testtest

VA Claim Appeals

OldGrunt

OldGrunt

Custom
Any veterans here lately have a VA claim on appeal, and have it granted in your favor? I've had a claim on appeal with the VA for some time now, and suddenly today I was given notification that my appeal was granted in my favor. How long did it take from that point until the VA changed your rating percentages? Going on the VA website and logging into my profile doesn't give me a time frame. Calling the VA also doesn't give you a time frame about when a rating percentage will change. I've been waiting on this appeal for a long time, expecting the worst. Now it is for the better but have no idea how long it will be before I find out what the VA will do for my claim. Just wondering if anyone has gone through this and how long it took.
 
OldGrunt said:
Any veterans here lately have a VA claim on appeal, and have it granted in your favor? I've had a claim on appeal with the VA for some time now, and suddenly today I was given notification that my appeal was granted in my favor. How long did it take from that point until the VA changed your rating percentages? Going on the VA website and logging into my profile doesn't give me a time frame. Calling the VA also doesn't give you a time frame about when a rating percentage will change. I've been waiting on this appeal for a long time, expecting the worst. Now it is for the better but have no idea how long it will be before I find out what the VA will do for my claim. Just wondering if anyone has gone through this and how long it took.
Click to expand...
Yes I have. I used a free arbitration organization. Texas Veterans Commission.
They were able to get the timeline for me and submit inquiries on my behalf.
Also check with your local VFW folks if they know if the State you live in has something like what we have here in Texas.
Beware of any individual or organization that will charge you for their services.
 
OldGrunt said:
Any veterans here lately have a VA claim on appeal, and have it granted in your favor? I've had a claim on appeal with the VA for some time now, and suddenly today I was given notification that my appeal was granted in my favor. How long did it take from that point until the VA changed your rating percentages? Going on the VA website and logging into my profile doesn't give me a time frame. Calling the VA also doesn't give you a time frame about when a rating percentage will change. I've been waiting on this appeal for a long time, expecting the worst. Now it is for the better but have no idea how long it will be before I find out what the VA will do for my claim. Just wondering if anyone has gone through this and how long it took.
Click to expand...
Good news on the approval. For the most part the VA has been pretty good to me, but often painfully slow. Sure hope you get the rating hike very soon.
 
Warrior9(Ret) said:
Yes I have. I used a free arbitration organization. Texas Veterans Commission.
They were able to get the timeline for me and submit inquiries on my behalf.
Also check with your local VFW folks if they know if the State you live in has something like what we have here in Texas.
Beware of any individual or organization that will charge you for their services.
Click to expand...
I am in Texas. But my appeal was just granted today. I'm just wondering how long it took for the VA to recognize the appeal being granted in your favor, until the VA comes up with a new rating percentage. The VA itself could not give me a time frame answer. Just wondering if it will be days, weeks, months or even longer.
 
OldGrunt said:
I am in Texas. But my appeal was just granted today. I'm just wondering how long it took for the VA to recognize the appeal being granted in your favor, until the VA comes up with a new rating percentage. The VA itself could not give me a time frame answer. Just wondering if it will be days, weeks, months or even longer.
Click to expand...
I use their app to see where my claims are.
Go to the App Store on your phone and search “My VA”
It will look like this. Create a account and you will be able to access your information.
IMG_0266.jpeg
 
I was given a 10% back in 2009 tat I had to appeal as it was all paper filed.

I filed to increase it and was denied about 2 years ago and refiled
Through Veterans United as the new county VA rep is worthless nice guy but hired beyond his abilities.

My appeal with that took like 45 days and I was increased to 20% however I also filed on some additional that Veterans United is appealing for me that they denied.

With the Veterans groups they have an army of attorneys that get involved if they deny you. With that you will usually have a small percentage of your back pay they want but it’s very minimal. That’s only if they appeal it and the attorney gets involved

If you get your rating the first time you owe nothing.

There are several Veterans advocate groups and not all the same so do your research. So far I’m very happy with Veterans United
 
OldGrunt said:
Any veterans here lately have a VA claim on appeal, and have it granted in your favor? I've had a claim on appeal with the VA for some time now, and suddenly today I was given notification that my appeal was granted in my favor. How long did it take from that point until the VA changed your rating percentages? Going on the VA website and logging into my profile doesn't give me a time frame. Calling the VA also doesn't give you a time frame about when a rating percentage will change. I've been waiting on this appeal for a long time, expecting the worst. Now it is for the better but have no idea how long it will be before I find out what the VA will do for my claim. Just wondering if anyone has gone through this and how long it took.
Click to expand...
sorry to say i don't, never been in the service, but very happy to hear that you (and the others) got approvals.

i personally take offense when our Vets get denied services from the VA, or for the long wait times to see a doctor. i always thought that was a terrible way to be treated.

i have had a few (now gone) buddy's that were Vets and spoke of the BS they went thru.
 
Just some of my history with the VA. It's never been good. For a couple of years, I used them for my health care, and it was a joke. I'll use the insurance I have from work and keep it for when I retire (coming very soon). The claim I had that was denied was severe sleep apnea. I then appealed that decision. I submitted "buddy" statements and submitted other evidence that would tie in with the sleep apnea while on active duty. I honestly thought the appeal would be denied, but it was granted by a judge. I had another claim that was also denied. I submitted for a higher-level review. Two of the three conditions were denied. The third condition turned into what the VA calls a "duty to assist". It means they made a mistake in denying that claim and are re-investigating it. That condition is hypertension, and it clearly shows in my military medical records. Sometime later this spring or summer, I'm having total knee replacement surgery on my other knee. That will bump up my disability rating also. With my current disability ratings, and all these things happening, my ratings percentage will go well over 100%, but the way the VA does its math on ratings percentages and their crazy math, I don't know if I will hit 100%.
 
Overall, my general experience with the VA has been at a minimum above average

I tried getting VA benefits in the very early 2000s. I went to El Paso County Veterans Services and they basically blew me off. The only thing I was looking for was my hearing and they said that my hearing probably wasn't service related.

FB_IMG_1527040007621.jpg


Yeah, Right.

2018 a guy who I served with in my first unit in Germany moved from Georgia to Colorado Springs and I have no idea why but he looked me up.

He took me out to eat and told me that a guy who we had both served with in that first unit had become a Claims Advocate working for the Department of Veterans Affairs. I don't remember what his actual official title was off hand but Claims Advocate sounds close.

The claims Advocate had me sign some power of attorney type paperwork and I think I sent him $25 for office supplies and he opened a case for me.

Long story really short it took two years to complete the process. First, he set me up to be evaluated by a medical company called Veterans Evaluation Services. Then he submitted the claim with the VA. Apparently I got rejected the first time so he resubmitted it and halfway through the process he sent me $13.50 as a refund on what I had given him for office supplies.

After 2 years I was awarded a 70% disability and back pay from the date of first filing. I honestly don't know how much I get from the VA every month my wife handles all that but it was enough for me to pay off all my bills and retire.

It's not enough for me to live a plush lifestyle but I can make my bills without having to go to work.

Since I got my initial rating I have a diagnosis of severe Sleep Apnea. he VA is who made the diagnosis and I have a diagnosis of mild COPD.

Once all the paperwork is in my records my wife and I are going to contact the claims advocate and ask him to resubmit.
 
Last edited:
The Night Rider said:
Overall, my general experience with the VA has been at a minimum above average

I tried getting VA benefits in the very early 2000s. I went to El Paso County Veterans Services and they basically blew me off. The only thing I was looking for was my hearing and they said that my hearing probably wasn't service related.

View attachment 80382

Yeah, Right.

2018 a guy who I served with in my first unit in Germany moved from Georgia to Colorado Springs and I have no idea why but he looked me up.

He took me out to eat and told me that a guy who we had both served with in that first unit had become a Claims Advocate working for the Department of Veterans Affairs. I don't remember what his actual official title was off hand but Claims Advocate sounds close.

The claims Advocate had me sign some power of attorney type paperwork and I think I sent him $25 for office supplies and he opened a case for me.

Long story really short it took two years to complete the process. First, he set me up to be evaluated by a medical company called Veterans Evaluation Services. Danny submitted the claim with the VA. Apparently you got rejected the first time so he resubmitted it and halfway through the process he sent me $13.50 as a refund on what had given him for office supplies.

After 2 years I was awarded a 70% disability and back pay from the date of first filing. I honestly don't know how much I get from the VA every month my wife handles all that but it was enough for me to pay off all my bills and retire.

It's not enough for me to live a plush lifestyle but I can make my bills without having to go to work.

Since I got my initial rating I have a diagnosis of sleep apnea severe. The VA is who made the diagnosis and I have a diagnosis of mild COPD.
Once all the paperwork is in my records my wife and I are going to contact the claims Advocate and ask him to resubmit.
Click to expand...
During the obama years one of my claims I filed was for tinnitus. I was denied because they said tinnitus was a "perceived" condition. A fancy way of saying you're lying. I was an Infantryman in two different branches. Come on! I re-filed under the first term under Trump. That time around it was awarded to me. I also just went over the threshold for being able to get hearing aids from the VA, if I wanted them. At that time, I said no, I'll wait. Now I'm getting to the point that I might take them. But I want all the stuff going on right now to be finished before I try out hearing aids. I think I'll eventually get a 100%, even after all the crazy math the VA does to add up your percentages. It would be nice if that happens this year, but it might take longer. In TX 100% disabled vets are exempt from property taxes. That would save me about 8 grand a year. And of course, all VA disability payments are tax free. That sure is nice.
 
OldGrunt said:
During the obama years one of my claims I filed was for tinnitus. I was denied because they said tinnitus was a "perceived" condition. A fancy way of saying you're lying. I was an Infantryman in two different branches. Come on! I re-filed under the first term under Trump. That time around it was awarded to me. I also just went over the threshold for being able to get hearing aids from the VA, if I wanted them. At that time, I said no, I'll wait. Now I'm getting to the point that I might take them. But I want all the stuff going on right now to be finished before I try out hearing aids. I think I'll eventually get a 100%, even after all the crazy math the VA does to add up your percentages. It would be nice if that happens this year, but it might take longer. In TX 100% disabled vets are exempt from property taxes. That w⁷ould save me about 8 grand a year. And of course, all VA disability payments are tax free. That sure is nice.
Click to expand...
I went back for another hearing test at the VA about 6 weeks ago. They reprogrammed the hearing aids that I have and put in an order to have my hearing aids upgraded to the latest version. I'm going to get them this Thursday.

Whenever I want to buy something expensive my wife asks me this question,

"Will having that thing make your life immeasurably better?"

Having my VA hearing aids has absolutely made my life immeasurably better.

If nothing else it makes it infinitely more convenient to use a telephone.
There is a notable difference between what I can here and what I can't hear when I take them off. And as I've mentioned numerous times when I'm listening to music on them the sound quality is unbelievable.

It's better than any Bose system I've ever listen to
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top