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 VA Claims (currently 1 views) |
| Frenchie |
| Posted on: June 2nd, 2014, 6:50am |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Please feel free to correct anything i say or add to it as needed.....ill add more as I find more info i think most Vets could use...
Claims:
The simplest and easiest claims to file and get approved are disability claims that are on the VA Presumptive list...the simplest way i can explain it is that if youre Vet and your illness/disability is one on the list? more than likely your claim will be approved. All other disabilities will be an uphill battle.....
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/index.asp
Any claim filing can be intimidating if you never done it.......
The simplest thing to do is go to the local VA and speak to a Service Representative to get the ball rolling....that's what i did. Also, our County has a Veteran's office......i've been there too.
you can do it online also
http://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/ Be sure to scan all the tabs on top under BENEFITS...
This is the FRONT PAGE of the VA online http://www.va.gov/
I tried to keep it simple here...a few things i ve learned. NOTHING happens fast at the VA....when you reach 50% disability...there is no payment due for your medications...talk to the Service Rep at your local VA...they can help you straighten out other things like helping you get your medals(with proof), they can help you make correction or update your DD214 (with proof, orders etc) i have done all those things.
Also, get yourself some folders and keep your VA stuff in one place or after a while you wont know where the papers you NEED are. It wont take long before you have LOTS of papers.
I didnt start the process until i retired in 2005...I regret not starting sooner.
It's never too late to start.....The VA is currently overwhelmed...so be patient.
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1) here is a chart on the amount based your disability percentage (married/single)
http://www.veteranprograms.com/id118.html
2) here is a VA Disability Rating and Compensation Calculator
http://www.vvaarizona.org/va_comp_calc.php (enter your information and presto)
3) Here is the COMBINED VA Disability Chart....
With the VA 30% + 20% does NOT equal 50%
http://www.vvaarizona.org/combined_disability.php
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Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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| Jim Gray |
| Posted on: June 3rd, 2014, 8:43am |
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Big Member Sept 67-Sept 68 D 3/21 and HHC
Posts: 87
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Reply: 1 - 13 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: June 3rd, 2014, 1:08pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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| Thanks Jim....i posted this valuable information because some guys are probably intimidated by the whole process . I am hopeful that all that have a need will be motivated to file claims. Hopefully the government maze will be easier to maneuver . I have no doubt that some men need serious help due to heath and financial issues but are either afraid or too proud to file claims.. |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 2 - 13 |
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| MartyOdette |
| Posted on: June 3rd, 2014, 10:46pm |
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Medium Member D 2/1 july 69-70
Posts: 34
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| Frenchie,This is important new thead. I am sure there are many guys who need information and direction on getting started navigating the VA process. Daunting but well worth it! |
Marty Odette D 2/1 11B July 69-70 |
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Reply: 3 - 13 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: June 3rd, 2014, 11:36pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Marty i am aware that many dont know what to do...so i TRIED to keep it simple.
I m sure many NEED to go to the VA now! but for whatever reason do not.
I am hoping that this post will give them the confidence needed to act.
All that is needed is perseverance and know where to go and who to talk to and i hope ive succeeded.
I encourage all to input their experience on how to go about dealing with the VA for "newbies" and what to do.
Thanks |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 4 - 13 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: June 4th, 2014, 3:57pm |
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Posts: 203
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Frenchie: I think this is a worthy effort and your advice is spot-on.
I would hope that the visitors here should have already made claims or at least begun the process.
This group is getting pretty long in the tooth, with most of us well past 60 (I'm coming up on 73) and wirh our service 40 or 50 years in the past.
As you develop your resources, perhaps you might figure out a way to reach younger veterans as well as 196ers. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 5 - 13 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: June 4th, 2014, 5:41pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Thank you Jim. one thing i know is that we have MANY non members that look at the posts here......many. That is great except they cannot post (I could be wrong). or ask questions about their issues. We have a great site to exchange information to all and i wished there would be more posts from guys who are members....only a fraction of members do post here. Why? i have no clue. I do get that there are other priorities, work, family...i get that.
I did post something in the Guestbook about this forum. Maybe that post will attract new blood. |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: June 10th, 2014, 5:21pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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| this is timely information/advice Frenchie. what with all the bad press the VA is getting lots may be turned off enough not to deal with the VA! |
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Reply: 7 - 13 |
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| Ralph Urrutia |
| Posted on: June 11th, 2014, 7:16pm |
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Medium Member C 4/31 from Oct 68 / 69 196 Inf.
Posts: 33
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Frenchie , to add to your list of contacts to start the process with VA I went thru a DAV representative he filled out all the paper work and submitted it to the VA also The American Legion post will have reps that do the same thing.
When my paper work(claims) was lost the DAV rep wrote letters and helped unlock the mystery..... |
Ralph Miami Florida |
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Reply: 8 - 13 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: June 11th, 2014, 8:49pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Ralph youre absolutely correct and I believe the following sentence in my post covers that.
The simplest thing to do is go to the local VA and speak to a Service Representative to get the ball rolling....that's what i did. Also, our County has a Veteran's office......i've been there too.
Are we saying the same thing differently?
But i agree there are people there that will help the applicant....
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Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 9 - 13 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: June 12th, 2014, 3:52pm |
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Posts: 203
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I wonder if all counties have the same VA office system. If they all had one as good as mine (Mendocino County, California), then a great many of the current snafus would be solved.
When I decided to see what they offered 10 or 15 years ago, I found that they literally did everything, from applications to follow-up.
Although I was not a member and did not request it, they enlisted the American Legion as my representative.
It is indicative of the VA mentality that they incredibly deny the individual veteran the right to appear at his or her own hearings and/or appeals.
The representative does so in our absence and apparently, in an equally pateralistic way, don't need to ask the veteran's input or report any details of the hearing.
The Legion must have done a good job, since I was awarded a disability rating,
They notified me well before the VA got around to it and only suggested that I donate or join to show my appreciation.
I have to applaud the restraint shown by veterans who are shat on by the VA. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 10 - 13 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: June 12th, 2014, 5:04pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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in california i never asked but i seems that all counties have a veterans office run by the county. They are very efficient but i dont think ours follows up unless the veteran requests it..i m guessing it has to do with the size of the county and the volume of work generated by that office. In my case i went tothe service rep (one for each branch) at the local VA Hosp. they are volunteers and they know what they are talking about. They do not seem to "fight" for me. They are very helpful with the paperwork. They basically seem to go along with the VA decision on claims.
I filed for compensation for Colon Cancer that i had back in 1986 when i was 40. No famiy history of colon cancer. Once the VA said no and asked ME to prove that colon cancer was caused by Agent Orange the Rep simply went along with it and since that was not on the presumptive list of diseases caused by Agent Orange.....that was the end. B ut im hoping once of these days it will b e on the list but then theyll probably tell me i waited too long....lol |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 11 - 13 |
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| Ralph Urrutia |
| Posted on: June 12th, 2014, 6:11pm |
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Medium Member C 4/31 from Oct 68 / 69 196 Inf.
Posts: 33
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Frenchie, Here in Miami you can go to the VA and speak with them directly ( service reps).....I was told by friends to speak with the DAV Service rep..... I met him at a mall close to his house and mine. He explained everything to me how to go about setting appointments with Drs. After I went to all my appointments with the VA, I met him at the DAV office inside the VA Hospital to fill in the claims forms. He made all the copies gave me a set and he mailed the originals to St Petersburg FL. the regional office......when after months of waiting for a reply I stated calling on my own. I spoke to the service rep a few times and he did not get answers either. So I went to St Petersburg in person to find out what happened after meeting with the VA personal I went to the DAV office also in the bldg.....he had better access to files and knew the going on in the place....he found out that my file was in a warehouse. Long story short he wrote letters to the higher ups at the office, with what he found out and my file was back on track. A few month later I received a call from DAV letting me know the results and a few weeks later the VA send a letter.
So to Jims question...I think every region has there own system......maybe that's why there are so messed up. |
Ralph Miami Florida |
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Reply: 12 - 13 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: June 12th, 2014, 7:25pm |
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Posts: 203
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I should have made clear that my county's Veterans' Service Office is NOT part of the federal Veterans' Administration.
I am sure that any connection would be to the detriment of the local folks. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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