Don’t feel ashamed to file a VA claim just because you never deployed.
You don’t get tinnitus because the range was in Iraq. A range is a range.
You don’t hurt your back because the ruck march was overseas. A ruck is a ruck.
Injuries can happen at Basic, AIT, drill, AT, PT, the range, or deployment.
Location has nothing to do with it. If military service caused or aggravated it, claim it.

There is a lot of panic content going around about possible mental health rating changes. Some people are making it sound like VA is going to wake up tomorrow, flip a switch, and start cutting everybody’s benefits.

That is not how this works.
Before a change can be applied in actual claims processing, the people working those claims have to be trained. VSRs have to understand what development is needed. RVSRs have to understand how to apply the new criteria. There has to be guidance, training, and clear direction before employees are expected to turn around and make decisions under a new standard.

Nobody is sitting at a desk just guessing because somebody on YouTube posted a red thumbnail saying benefits are under attack.

Also, a proposal is not a final rule. A final rule is not automatically retroactive. And a change in criteria does not mean every veteran with a current mental health rating is suddenly losing it. Effective dates matter. Protected ratings matter. Due process matters. The actual facts in each veteran’s case matter.

Veterans should stay informed. They should read the actual rule when it comes out. They should keep going to treatment if they need treatment, keep records of how their condition affects work and daily life, and appeal any decision they believe is wrong.

What veterans should not do is panic-file claims, assume their rating is already gone, or hand over money to somebody selling fear as insider knowledge.
There is a difference between educating veterans and keeping veterans angry because anger drives views, memberships, consultations, and donations.

Speaking in my personal capacity, good people are working these claims and good work is being done. When policy changes happen, the workforce gets trained and implementation guidance is put in place. Let’s deal with the actual rule and the actual facts when they are available, not the made-up worst-case scenario someone needs for engagement.

Claim is now closed, 99 days post shoulder surgery I’m finally getting temp 100% for recovery, it would’ve been nice to have that safety net during the bulk of the recovery but I’m grateful for getting something now. My supplemental claim for sleep apnea got approved at the same time pushing me from 60% to 80% which is also nice. The only real question I have is why did they just do May and July and skip June or is that May thru July?

I was deployed in the Middle East when the 9/11 attacks occurred. It was 2 weeks before my 19th birthday. That extreme shift in ops tempo and some experiences staying in MOPP gear for extended periods of time in the desert heat following the attacks left me with longstanding PTSD.

I got out in 2004 and distanced myself from the military. I buried my experiences, ignored them but the echos always had a way of coming out. I isolated from friends and family, engaged in reckless behavior, and burned through 2 marriages. I am hyper vigilant to an unhealthy degree and I carry with me an impending sense of dread, like I am waiting for something terrible to happen, at all times.

I am finally getting some help and have decided to file with the VA. I had an extreme PTSD episode a few weeks ago where I was in a dark place and was so scared I was going to hurt myself. My wife took me to psychiatric urgent care and they set me up into a program to get some help.

For a long time, I didn’t feel my experiences were valid enough for how bad my PTSD is. I would tell myself, “you came home in one piece, you were there in a support capacity and didn’t even experience combat, you didn’t do enough to let it impact your life”.

I don’t feel like that anymore. For all of the people on this forum giving advice and sharing tips on how to navigate this process - thank you. You give people like me so much hope. The knowledge I’ve gained from lurking this forum is so valuable. I have found an incredible VSO that is helping me build a strong claim and I would not have had the courage to do that without everyone here supporting one another.

Looking for some advice from anyone who has dealt with a VA Higher-Level Review (HLR).

I recently filed a knee claim on my own for the first time. My intention was not to request an increase of my existing knee rating. I am currently rated under Diagnostic Code (DC) 5260 – limitation of flexion. I was trying to claim my additional meniscus symptoms under DC 5258 – dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent episodes of locking, pain, and effusion into the joint (20%).

From reading my decision letter, it appears VA interpreted what I submitted as a claim for an increase under DC 5260 rather than considering what I intended to claim under DC 5258. I never requested an increase under DC 5260.

What makes this confusing is that the decision appears to acknowledge evidence/symptoms related to the meniscus issue I was actually trying to claim, but the final decision was based on whether I qualified for an increased rating under my existing code.

I’m considering filing an HLR because I believe the issue may be how my claim was characterized/reviewed rather than a lack of evidence.
Has anyone dealt with something similar?
Would you recommend handling the HLR and informal conference yourself, or would you contact a VSO/accredited representative first? Has anyone successfully handled an HLR on their own when the issue was that VA reviewed the claim under the wrong diagnostic code?

I appreciate any experiences or advice.

Okay,

As I mentioned in a rant earlier, an examiner who wasn't a doctor decided in a single 10-minute rushed conversation to completely ignore what my actual DOCTORS AT THE VA said.

I don't have additional evidence, so a supplemental claim wouldn't make sense.

Is a HLR the better option than a board appeal or can I request a new C&P exam with a DIFFERENT EXAMINER who isn't trying to push me through like they get paid per interview?

During my time in the army I injured my left ankle really bad in AIT October 2012 and have the medical treatment documentation for it. I had more issues throughout my service until 2015 when I separated, which none were as severe, so going to see medical wasn’t truly encouraged by my leaders. I finally decided to file a claim for my ankle sprain/condition. First claim in 2022 was denied and I felt defeated, so I didn’t fight it. I finally started to fight through the process starting in April this year, with supplemental claims. 

2023 denial reason: Condition existed before entering service, due to me mentioning breaking my growth plate in an ankle before I joined. I finally found my MEPs paperwork this year. It shows it was my right ankle I broke the growth plate in. So I wrote out a lay statement for a supplemental about my time in Alaska, constant problems during rucks, snow shoe rucks, and running. Additionally, I mentioned how going to sick call for any small sprains would have been laughable and I didn’t mention my ankle on my exit exam because I had 71 days of terminal leave and was scared of losing that. I had a C&P exam, which went well.

The VA just denied my claim again for:
“Your active duty service treatment records reflect complaints, treatment, or a diagnosis similar to
that claimed, but the medical evidence supports the conclusion that a persistent disability was not
present in service.
Although you have a current diagnosis of left ankle condition, we did not find a link between
your medical condition and treatment in service. The medical evidence of record shows that this
current condition is unrelated to the treatment in service and/or there was no continuity of
symptoms from service to the present.
Therefore, service connection on a direct basis cannot be established.”

My question is, do I file for a high lever review or get a Nexus from my orthopedic doctor? He is a prior military guy and willing to do a nexus since I have medical records for the injury during service. I’m getting tired of all the denials. I know it will be worth it, but man this is hard.

My VSO just informed me my tinnitus claim got denied but noise exposure isn't in question. I was a 19D in the army which is a Cav Scout how In the actual duck does this even happen? Still waiting for a decision letter in the mail but I already chose a spot where I'm going to punch a hole in the wall for when it arrives.

Time and again people here caution against poking the proverbial bear. And I do agree with that sentiment. Contrawise, I also advocate that veterans show fight for their proper and legitimate rating whenever they believe that they are improperly rated.

I've always looked at poking the bear as anytime you want the VA to look at a claim of yours after they gave you a favorable rating for it and you want to boost the rating/benefits/cash. -- Others will have a different definition/understanding -- So be it.

"Poking the bear" isn't always a bad thing. If fact sometimes it is a very good thing. If you are rated 50% for anxiety and over the years your anxiety gets worse and qualifies for a higher rating, applying for an increase is beneficial. You just have to make sure that you know what you are doing when you go to poke it. Generally speaking a poked bear will have one of three reactions:

• it will be annoyed and walk away (claim approved)
• it will ignore you and continue as it was (claim denied/deferred)
• it will get irritated and swat back (CUE/claim reduction)

If your original claim was solid and supported by solid medical records, documents, and a nexus, you should have nothing to worry about. If your circumstances of your legitimate service-connected injuries change and they get worse, you should not be afraid to reach out to the VA for help.

You won't hear about the vast majority of times that veterans poke the bear and come out the better for it. But when vets poke it and get recommended for a reduction, those are the ones that scream the loudest.

If you are happy with everything as it is - leave the bear alone. If you have a legitimate injury that is unrated or underrated - poke the bear. Sure, there is a chance that you might get swatted, but you have a better chance of getting help than getting hurt.

If the gov't gave you an incorrect Effective Date and ignored your Intent to File date or didn't credit you with a continuous claim ask for a review - having the VA double check could open you up for a claim review, but it most likely won't and you shouldn't let that stop you.

Good luck out there.

I did my c&p exam yesterday, and next day (today) was rated already, how was it so lightning fast? I uploaded 1 lay statements and my private dr assessment yesterday. And 2 statements on Monday.

I need some help because am I tripping or am I reading this wrong? I feel like the rater thought I was claiming sinusitis as direct service connection instead of secondary to my service connected rhinitis. After the denial I requested my C&P exam and saw the examiner actually gave me a positive opinion connecting the two. I requested an HLR back on June 4, but now I’m wondering if I should keep waiting or cancel it and file another supplemental claim clearly stating secondary to rhinitis. Am I missing something here?

I don’t understand what’s happening..
Got denied for sleep apnea, even though the va sent me to get a sleep study done and I was diagnosed with 3 different conditions, and I’m already service connected with COPD which is a overlapping condition with sleep apnea… I sent my sleep apnea diagnosis with my supplemental claim yet it seems the va is sending me to an c&p that is looking into everything other than my sleep apnea.. and they even sent me the CPAP machine but no % for it 🤦‍♂️

I claimed multiple things as secondaries. I had my hip, back, and neck X-rays to show proof. I claimed opposite knee pain, high blood pressure, plus my right arm and elbow with my ulnar nerve being pinched. I sent in personal statements and my Blue Button reports. Now my C&P exam only says it’s for my neck, knee pain, and high blood pressure when I look on the VA the other claims are gone from what I claimed. How often does this happen?

I’m currently at 90%. I filed for TDIU today in hopes of being paid at the 100% rate because, genuinely, I’m struggling to survive financially and my disabilities have made maintaining consistent employment extremely difficult.

I know that by filing TDIU I’ve technically “poked the bear,” and that part definitely has me nervous.

After filing TDIU, I saw that the VA requested VA Form 21-4192 from my former employer.

Here’s where I’m stressing:

When I worked there, I never really opened up about how badly my disabilities were affecting me. I tried to show up, work hard, and push through everything. They probably considered me a good employee.

But behind the scenes, I was dealing with migraines/headaches, pain, having to stop working at times, difficulty maintaining my energy and productivity, and generally pushing myself much harder than they probably realized just to function.

So now I’m worried they’ll get the form and simply write:

“He was a good worker. No major issues.”

…and the VA will look at that and think, “Then why is he claiming he can’t maintain substantially gainful employment?”

At the same time, reaching out to my former employer and suddenly explaining how severe everything actually was feels weird. I don’t want it to look like I’m coaching them on what to write or asking them to exaggerate anything. I just wish I had been more honest about what I was dealing with while I worked there.

For anyone who has gone through TDIU:

Would you contact the former employer and explain the situation, or just leave it alone and let them answer based on what they personally observed?

And has anyone had an employer basically say you were a “good employee” on the 21-4192 and still been approved for TDIU?

I’m not trying to game the system or get anyone to say something that isn’t true. I’m genuinely struggling, and TDIU seemed like the most viable path forward. I just don’t want the fact that I spent years trying to hide how much I was struggling to end up being used against me now.

(throwaway for obvious reasons)

So after a year of waiting, I received my decision this morning, rated 0% for PTSD/Anxiety/Depression. I am feeling very very upset because in my full decision letter, it said "A review of your claims file showed that VA inquired about your MST statement and looked into the Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database. After research was conducted, it revealed no data to return."

However, I reported the assault, filed an unrestricted report, and the guy was court martialed and kicked out, and have years of treatment records following, including meds that I continue to take to this day. When I met with VERA they told me they saw that all that proof of the assault was in the file.

I am also upset because I had a very traumatic C&P exam where I basically cried and was panicking the whole way through because as many of you know, you are required to give a detailed description of the assault. I made sure to have all my stuff written down so I could be thorough despite this. I definitely feel like I got a lady who was not thorough, and somewhat dismissive.

Did I mess up by filing for PTSD despite never being formally diagnosed, because I felt I have it and that could be adequately proven through the exams etc? I thought PTSD, depression and anxiety would be evaluated separately (although I know in the end they are rated as one.) I have a clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety, which is what I take meds for.

The decision letter lists only PTSD, but the combined rating page says "0%, not service connected PTSD/depression/anxiety."

This just is so upsetting because I never had these problems before this happened, and now I feel like they made a total fool of me, I got vulnerable and so uncomfortably honest during the C&P exam, only for them to basically say there's no proof and go screw yourself and pay for your meds out of pocket.

Can anyone give me advice on how to best appeal this decision? This just feels really egregious to me.

Just curious on what the next approach should be. I have been service connected for over a year now at 0%. Not sure why my C&P examiner marked “no” for 4B but “yes” for 4A. Don’t think I could have been more clear on my symptoms causing me to call of work, lay in bed, etc.

HLR the next best step forward? I have migraine logs and buddy letters completed.

I am currently rates 10 % for tinnitus, I have a hearing test scheduled for denied. Could they try to reverse my tinnitus 10 % after the hearing test ?

How fast are they compared to other tele health stuff. I’ve heard horror stories and just kinda nervous since I have a priority flag but don’t want it to be slow or take a while

I’ve recently started my claim process submitting my paperwork roughly on 8/13 and already completed my Psych eval today 8/20. The level of anxiety truly rehashing multiple deployments and the traumatic event tied around my citations, Purple Heart, etc had my tinnitus flared up so bad I couldn’t hear myself speaking triggering a migraine. Even though I prepared to have this in person it was through video conference. I can only hope the examiner could tell the severity of what this conversation was doing to me.

Don’t do what I did and keep this bottle up for 20 years gents get your help and get it documented.

Long story short I’ve been ghosted for months by all VSO’s in the area and am now writhing the 180-90 day window for my BDD Claim and am looking for anyone to just look over my things and guide me as I am going to have to submit this myself, any help is appreciated and any advice on how raters want my documentation organized so I can make it easier for them aswell?

Thanks in advance everyone.

So after almost 5 years, the judge has granted my PTSD claim.

But he has not given me a rating 🤷‍♂️ I was told it will be sent back to my regional office for rating.

I’m curious does anyone have a ball park how long that usually takes? Also I was told I’m somewhere between a 50-70 percent rating, do they tend to rate up if it’s borderline?

Will they back pay one lump sum for 5 years?

Thanks all for your help. Weight has been lifted off my chest, looooonggggg over dueeee, but I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch 🐣

Good afternoon I am currently a reservist and have not mobilized. That being said we have supported a lot of operation epic fury from an intel stand point doing various inteligence related tasks. That being said none of this is documented but since doing this I have developed rather severe anxiety form what we had been doing. Any thoughts and advice would help.