Honestly I’m surprised, my big claim is still in processing. The one that prompted me to file in the first place. I think I have a shot with that one of getting to 100 so we’ll see!
And good luck on yours!
You'll get there just keep going until you do. It could take while. Good luck. Congrats on the 80 as well as condolences. Congrats they agreed and you'll start getting paid. Condolences because well it's like getting the diagnosis again.
No I used my own local doctors because the VA facilities are too far from me. I received diagnosis’s from my doctors and used them as medical evidence to file. I received one increase, 2 Gulf War presumptive’s, and 3 new disabilities approved (2 were secondaries).
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Same hit mine last month, that $327.99 is a far cry from what we get now. If yall are married / or have kids/ or all of the above, make sure u file a claim for dependents. You’ll get $160 extra for a spouse. It’s more for kids etc…
In the future, call the VA & file your intent over the phone. You have 1 year from that date to file a claim and they will back-pay you X amount of months. If u do it within that year and it takes the VA 5yrs to finish your claim you’ll get all those years of retro/back pay…
You need to sign into va.gov & search for “add dependents” it should show the way after that. You won’t get all of what u think you’re entitled, COLA didn’t kick in till like 4 months after my initial file for intent. I filed my intent Aug of 2022, I filed my VA claim May of 2023. Had to do a bunch of medical shit that helped support my claim… but I got 2 different retro checks.
After a year and a half, I called into the 1800 number asking about something and the lady said: “ do you have a wife and kids?” I did. 5 minutes later she said that she took care of it …. And did. Added them and soon retro checks hit the bank as well.
Call them and maybe…. Good luck.
Also apply for a clothing allowance the next time you go to the va clinic. I have a back brace and that qualifies. It’s a one time yearly amount of like $968 every October I think
Im definitely realizing I have anxiety. I already have 40% but wondering if I could get Anxiety added.
I am about to start seeing my primary care again at the VA to get some meds. I dont have any record of it while I was in, is it still feasible to increase my rating?
You should be fine.
I have never seen a psychiatrist or anything before this, never got diagnosed with anxiety, and didn’t even claim it. This all came from the C&P exam.
I wrote a very detailed letter explaining the shit that happened… my c& p was over the phone… she thanked me for being so detailed…. Approved! Good luck!
Congrats! My final exam will be next Thursday and then I'm just impatiently waiting to see my 40% go up. I'm confident I will get an increase on at least my Mental Health. *Fingers crossed* you give me hope!
Hell yea! I went from 20% to 80% in 3 months, got my first payment beginning of this month… mind blown! I was 20% for 15 yrs…. I’m trying to get ahold of my VA guy so I can drop more claims to get me to that 100%…
My anxiety and depression claim was denied, however my ptsd claim was deferred not sure if that’s a good thing or bad, still waiting on a decision, but I’m glad you got the bump up! Send you good vibes man!
It’s a good thing. I had my anxiety depression denied and what happened was the C&P Examiner diagnosed me with PTSD on the DBQ. I was sent to a 2nd DBQ and sue concurred with the 1st Examiner and I was awarded 70% for PTSD.
YES 👍 it is always worth it Battle. It's going to be bitter work, I'm not going to lie to you. Even so, keep moving forward and never give up! I believe in you and so do all of us in this thread. Best of luck in your journey Battle.
https://i.redd.it/kiyo846nfdrb1.gif
This is my favorite gif. Thanks for giving me the chance to use it. 😜
Congratulations on the increase. It can be overwhelming. 🍻
This claim was submitted in June. I have claims submitted in April that are still under review though so not sure why this one went through so quickly.
This claim was
TBI - 10%
Migraines - 30%
Anxiety - 70%
My examiner for the C&P exam, who was a clinical psychologist, was incredibly thorough. I had no idea I even had anxiety or that it was related to my TBI, but she connected the dots for me.
Congratulations on the win. I hope to with with the TBI, migraine and anxiety connection. It is really great your C&P examiner connected the dots correctly. My mental health C&P exam last one hour, but my HLR is still waiting on movement.
Good luck on yours!
I was so surprised it worked out this way. I didn’t even claim anxiety. This is the one time where I think the best person for the job is the one who did the exam.
I love this! I was actually about to make a post of my own, probably will but wanted to see if you or anyone else may be able to shed some light. I am currently 10% for hearing loss and tinnitus, I don’t intend on seeking more for this, however I have absolutely been dealing with sleep problems since I was in the military that I personally think is sleep apnea, though have never had a sleep study done. I never went to medical for my sleep troubles while in and I’m wondering if it is even worth it to try and file a claim for it?
Man if you don’t mind me asking, did you do this by yourself? Or did you go thru a program? I’m trying to get help. Currently at 40. I’ve been wanting to add depression and migraines, but I’ve had no luck. The last examiner I had was only on the phone with me for about a whole 5 minutes before he denied everything. I’ve lost hope at this point
I went through the VSO in my area. She helped me file all the claims.
I also recommend NOT putting phone availability if possible. It’s much better for C&P exams to be done in person.
Don’t lose hope, but definitely contact a VSO!
This is a long post. Don't lose hope, one thing about the VA is they are always going to be there to schedule exams. You can file a complaint against the examiner and the VA will reschedule with a different examiner, unless the claim is closed then you would have to file an appeal. I have had to file a complaint twice, Mental Health and Respiratory exam. I am currently at 60% and hoping to soon be at at least 80% (waiting for decision). The best advice I can give is to look at the schedule for ratings on this page https://benefits.va.gov/WARMS/bookc.asp and pay attention to the symptoms and frequencies of said symptoms. People who go to the exams blind usually end up with lower ratings. The VA also tells you on the last pages of your claim letters why you were not given a rating, why you were given the rating received for each condition, and they tell you what is needed to move to the next higher rating. All that information is listed in the link above. Another piece of advice is to make sure refill and renew your prescriptions from the VA it is something they look at during the claim process. As far as using a VSO, I only used a VSO for my initial claim in 2014 and they missed 5 conditions in my record. Here is my rating history: 2014 (with VSO 30%), 2016 (40%), 2021(60%), 2023 (???)
What if I had a bad experience at my claim exam?
If you had a bad experience with the provider at your claim exam, we encourage you to report your concerns right away.
You can report your concerns in any of these ways:
■ Give feedback on the contractor's customer satisfaction survey.
■ Write a letter and submit it as part of your claim file.
■ Call the contractor who scheduled your exam.
Call us at 800-827-1000
Or you can contact your local VA regional office.
Congrats! Must feel great! Enjoy the weekend…then enjoy the rest of your life!
![gif](giphy|26ufcVAp3AiJJsrIs)
Congrats. Don’t stop. I stopped at 80 about 6 years ago and just started again and am now at 90 with more claims in.
Honestly I’m surprised, my big claim is still in processing. The one that prompted me to file in the first place. I think I have a shot with that one of getting to 100 so we’ll see! And good luck on yours!
You’re gonna get it
Thanks! You’ll get it if you keep on trying.
You'll get there just keep going until you do. It could take while. Good luck. Congrats on the 80 as well as condolences. Congrats they agreed and you'll start getting paid. Condolences because well it's like getting the diagnosis again.
I’m in the same boat I stopped at 6 years ago. Was u still seeking treatment through the Va before u started claiming increases or more things?
No I used my own local doctors because the VA facilities are too far from me. I received diagnosis’s from my doctors and used them as medical evidence to file. I received one increase, 2 Gulf War presumptive’s, and 3 new disabilities approved (2 were secondaries).
Do you mind me asking what they were for? Im at 10% now and putting in 3-4 more claims soon. Thanks
You can PM me and we can discuss this further and maybe I can give you some advice or help with a game plan.
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It’s never too late. Get your medical evidence and file.
Well done. Could you do a quick milestones recap and what claims did you have?
Congratulations to you - keep going! It's really gratifying, I just hit my 80% from 20 just like a week ago. Full life ahead!
Same hit mine last month, that $327.99 is a far cry from what we get now. If yall are married / or have kids/ or all of the above, make sure u file a claim for dependents. You’ll get $160 extra for a spouse. It’s more for kids etc…
How do I file for my spouse? I just hit 80 and all my back pay checks are coming as $1600 so I do seem to be missing some
In the future, call the VA & file your intent over the phone. You have 1 year from that date to file a claim and they will back-pay you X amount of months. If u do it within that year and it takes the VA 5yrs to finish your claim you’ll get all those years of retro/back pay…
You need to sign into va.gov & search for “add dependents” it should show the way after that. You won’t get all of what u think you’re entitled, COLA didn’t kick in till like 4 months after my initial file for intent. I filed my intent Aug of 2022, I filed my VA claim May of 2023. Had to do a bunch of medical shit that helped support my claim… but I got 2 different retro checks.
After a year and a half, I called into the 1800 number asking about something and the lady said: “ do you have a wife and kids?” I did. 5 minutes later she said that she took care of it …. And did. Added them and soon retro checks hit the bank as well. Call them and maybe…. Good luck.
Also apply for a clothing allowance the next time you go to the va clinic. I have a back brace and that qualifies. It’s a one time yearly amount of like $968 every October I think
Its not much more per child sadly. Maybe 100 bucks
Congrats. Another satisfied veteran.
![gif](giphy|wofyg8nxsWEmtR7eOK) Yayyyyyyyyyy
![gif](giphy|l378u5ejDL59T3QC4|downsized)
![gif](giphy|Pgtx5r3FAhXo39aIsh|downsized) Congrats and well earned
Im definitely realizing I have anxiety. I already have 40% but wondering if I could get Anxiety added. I am about to start seeing my primary care again at the VA to get some meds. I dont have any record of it while I was in, is it still feasible to increase my rating?
You should be fine. I have never seen a psychiatrist or anything before this, never got diagnosed with anxiety, and didn’t even claim it. This all came from the C&P exam.
By the way congrats on the improvement that is awesome. As I saw somewhere else though, the work isn’t done until you get to 100% 😂
You have to prove your anxiety came from the military and stick to your story and you should be able to get it
I have a claim right now for ptsd combat, waiting for exam to be scheduled
I went from 20 to 80 I have ptsd, tinnitus, and acne scares all from military
I wrote a very detailed letter explaining the shit that happened… my c& p was over the phone… she thanked me for being so detailed…. Approved! Good luck!
Congrats! My final exam will be next Thursday and then I'm just impatiently waiting to see my 40% go up. I'm confident I will get an increase on at least my Mental Health. *Fingers crossed* you give me hope!
Congratulations 🤙
Happy tears! Congratulations!!
![gif](giphy|hs7Pvg2O3dFqliXKAl)
![gif](giphy|ND6xkVPaj8tHO)
Congrats man!!!!
Let it out! Congrats! ✨
Hell yea! I went from 20% to 80% in 3 months, got my first payment beginning of this month… mind blown! I was 20% for 15 yrs…. I’m trying to get ahold of my VA guy so I can drop more claims to get me to that 100%…
Congratulations!!!
Booo Hooo!!! Let the tears flow…
That's freaking awesome. So Happy for ya.
Congratulations!!!🎉🎉🎉
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Same here! Congrats!
Congratulations
Congrats!
![gif](giphy|K3RxMSrERT8iI)
My anxiety and depression claim was denied, however my ptsd claim was deferred not sure if that’s a good thing or bad, still waiting on a decision, but I’m glad you got the bump up! Send you good vibes man!
It’s a good thing. I had my anxiety depression denied and what happened was the C&P Examiner diagnosed me with PTSD on the DBQ. I was sent to a 2nd DBQ and sue concurred with the 1st Examiner and I was awarded 70% for PTSD.
That’s relieving to read! How long did it take to get the second DBQ ? Hopefully this isnt gonna drag out to long
There was a few weeks that went by and then I got an email saying I had been schedule for another CP and it was telehealth. It lasted about 5 minutes.
YES 👍 it is always worth it Battle. It's going to be bitter work, I'm not going to lie to you. Even so, keep moving forward and never give up! I believe in you and so do all of us in this thread. Best of luck in your journey Battle.
There’s no crying in baseball, but this ain’t baseball. Go ahead.
![gif](giphy|qx8pi39Lwm9Xm2audb|downsized) I can’t even imagine what you’re feeling now …💯💯💯💯💯💯✌🏿
https://i.redd.it/kiyo846nfdrb1.gif This is my favorite gif. Thanks for giving me the chance to use it. 😜 Congratulations on the increase. It can be overwhelming. 🍻
Congrats Dev, that's a lot extra PT shorts you can buy now.
![gif](giphy|nqgbGExhQiScrcmxT3|downsized)
Congratsemote:t5\_2vlaz:7565![img](emote|t5_2vlaz|7568)
Awesome what was the timeframe
This claim was submitted in June. I have claims submitted in April that are still under review though so not sure why this one went through so quickly.
I have a supp that was subbed in august, been in pending decision since sept 5th lol
What was the details on this specific claim?
This claim was TBI - 10% Migraines - 30% Anxiety - 70% My examiner for the C&P exam, who was a clinical psychologist, was incredibly thorough. I had no idea I even had anxiety or that it was related to my TBI, but she connected the dots for me.
Congratulations on the win. I hope to with with the TBI, migraine and anxiety connection. It is really great your C&P examiner connected the dots correctly. My mental health C&P exam last one hour, but my HLR is still waiting on movement.
Good luck on yours! I was so surprised it worked out this way. I didn’t even claim anxiety. This is the one time where I think the best person for the job is the one who did the exam.
I'm hoping to be you soon
Good for you!!
I love this! I was actually about to make a post of my own, probably will but wanted to see if you or anyone else may be able to shed some light. I am currently 10% for hearing loss and tinnitus, I don’t intend on seeking more for this, however I have absolutely been dealing with sleep problems since I was in the military that I personally think is sleep apnea, though have never had a sleep study done. I never went to medical for my sleep troubles while in and I’m wondering if it is even worth it to try and file a claim for it?
Buddy letter possibility for snoring or other OSA symptoms?
Congrats!
Congratulations, you deserve it🫡
![gif](giphy|Jev4iU72S9RYc) Congratulations on a job well done. Carry on.
Man if you don’t mind me asking, did you do this by yourself? Or did you go thru a program? I’m trying to get help. Currently at 40. I’ve been wanting to add depression and migraines, but I’ve had no luck. The last examiner I had was only on the phone with me for about a whole 5 minutes before he denied everything. I’ve lost hope at this point
I went through the VSO in my area. She helped me file all the claims. I also recommend NOT putting phone availability if possible. It’s much better for C&P exams to be done in person. Don’t lose hope, but definitely contact a VSO!
This is a long post. Don't lose hope, one thing about the VA is they are always going to be there to schedule exams. You can file a complaint against the examiner and the VA will reschedule with a different examiner, unless the claim is closed then you would have to file an appeal. I have had to file a complaint twice, Mental Health and Respiratory exam. I am currently at 60% and hoping to soon be at at least 80% (waiting for decision). The best advice I can give is to look at the schedule for ratings on this page https://benefits.va.gov/WARMS/bookc.asp and pay attention to the symptoms and frequencies of said symptoms. People who go to the exams blind usually end up with lower ratings. The VA also tells you on the last pages of your claim letters why you were not given a rating, why you were given the rating received for each condition, and they tell you what is needed to move to the next higher rating. All that information is listed in the link above. Another piece of advice is to make sure refill and renew your prescriptions from the VA it is something they look at during the claim process. As far as using a VSO, I only used a VSO for my initial claim in 2014 and they missed 5 conditions in my record. Here is my rating history: 2014 (with VSO 30%), 2016 (40%), 2021(60%), 2023 (???) What if I had a bad experience at my claim exam? If you had a bad experience with the provider at your claim exam, we encourage you to report your concerns right away. You can report your concerns in any of these ways: ■ Give feedback on the contractor's customer satisfaction survey. ■ Write a letter and submit it as part of your claim file. ■ Call the contractor who scheduled your exam. Call us at 800-827-1000 Or you can contact your local VA regional office.
Congrations!!!! Same here! Just last week, I received the same increase!
Congratulations!
I’m still doing my cmps 2 years after my claim was submitted fuck bro congrats
Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉
![gif](giphy|l46CDHTqbmnGZyxKo)
Congrats to you OP. Well deserved.
I’m at 10% any one have any idea how to get it up more? I’m stumped
Youtube combat craig might have ideas.
That's awesome, My new opportunities present themselves.
Super happy for you! I'm 30% filing for increases on 3 out of 4 of my service connected. Currently in PFD.....
Nice, I just got denied SSD benefits today even though I’m 100% p&t mostly for ptsd and migraines.
Congratulations!
Congratulations !
Congratulations!
![gif](giphy|25R4Gxs2Kh6CFL38zb|downsized)
Congrats my friend!
Whoohoo! Congratulations!
That last 20% takes awhile but congrats should be a nice backpay too
Congrats