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So I'm doing the individual unemployability thing. Yesterday I got what looks like backpay in my checking account. Says VACP DOD yada yada in the deposit notes, definitely in the neighborhood of what I would be expecting for backpay, but not entirely. No letter has shown up regarding their decision. Ebenefits shows no sign of a decision and has an estimate of three months from now. Also yesterday, I get a call from the company handling my appointments (VES) about scheduling a physical appointment. I haven't had a physical appointment yet, but I did talk to the psychologist for my claim. I'm guessing the VA may have processed my claim as approved based on my hospital visit in March for the physical portion, but VES still wants to set me up with a physical (which I'll attend). But none of that really explains why I already got hit with backpay (not complaining), because I haven't gotten an explanation yet. I asked VES, but they were equally clueless. So what the gently caress is going on here?
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Jun 25, 2020 04:04
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 05:21 |
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cult_hero posted:They likely made a partial decision on your claim based on convalescence and your psych disorder. If you're recently out of surgery, they probably deferred the issue of entitlement to a permanent higher evaluation for a further examination to see what it looks like after surgery. You should receive the decision within a few days. If you have a representative like DAV and you're still anxious to know what's going on, give them a call as they have access to VA systems and can see the decision. Or you could just call VA directly a 1800-827-1000. This makes a lot of sense, thank you. I'll probably call my DAV rep if I don't see a letter by monday. E: letter came today. CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Jun 26, 2020 |
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Jun 25, 2020 22:21
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Colorado has been pretty good all around. Everywhere in TN (and I assume the rest of the South) is hot loving garbage.
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Jun 27, 2020 02:54
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Keep tricare if it's affordable, but even civilian medical care is as piss poor as the VA now. Waits, referrals, specialists, plus the added fun of copays and deductibles. If YOU get sick, go to the VA if you want, but they're routinely understaffed, overbooked, and depending on where you are in the country, woefully poo poo care. I mean, it's fine out here in Colorado, but Tennessee VAs were awful for me. VA will want insurance info if you have it, but aren't going to reject you for care without it. My brother uses the VA because he's poor as hell too. Even though he never deployed and doesn't have a disability rating, they still take care of his rear end and send him a tiny bill for his Wilford Brimleys medication and will probably be fixing his hernia. Also, I think the VA charged me for my dental work from the backpay on my individual unemployability claim. Not that I'm complaining, but the numbers didn't add up right and that's about the only thing I can think of for reasoning why.
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Jul 19, 2020 01:25
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He needs to enroll for VA medical care at the local VA medical facility. They will still take care of him. I didn't claim my mental health poo poo until 6 or so years after I got out. I already had disability for my back, so it made the process easier for me, but they never denied me service for mental health from discharge, and the most I paid was like $8/mo for all the medication (a decade ago, it might have gone up). Hell, my brother has no ratings, didn't set foot in a VA until a decade after his discharge, and now gets his type 2 wilford brimleys meds from the VA, without outside health insurance. Pays a pittance compared to paying for insurance, which he can't afford. They take his income into consideration, but after accounting for his flock of children, he pays poo poo. Tell him to go, in person if needed. Call the local VA medical center, ask to enroll, and request a mental health consult. Once he has evidence building up from several appointments, contact DAV or another veterans representative services and file a claim. If he's having suicidal ideations, he might benefit from just walking into a VA ER and checking in to mental health for a week or two. CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Aug 20, 2020 |
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Aug 20, 2020 05:01
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Go to a real hospital if it gets worse. Patients Advocates and call your congresscritters office now.
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Oct 6, 2020 22:13
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Yeah, patients advocate is for when you don't want to step on toes too hard. Congresscritters are for bringing in a hammer, unless your congresscritter sucks. Honestly, if you're not seeing improvement, you might go check into a real hospital anyhow to find out what they hosed up. You'll need to go to the VA to get copies of paperwork if you don't have a MyHealthEVet account. Records department, usually buried in the basement. Patients Advocate can get it for you, though. If you don't have a myhealthevet account, sign up for one while you're at the VA so they can verify you on the spot. I don't know if it will do any good, but you might consider contacting your local DAV rep, too. CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Oct 6, 2020 |
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Oct 6, 2020 22:24
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I thought you could view records on myhealthevet? I'm not the most familiar with it so thank you for chiming in.
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Oct 6, 2020 22:49
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Basically get a veterans benefits lawyer and sue for 100% plus legal fees, maybe a small cash payout.
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Oct 6, 2020 22:57
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DAV. They handle more claims and often have reps chilling at the hospitals. I'd go with them first. I used VFW for my initial claim and it was more headaches than it was worth. The doctor they lined me up to see wound up trying to bill me directly, so they were sending me a bill back to their own (the doctors offices') address for years before I knew what was going on and wrecking the poo poo out of my credit. DAV hasn't hosed up for me once, and I used them for both my increase in 2013 and my IU claim this year.
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Nov 1, 2020 14:38
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Call their office and they'll likely assign you someone. Tell the person they assign you to what stage you're at, and that you'll be putting them down as your rep. I would call first just to make sure they're not caught off guard when papers with your name and one of theirs turns up on their desk next week. Also so they don't assign you to someone out sick or on vacation. You don't have to do this and can just pick a name, but a little forethought goes a long way, and a heads up wouldn't hurt for the reps.
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Jan 8, 2021 18:43
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Knees and feet are different doctor than neck and back, different specialists. Your limbs will be rated separately from your neck and back, so you will have separate ratings and then get to learn VA math. If they're worth their salt, they'll spend time going over your records with you. Don't downplay the problems in casual conversation. I was re-evaluated last year for my leg and back problems by the same doctor, but my leg problem stems from sciatic nerve poo poo in my back, so it's still in the wheelhouse. My knees are still mostly fine, so I didn't need a joint specialist. Also they want to bill you out to two specialists, like any good american 3rd party. But that means you'll likely see someone much better educated on the knees and ankles than someone doing a cover all appointment. Likely doesn't mean certainly though.
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Jan 20, 2021 17:35
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If you have copies of the record at home, send the DAV a copy of yours. Hopefully you took over a copy machine with your medical file sometime during outprocessing. It's not exactly uncommon for records maintained by the VA to be incomplete. Some of my deployment records are completely in the wind and that's really goddamn annoying. They're pretty constantly busy at the DAV, at least around here. They're good people, not immune to the occasional mistake though. On the plus side, when they correct the mistake, you'll collect backpay. It might only be for 10% (I wouldn't expect more than that honestly), but it will catch up to you. My back, at discharge was 3 torn and herniated discs, stenosis, sacroilliitis, and degenerative disc disease. I got a 10% rating for it, after the sciatic nerve problems developed, they bumped it to 20%. But every little bit helps, so definitely chase it.
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Jan 25, 2021 14:59
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Yeah, getting poo poo done at discharge is the best way to do it. Anyone still on active getting ready to clear out, go talk to the DAV or VFW rep for the clearing checklist first and get them to start your claim asap. I did that, first full month out I had a $107 check (10% at the time) in my bank. Totally understand the salt, being a salty rear end in a top hat is just part of the game and part time hobby of mine (obviously, I post here). At least it's not the dark ages of Bush and before, where it could be years before hearing back about claims.
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Jan 25, 2021 15:55
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Keep in mind that your VA coverage is relative to your rating and you won't be covered for some stuff unless you have a high enough rating. You may just want to keep your insurance if your rating isn't high enough to warrant mostly full coverage. Even then, poo poo like dental, you need to be 90-100% rating to get, or they'll dock it from your disability payment. Granted, that doesn't always mean they're going to bill you, or turn you down. My brother doesn't have a rating and makes loving peanuts, still uses the VA and they negotiate what he pays for his meds and visits to basically nothing because they sat down and discussed his finances and expenses with him to figure out what he can afford. That seems very hit/miss and would depend on your patients advocate and whoever handles billing.
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Mar 2, 2021 18:22
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Yeah, dental insurance is a goddamn grift. I'm currently saving to get some work done. Probably gonna be a while. Until then I have a traditional Southern smile.
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Mar 2, 2021 18:29
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Ehhh, VA meh, not as bad as it was a decade ago. Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't turn into an absolute dumpster fire under turmp. I'm mildly optimistic that services will continue to improve, yet at a glacial pace. And we're the till under the ice.
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Mar 3, 2021 03:54
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VA care varies wildly across the country anyhow. I've had good experiences since moving to Colorado, but Tennessee was a goddamn joke.
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Mar 3, 2021 15:02
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Call a DAV/VSO rep of some sort and explain the problem to them, this is their bread and butter so they're gonna know better. On back problems, don't expect a big rating. I came out with a laundry list of back problems (3 discs with issues and 3 degenerative diseases, yay) and they gave me 10% for it. I went through again a few years after, bumped to 20% because the problem compounded with my right leg (sciatica sucks). They gave my leg a rating too, so if your back is causing problems further down, get a claim in for that as well. Back is capped at 30%, same as limbs. I don't know about you guys but I've had a fire-breathing day in public that required eating a good amount of hydroxyzine when I got home. Got to stop punching doors, too, just bought another one today.
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Mar 3, 2021 21:27
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Why would you spend the money when post-9/11 covers trade schools? I realize you don't want to waste the time, but the GI Bill will cover the expenses, and if you have a disability rating, you could always apply for voc rehab.
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May 7, 2021 15:31
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The VA will still take care of you after your 2 or 5 year window. They'll just bill you for it. My brother had to start using the VA a few years ago because he was flatter than Miley Cyrus' rear end broke and needed diabetic medication. Despite not deploying, and his 2 year window closing a decade prior, they still took him on. He just gets a very scaled down bill compared to anything insurance would give him. But it's still the VA and if you have employer provided health insurance you're still leaps and bounds ahead of waiting 3 months for an appointment with a doctor that will forget your face a minute after you walk out the door because they're so overworked.
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May 14, 2021 14:29
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Appeal would be the right step, who are you using for your rep? DAV, VFW, etc? If you aren't using a VSO for representation, that should be step one. I've used VFW and DAV in the past, both have been fine but I'd take DAV over VFW, personally. Pick one, call them up, ask them about the appeals process. You'll sign some papers and they'll get to work. Keeping a descriptive log of your shits probably isn't a bad idea though. You might keep a food diary/log too, because they're going to ask about your diet anyhow.
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May 19, 2021 19:27
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No worries! VSOs are there for you to use at no expense, so use one where you can. They stay on top of the paperwork so you don't have to, and in the case of DAV, usually have an office in or near VA clinics and hospitals. Membership is always optional with the VSOs, but not required. If you feel like they've done you some good after the process, consider throwing them a bone. DAV isn't hurting as bad as VFW, but they're not going to turn down donations.
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May 19, 2021 21:43
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Yeah, call a rep and talk to them about filing after discharge. I suggest the DAV, they're not dealing with dwindling memberships and bad press as badly as AL or VFW, often have an office in the VA hospitals. Your county might have a veterans rep on staff as well. You can request your military medical records but I don't know the process because I just killed a ream of paper and a bunch of toner in a copy machine in my last unit.
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Jun 11, 2021 01:59
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You stand a better chance than those without surgeries in their record. DAV can get your records for you. I can tell you to not get too excited about lower back problems in terms of a rating, but issues caused by discs, like pinched nerves in your legs, should be filed separately from the back claim. 10-20% rating is probably what you're looking at for the back, if you have numbness in your leg or toes, or obvious nerve problems, that would be a separate claim. Same kind of logic applies to upper spine and arms. Those will usually be in the same range you're looking at for your back. Don't be surprised if they come back with 0% but say it's service connected, that happens and you can appeal or file for review for increase later, it's just good they acknowledge it.
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Jun 11, 2021 02:32
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If you have a disability rating, take Voc Rehab instead.
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Jun 25, 2021 22:18
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VR&E will work with you on part time classes if that's what you prefer. They'd rather you go full time, if you can, but won't push it if you're not feeling it. The big difference is the counseling, and if you feel like you can sell your story to them, because you'll need their approval. And you'll see that counselor once a semester (usually) so they're going to update your file every time they see you. They aren't there to decide against you, but to help you make the right decision for yourself. You can use VR&E to pursue a masters' degree, if you already have a bachelors. And if you burn the gently caress out on life in general, your disability rating qualifies for Individual Unemployability, but you cannot take a W2/4 position with IU and only make below the poverty line on 1099. IU is the program that pays nearly 100% disability ($37k~/year) and you will lose it if you take a regular job. The 1099 stuff is basically for people who do little stuff to add to their income, but if you cross the poverty line on income, you'll lose IU. It will just reduce you to your actual rating payment, not axe your disability altogether. IU requires going through C&P again, so if you eventually find yourself going that route, ask a vet rep like DAV about filing. CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 17:50 on Jul 7, 2021 |
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Jul 7, 2021 17:42
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Same for subsidized housing, varies place to place.
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Jul 8, 2021 17:36
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lite_sleepr posted:What kind of courses are 'vocational' courses? Things like trades such as electrician/plumber/carpenter? If you have bodily aches and pains, they're going to steer you away from the trades. I was in IBEW apprenticeship when I was approved for VR&E, but my counselor made it clear they wouldn't support it because of the way it was organized. You'd have to look at a technical school, not an apprenticeship program, and you won't be collecting working hours from courses if your goal is something that requires licensure, like plumbing, electric, etc. You'll still need to work and track 10k hours before you're eligible for your journeymans' test and licensure. Automotive doesn't work like that, but you might find some big diesel shops (tractor-trailer or heavy equipment) that follow the same structure until you pass ASE tests.
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Jul 16, 2021 18:56
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Don't forget disability, but don't count on it until you get a rating.
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Jul 28, 2021 23:31
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Disability will count, when you have a rating.
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Jul 31, 2021 13:37
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Have you checked with USAA or Navy Fed for mortgages? You've probably lived in worse quarters at some point than a studio apartment in a "meh" part of town. Might look at a 6 month lease while you shake out your disability claims. If you lined up a VA physical through DAV/VFW/rep, you should get your rating within days of discharge, and first payment the next month. Once you have an idea of what that's going to bring in, start applying for loans with the vet aimed financial institutions, or your/a local credit union. There was also a vet loan aggregator service that advertised on tv for a while, newdayusa, maybe? But avoiding those services is often a better decision, they're going to shotgun blast your info to every lender and you'll never see the end of the junkmail.
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Aug 1, 2021 15:28
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100% Service connected. E: DeeDee, I can understand where your anger is coming from, but given the current economic and social distress, I'd rather be happy that they've got a way to get by. We're in some serious death throes of an empire, poo poo is only going to get worse, and in this situation, I'd rather they be getting assistance of some form, regardless of the source. Because what other options are there for them? And we don't know if they got diddled by drill sergeants or DUI'd into a tree and command covered rear end to make sure they're taken care of in the outside. Again, I get why you're angry, but when the government is pushing billions into the fire of the stock market, buying bonds and collecting MBSs, we have bigger concerns than some vets being paid ill-gotten gains. Also leaving billions in equipment on the rooftop of the world for the stated enemy to just waltz in and take. Bigger fish, man, bigger fish. CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 17:04 on Aug 2, 2021 |
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Aug 2, 2021 16:55
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You can still break bones, get raped, torn to pieces by equipment, and catch the 'rona in garrison. My brother caught a football with his nose in Korea, if he had some problem with it all these years later, it would likely be service connected rated, because it was on base, regardless of the actual cause.
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Aug 2, 2021 17:09
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US Berder Patrol posted:This post? In this thread? To be fair, like, the first half of that 13 years weren't exactly moments of pride for us. We've all grown and matured, to an extent, at least. We're all still dumb as hell for enlisting/commissioning. That's a disability qualification in and of itself.
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Aug 3, 2021 18:04
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Are they more lenient on credit ratings if they're giving higher rates? My foreclosure will hit 7 years next summer, I'm not looking to buy for another 2-3 years unless I buy land and build myself.
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Aug 5, 2021 22:26
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Excellent. I plan to clean my credit up, but I might always be led astray financially by buying a $5k plot of 5 acres raw land, and sink all my money into building the desert shack my spirit animal craves. But if I could do it with a loan, that'd save some hassle.
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Aug 5, 2021 23:40
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Yeah, there are some recreational use only areas, but most of the areas I'm looking at are just remote to utilities. Septic required, in-house use of well only, solar, spotty cell service, the rural works. Unless house prices crash, then I might look in town.
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Aug 6, 2021 03:14
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DAV. Call the local DAV office and ask for representation. They'll walk you through. There's also VFW and American Legion, but the DAV is about the best you're going to find.
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Aug 18, 2021 14:33
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 05:21 |
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I don't remember calling an 800 number, but it might be part of their scheduling process now with covid.
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Aug 19, 2021 22:16
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