pertain to entering reserves/NG while drawing VA benefits, and if you haven't joined either, you probably shouldn't have received that form. Oh, VA. What a pain in the goddamn rear end you are, at times.
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Apr 3, 2011 13:13
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 19:32 |
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Sweet merciful gently caress, you're not kidding about early morning and old farts at the VA. I had to get a lab done on thursday (for an appointment friday), so I went in an hour and a half before my appointment that day, loving line out the door, 3 hour wait for blood draw and whiz quiz. Went to my appointment early and hit the lab after, place was cleared out. Clinic appointments in the morning to see a PCP are the poo poo, though. That queue of old people in the morning tends to make every afternoon appointment an hour or two late, so it's best to get in before/same time as them to make it out without being at the hospital all goddamn day.
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Apr 4, 2011 00:03
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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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Yeah, gonna have to say I'm down with the VA. School, medical, home loan, etc, etc. If it wasn't for the VA (and my wife) I'd be living under a bridge right now.
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Sep 10, 2011 04:34
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You need to talk to an OIF/OEF program manager/counselor at your hospital. However, being in Florida seems to raise the incompetency rate (generalized Florida hate, gently caress that state). If you have a VA hospital near you and have not enrolled there, go do that first. Hospital locations: http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/state.asp?State=FL Some VSO specific to Florida: http://www.floridavets.org/ It's not a matter of sucking anyones' dick, just bitching to the right people. I've had a lot of headaches with the VA. Monumentally annoying poo poo. I've gone to three different hospitals, I've dealt with great doctors and awful ones that must have barely passed med school. The VA works for you, not the average joe citizen. If you're having problems, file a complaint. If your complaints are being registered by enough people, the problem will get fixed, especially in the hospitals. In summation, bitch, bitch, bitch like no other. Get a VSO, talk to the OIF/OEF program manager.
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Sep 10, 2011 17:07
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Sounds like my brothers' situation. He managed to avoid deployment during his four years. The education benefits are still there, but I think medical is two years for undeployed instead of the five for deployed. Shouldn't really matter though, as it's not your fault you didn't wind up in a unit that deployed. My brother took extension in Korea as opposed to going back CONUS and risking an Iraq tour. The main reason for the separate OIF/OEF program, from my understanding, is the PTSD, depression and suicide problem (and the media coverage it was receiving). When I started going to the VA in 2007, they had a separate clinic for OIF/OEF, but it was nothing like it is now. I felt like a shitheel going in to the VA in '07, and there was next to no mental health advertisement or promoting. Over the years the doctors have gotten better, the scheduling was a bit more accurate, prescriptions became free instead of $8/month. The doctors I've seen lately are far more understandable (as in, they speak english fluently) and understanding of my physical handicap and marijuana use*. It's been progressively getting better, but not without hiccups. The problems you're having not unique. Most vets run into problems with the VA at some point. The best thing you can do is to keep pressure of them to set up appointments, provide worthwhile medical care, and bitch to their superiors (who are civilians that work for you) whenever necessary. *I can't find the article on it now, but there was one about a bill on medical marijuana in Texas that made mention of the VA easing restriction on medications if the patient was using marijuana, leaving it up to the physicians' discretion instead of a policy. All I can find is roughly the same language for those in medical marijuana states. Not my situation, but it hasn't stopped my doctors from prescribing me useful medication (a variety of nerve meds, anti-inflammatories, anti-depressants, but I refuse pain killers).
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Sep 11, 2011 05:08
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You should be able to file a service connected disability claim before you get out, in place of your outbound ETS physical. I lined up mine with the VFW (which was a stop on my outprocessing form) rep, and he did all the leg work. You'll check your records out from the hospital or TMC, maybe give them a form explaining why you're checking your records out. Between checking them out and handing them over to the rep, photocopy the entire folder. Everything, down to the pages 'left blank intentionally', as it will be your only copy of the records and great for references. You'll get an appointment set with likely a civilian doctor, but maybe at the VA closest to you or at the base facility. Mine was set some 80 miles away from base with a civilian doctor (who hosed up some paperwork that led to some credit problems later, long story). If you're done outprocessing and are already on terminal leave, call the hospital closest to you and ask about enrollment. Once you're at the enrollment appointment they'll ask if you have any claims. There's also eBenefits, but their section for compensation is kind of a cluster gently caress. Even if you wind up with 0% rating, the fact remains that it's been documented. If it's anything that can get worse with time, the sooner they have a rating on you, the better. There are added benefits to having at least a 10% rating. A 0% rating establishes that your involvement in the military led to the injury, or at least aggravated it.
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Sep 12, 2011 21:54
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quote:http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/09/military-bill-would-create-id-card-for-all-veterans-092211/ ahahahahahaha Why then, is it, that the unemployment rate for veterans is higher than that of non-veterans? Especially when the government is offering tax incentives to employ veterans? Oh, Akin is republican. Welp, that explains that quote.
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Sep 23, 2011 22:48
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PBRstreetgang posted:
First off, the Fort Hood shooting was done by an officer, a major, who was a psychiatrist. He was likely never around anything related to DU. Second, your rear end went AWOL. Consider yourself lucky you came out without time in a cell somewhere and with a worthwhile discharge. You signed the contract, you knew what you had gotten yourself into, and just because your ETS was supposed to be X date doesn't matter when your contract with the military extends beyond that for 2-5 years. You'll get no pity from me or likely the vast majority of folks in GiP. Hell, I served with guys that volunteered to be stop-lossed, and at least one of them stayed out his whole 8 year contract because of it. Third, you must not be looking very hard for jobs that take vets, even if it's just Home Depot or a gas station. Though while that may depend on your location and the localized unemployment rate, it's likely there are other factors holding you back. gently caress, I'll admit that I've only been shooting for jobs that don't drug test because I love my weed, but I'd rather have a job after being clean for a month or two than be broke and not be able to pay bills, let alone buy weed. All that being said, the government gives veterans preference for jobs, as do a lot of businesses (i.e. the postal service). Depending on how you get the job, the company may get a tax credit for hiring veterans (through VR&E, specifically, not sure otherwise). Yes, it sucks that vets have a higher unemployment rate right now, but we also have access to poo poo civilians don't, and often get preference with state unemployment offices, as well. Finally, go see a psychiatrist or psychologist. You, me, and (probably) everyone else in this forum has an anger problem of some kind. Stop being a shitheel about it and do the responsible thing, get help. Don't give us the "But if I go to a shrink the gubernmint won't let me buy ma guns" excuse or whatever else you might think can weasel you out of proper care. In summation, be glad you even have the services available to you, and start using them. The benefits you're shooting for do not just appear from thin air in the form of completed paperwork and checks, you have to do the legwork.
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Sep 25, 2011 19:30
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t_bright posted:Right now the pain in my foot is so bad I have to stop walking in between classes to rest for a while. Get a cane. Don't scoff, seriously, get a cane. You can get a collapsible cane and stuff it in your backpack leaving only a bit of it hanging out the top. I've had one for years even though I haven't needed it for more than a few months off and on. Until two months ago I hadn't used it regularly for years, but after playing the disc crushing game in my lower back and having sciatic nerve problems, I'm glad I have it. I had to use it consistently from December '06 to about April '07 since I'm a loving idiot about taking warning signs of back problems setting in. Otherwise it sits in a closet. My problems compound into each other, so taking weight off the whole leg is important for now. Disc onto nerve, nerve into the leg. Half of my leg is numb from hip to toes, the other half below the knee pulsates with pain of differing pressure. Walking without a cane (which I'm forcing myself to do at work) means having a limp and swinging my leg wider so I don't fall over. With it, it's a less noticeable hobble. I used to be self-conscious about it, but gently caress what other people think, I can walk better with it for now than without it and I won't be on it forever. Hell, after just two months on it and the scatter-shot of medication I'm on (13 pills a day and no painkillers), I'm feeling like it'll only be another month, maybe two, that I'll actually need the cane regularly.
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Sep 28, 2011 16:17
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I suppose that would work too, assuming your school doesn't have gravel parking lots or rules against skateboards. 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.
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Sep 29, 2011 05:27
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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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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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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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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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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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I went the in service route, didn't know it was called BDD. Just hit the VFW up on post and discussed getting representation since my back was hosed. Got out November 20th, got my first disability check on December 1st. So yes, it works well. I'm going to have to appeal in short order, as my back is completely hosed. I can only bend about 20 degrees forward/10 back now without lifting a foot and holding myself up with a stick or piece of furniture. I've got ER records, my MRI done, a couple of visits with a pharmacologist and a few PCPs, now I'm just waiting on my neurosurgery consult and physical therapy consult. I plan on using DAV. Can anyone think of much else I should have done before filing? The average time with DAV representation?
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Oct 29, 2011 05:21
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That would be awesome if it carried over from AD, but I doubt it does. My fat rear end wouldn't mind a free slice of lipo so I can drop some weight off my hosed up back/hip. I get a lot of walking in, but when you can only bend 20 degrees and walk with a stick, you're pretty goddamn limited. Can't even do a loving set of crunches anymore.
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Nov 3, 2011 19:01
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I can still swing a pretty good pace on days that aren't hosed up climatically, but winter setting in is beginning to ruin me. However, my left leg is taking the impact and the knee is now swelling and popping. Yay.
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Nov 4, 2011 03:45
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Anyone else catch wind (see the class action lawsuit commercials) about the VA issuing drugs for 'off-label' reasoning? I'm starting to get a bit curious about it since the fuckers have put me on neurontin twice with terrible side effects (half my face going numb, extreme light sensitivity, etc) and now depakote for nerve pain (it's really for seizures), and a goddamn anti-depressant, amitryptiline, for nerve pain also (though I'm not so goddamn depressed anymore). I stopped taking all of them a few weeks back and feel better without the poo poo, but only heard about this yesterday. Whose rear end do I need to shove a boot up?
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Dec 22, 2011 18:24
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I suppose the bigger concern is with these nerve meds, though I haven't read that deeply into it. Depakote was one that was specifically mentioned. I'll do some more research but right now I'm not terribly concerned with it. I'm switching doctors anyhow. My last appointment was supposed to be a phone appointment and the loving PCP didn't call at all, not even the traditional week late. Got an old family friend that works for the VA some 6 hours away, where my family has a lake house, so I'll just set my physical appointments to see him around my mini-vacations to the lake. Besides, he's the only one who recognized and mentioned the sclerosis in my MRIs. That's what really has me worried, that no one else is mentioning it, since it's in my lower back and that's where all of my problems are. Goddamn VA.
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Dec 23, 2011 05:13
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I have a physical therapy appointment on January 2nd, going to ask about yoga. Met a hippy at a party my wifes' friends were throwing, talked about it for an hour (and weed/Ron Paul for the rest). Still, yoga sounds like it could be helpful. I just started venturing off without my cane the past few weeks, still getting used to walking on a half numb leg and foot, though it's been 5 months. I'm a fatass now so I'll have to take it slow, but if they'll foot the bill for it, I'm down. Also, just waiting on one piece of paper before I change doctors. My doctors here in Memphis have been a shade better than useless, but my step-fathers' old high school buddy (that he's still close with) is a VA doc now and looking to help me out. It may be a 6 hour drive to see him once or twice a year, but gently caress it, anything's better than waiting on phone appointments that never materialize.
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Dec 25, 2011 05:34
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It's loving cash, don't report it. Any small amount can be considered a gift and should be treated as such. The money has already been taxed through someone elses' income before they received it and gave it to him. Seriously, that's like lesson #1 of taxes. Unless it's huge sums of cash you can't avoid a paper trail on (bank deposits), don't report it. Especially when it's something as trivial as $50, cause that's cigarette/beer/coffee/weed money. Isaac Asimov posted:I had a bad experience with a RN at the Denton, TX VA clinic. There are lovely nurses everywhere. If you were closer to Lubbock I could probably give my aunt a buzz, she's a script writing nurse but actually cares about her patients. Knows what she's doing and who to send you to for what. If you wind up out there just hunt down a post of mine and let me know, I'll see if she can help. Don't be afraid to change docs or clinics. Call your health care case manager (OEF/OIF/OND team at the hospital) and pester the poo poo out of them about changing clinics/docs. You will find someone useful eventually, there are good docs in the system.
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Dec 26, 2011 07:43
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Dorstein, you're in for an uphill battle with that. Best I can tell you is this: Get a good doctor, I mean a drat good one who will organize your paperwork like a CV for the board. Half of the problem is sending in a medical packet either not summarized accurately on a synopsis page on top or with at least an outline as to what complaints/records need to be reviewed. If they just submit your packet with your entire stack of records and no directive references it'll get kicked back. Your doctor is the one to go through this poo poo and assist you in determining what to claim, so don't settle on a lazy doctor who can only see you after a 45 day wait. It's pretty much between them and any representation you choose, like VFW, DAV, American Legion, etc. Make sure you do enlist the help of a rep. DAV is free, VFW I think requires membership (not terribly expense and hey, cheap beer). Get representation and let them do the hard poo poo. This is the most important thing you can do, and I believe DAV is the highest recommended.
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Dec 30, 2011 05:24
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Did they give you that for travel reimbursement? Every time I go to my VA they tell me to hit the travel office for mileage reimbursement but I live a whole 15 miles from the hospital so it seems pointless. It was even more pointless when I still lived in Murfreesboro, TN and was maybe 4 miles from the hospital.
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Jan 19, 2012 23:20
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Are you planning on taking summer semester or waiting for the fall? If you're waiting for the fall, you'll be fine waiting the six weeks or so, but summer semesters generally start enrollment in, what, March? So summer, do it now. Fall, wait.
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Feb 4, 2012 05:28
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Ah, sorry, just suspected otherwise with 'register'. If you don't have any pressing medical issues, wait the six weeks. It took the VA here about 6 months to realize that yes, I had in fact moved, and given them the new address well over a dozen times, but they still kept sending my poo poo to my old address and my appointment notices were showing up a day or two before and sometimes after my appointments.
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Feb 4, 2012 17:24
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I know you can't answer this for a few days, t_bright, but did you ever get a VSO to look into helping your claim out?
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Apr 11, 2012 01:28
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Start here: http://www.vba.va.gov/survivors/ Not experienced in it, just know where to start looking.
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Jun 7, 2012 16:25
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You mean travel pay? There should be an office in the hospital specifically for that reason. Just ask someone at an information desk when you go in next time, they should point you to the right place. I never bothered with it since I've lived within 20 miles of a VA hospital since I got out.
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Jun 9, 2012 05:54
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I'm fairly sure there isn't. To me it just doesn't seem worth my time for a 40 cents per mile. According to this, I'm not eligible anyhow, as I only have 10% SCD. http://www1.va.gov/CBO/cbo/brochures/travelbrochfinal1209.pdf
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Jun 9, 2012 08:13
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So I'm going to be doing a re-evaluation instead of an appeal. Is the going length on that about the same as an appeal?
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Aug 11, 2012 16:23
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I'm going to see a VFW rep tomorrow. When I spoke to him the other day on the phone he said re-evals are taking 4-5 months now, sometimes they're done a little quicker. Also, everyone and their mothers are recommending the VFW around here (locally, not of the forum) instead of DAV. I used the VFW the first time through when I got out, they had my paperwork pushed through rather quickly, so I can't see a reason not to use them again. Going to get a membership this time around so I can go get hammered for cheap down at the hall.
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Oct 3, 2012 12:21
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Found this: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/exams/index.htm It's a list of the examination types, and pdf files of what is checked during C&P exams. Might be helpful to a few people.
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Oct 4, 2012 16:08
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Why haven't you switched over to Chapter 33? Don't worry, we annoy ourselves here.
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Oct 8, 2012 05:05
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Ah, no, you're right. Or at least right as far as I know. It's just unusual to hear someone say they're under MGIB these days. Circumstantial, I suppose. E: You've been here 4.5 years and you sign your posts?
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Oct 8, 2012 05:14
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It's just unusual, around here at least. We all know who you are (as far as we're concerned) since your username is already <---- of your post. I'll stop making GBS threads up the bennies thread now.
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Oct 8, 2012 05:48
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A few years ago when I asked an IRR recruiter about it, he said it was possible, but would require a waiver, obviously. During drawdown it's probably still possible, but that waiver is going to be a bitch to get.
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Oct 11, 2012 21:38
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You can get a waiver for up to a 30% rating and still serve in the reserves/guard, or at least you could before the drawdown went into effect, but good luck trying to get that waiver now. Also, any disability you collect while in the reserves/guard, the equivalent is forfeited/deducted from your pay (according to an old salt AGR guy I talked to a few years back). You could also call up the VA and have your disability suspended while you're in reserves/guard, but you'll probably need a contract with waiver in hand to do that. Over 30%, don't bother, it'd be pulling teeth right now. If another war starts, however...
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Nov 22, 2012 06:29
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 19:32 |
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I was under the assumption that the drawdown was across the board, though I'm probably wrong.
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Nov 22, 2012 06:39
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