I have processed several requests for upgrading my service connection percentage. I was honorably discharged in November 1983, and as of January 1, 2013 (exactly 30 years to the day), the VA still claims that my cancer was NOT SERVICE CONNECTED!!! For example, if you suffer from sleep apnea that is related to your service, then you would talk more about how this disability is linked to a service event and how it affects your life. Really good job bilking old Vets out of money when a half-way decent VSO can do it for free-my point is shop around and interview them as to what they have experience with. Again, I filed for anxiety disorder and VA listed through my records seizures due to talking to my wife (lay person). Perhaps to save you all hiring lawyers try using the VET organizations like VFW , Order of the Purple Heart or American Legion most have offices at VA centers stop in and talk to one of them they are very helpful and can help you out. The specialist needs to sign the letter at the end with the full credential. I cannot hire an attorney at this time due to needing my decision and no matter what, I am planning on suing for one million plus due to non disclosure. A credible Medical Nexus Opinion from a private provider IN ADDITION to any lay evidence provided in support of your VA claim. Once more I had to clear up that issue and start over. Contact Us Now (888) 883-2483 . There has been no problem of these past filed Russian language claims over the past 5 years. She didnt want it. It is erroneous to claim layperson statements only matter for mental health claims, I hit my head and lost consciousness while in combat that resulted in stitches later. If the person has a record of stitches on the head, VA will need to consider the layperson statement. Brian Reese here, Air Force service-disabled Veteran and Founder @ VA Claims Insider. Can I Write A Personal Statement in Support of My VA Claim? By doing so, you may more easily prove that a doctor wrote the letter. Thanks for the information. Lets see if this doesnt prove to be true in the next year or two. When we returned home, John hardly kept in touch. Two decades have passed, While I can SC hypertension I would also add the snoring through my wife personal statement. 3. Phone: 336 631-5457 If you are considered service-connected, you will receive a VA disability rating for Sleep Apnea 0%, 30%, 50%, or 100%. To be looked at as we should be. Using a highlighter to highlight relevant diagnosis and injuries in my MIL med records seemed to work great. Buddy letters are lay statements provided in support of a veterans claim for VA disability benefits. This aint anything but red tape. Im not ready to give up yet. DOCKET NO. The diagnosis is a suspected genetic diesease that started with the symptoms while I was in the military. Writing Convincing VA Statements in Support of Claim. I requested my other doctor to write a letter for the VA but he requested that I give him a sample letter that would be sufficient in wording for the VA, and he would be more than willing to help me out. My fellow veteran employees are all really dissatisfied, I really want to publish a whistleblower book or something, because this way of doing things is evil. This one head surgeon here in California stated I compressed my vertebra falling down a flight of stairs when I stepped off one stair, I was lucky to spot this when I pulled my Clinical reports. The book includes commentary from Dr. Finnerty about the VA's proposed rule changes related to how sleep apnea is rated. One thing I found is my doctors never did Blood sugar tests on me in-service, My diabetes was diagnosed post discharge by the VA, but since I have diabetic family members, they said Non-service connected. left side of the screenthere it is folks!! Discover Tomato Varieties: While Galactic Magic Seeds is No Longer Available, There's Still Plenty of Variety for Your Garden, Galactic Magic Seeds was a website that offered tomato seeds from various breeders, including Rebel Starfighter Prime. I would like to know if some one can advise me on how to proceed. Conditions are automatically considered service-connected . Nexus Letters For Sleep Apnea. I file a disability claim in 2003 for IBS and was granted 0%. Instead, it sounds like you are spreading the dysinfo many regional offices put out there to discourage veterans. If they were in our shoes they wouldnt be able to wear them because they probably couldnt handle it. Instead, be the squeaky wheel! The signature serves as a certification that the information has been provided to the best of the persons knowledge and belief. Cir. Va for sleep apnea in the main symptoms have forged their disability to promote one. hi my name is anthony brown and i served in the united states navy from 1987 to 1995 which the military has lost my medical records serveral times. He is most recently employed with the National Park Service and that job will be terminating 8/12/2011 due to budget cuts. 3. Want to see a real VA lay statement example? We are the disability experts. Please send me that sample letter I so desperately need. The doctor ordered a sleep study and he was granted to use a CPAP device. This is not to say that VA regards buddy letters and buddy statements from a wife and medical evidence equally, but the information provided in a buddy letter can shape the medical evidence used to decide the claim, including providing the foundation upon which a medical opinion is based. Thank you for creating this website. I cant stress it enough do it as soon as possible, I have sleep apnea and i use a seep apnea machine every night for over a year now,and i applied for disability for sleep disorder and i was denied,i have recently reapplied for it,do you think that i will receive it now .Mary, I Serve ten year in the military I was diagnose with sleep anea but they say it not service try for Compensation & Disability from the VA. I will sincerely appreciate it. Im hoping and praying that we as veteran want have to hurry up and wait too and so long just to get denied over and over. I am in need of assistance. He is author of the guideVoc Rehab Survival Guide for Veterans and chief editor of DisabledVeterans.org. Agent Orange Presumptive List In this guide, well explore the topic of Agent Orange and its long-lasting impact on millions of Vietnam veterans. If I were to hire an attorney, he would get his normal retroactive fee. However, I hardly heard from him once he deployed to Iraq in August 2003. 251 North Main Street Find another form here. of The VA. Research: http://www.VA Watchdog.org. In your letter, you point out many references to daytime somnolence but there is no mention of OSA being observed by health care professionals. He spoke of the bodies and carnage he saw, and the smell of burning oil. By the time you have the results of your illnesses they should be in the step where they are asking for your documents to support your request. While a sleep study must be conducted and submitted as medical evidence, a spouse can provide insight into how the sleep disorder impacts the veteran's daily life. A long, rambling letter just obscures why you are writing. Is this true, or does it make sense to you? I think that claim denials will soon hit an all time high. All Rights Reserved. I was married to XXXXX, a Navy veteran, in September 1994. (2) an in-service occurrence; and The faster your start it the better it is, plus they will give you retroactive pay. After his left ankle surgery in 1996, he was unable to regularly exercise and he gradually gains weight. One year for the whole claims process. I put in a claim was denied any suggestions. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! A personal statement you write on the VA Form 21-4138 documenting how you think your current non-combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is due to an in-service sexual assault and stressor event that occurred 20 years ago IS lay evidence. It is so sick that when a claimant dies while waiting to get paid, that is a good case to workeasy points. I was 10% SC for hypertension but not snoring. If a person/organization does not plan on honoring its agreements and commitments, then why bother putting them in place in the first place?! I am a 30 year old OIF Veteran who is currently going through the whole claims process for PTSD. He never drank much, but he loved to eat. The same kind of logic would support a different percentage for sinusitis. I also deal with many clients who have been diagnosed with it, post-military-service and do not know how to establish a service connection for sleep apnea. My doctor put in report that I complained she never answers my letters and that she does when in fact I have 19 unanswered letters and all these type things destroy your credibility and mine is very important to me. 2. I recall almost on a regular basis where it sounded as if he was choking in his sleep and gasping for air. According to the recent VA disability rate benefit adjustment of December 1, 2021, Veterans with sleep apnea connected to tinnitus could receive benefits at the following rates: A 30% rating yields $467.39 per month. It is evident, in most cases , the dependent survivors have to eat dirt. where do you live? . I say only to defend you and your family because obviously this govenerment cares nothing about their Veterans, especially those that are senior citizens now. I was a kid (like most of us) and what did I know about orders except to follow them. Alternatively, service connection may be established under 38 C.F.R. For a limited time, you can book a free, no-obligation VA Claim Discovery Call with one of our experts. Hello, I hope this help a case * I meant to say that.. As I understand it, there are only a few places in the world that the VA is allowing presumptive service-connection for conditions resulting from Agent Orange. I am sickened, sad, and angry after reading these posts. Now here in 2011 Im still battling with them and it seems like they are trying to build a case against me. I did it and i got my claim faster. That lets them win. They said they needed more info from my regional office in Reno and that they had not investiagted my claim enough. He started my process for me and also got back my VA benefits. It can turn a productive worker into a problem employee. 01. Should I apply for Sleep Apnea on its own or is this way good enough? 100 percent disability rating: $3,621.95 per month. Far too many of the VA claims people act like the money is coming from their own pockets. In 2004 I was granted 10%. I ended up with a pacemaker/defibrillator implant. This is an outrage for the United States of America and it is time the seniors stand together, with their supporters and put a change to all of this political crap.! More and more research is being done about it, and much news is being written about t. it was hoorible and I still have a large pocket of mucuos in my sinus cavity, I am having a sleep study done, could this condition be from being stuck in the head witk a M-113 Drivers hatch without a CVC on? You just need to contact your service organization or call the RO Winston-Salem directly. From 2013-2014, the VA and BVA denied VA benefits for sleep apnea in 76% of the appeals. On July 2015, I received an evaluation letter from the C&P stating that they are dropping my evaluation to 90% . After his left ankle surgery in 1996, he was unable to regularly exercise and he gradually gains weight. Service connection for PTSD requires credible evidence of an in-service stressor, so a buddy letter used to corroborate that stressor should discuss when and where it occurred, unit and location assigned, and the nature and onset of any observable symptoms the veteran developed in its aftermath. If you have a certain number of congestion attacks from sinusitis, it will result in a different / higher disability rating that can be supported solely from a layperson statement so long as the STRs indicate the person had sinus trouble in the military. Holding up your claim longer just to be denied. Spouse or May 11th, 2018 - How to Write a Visa Invitation Letter for Australia Tourist Subclass 600 Visa Spouse or Partner . 4. As a formality, buddy letters should always include the authors identifying information and his or her relationship to the veteran. defect, but an old injury, which now renders me unemployable. Layevidenceis generally afforded probative value if it is provided by a person who has knowledge of facts or circumstances and conveys matters that can be observed and described by alayperson. Depending on the evidence and contentions of record in a particular case, lay evidence can be competent and sufficient to establish a diagnosis and medical etiology of a condition. Being denied (or delayed) takes the fight out of many but no Veteran should ever stop fighting. Welcome and Thx for your service to our great nation. He threw himself back into what he loved and seemed to improve. I am a retired Army veteran wh0 retired in 1986. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! He has weeks or so where he seems like his old self before randomly turning into someone I dont recognize. I recently submitted a claim for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD with the assistance of the Disabled American Veteran's org (DAV). I have done all of the work and an attorney would never have done what I have done. Click the button below to start for FREE. I hate to hear of so many verterans having to go through so much red tape for help. To whom it may concern. My x-ray yesterday explained why I was hurting so bad, one of the screws broke in half, so part of it is secured in my spine the other part is just floating around causing even more scar tissue. So, I did not benefits for about 2 years. VQLANS HEADQUARTERS. Youll learn about the word game that is used preventing you from winning your claim. I read that they can get claims decided a lot faster if you have a qualified medical professional MD, PhD etc,. Walker v. Shinseki, 708 F.3d 1331 (Fed. All forms provided by US Legal Forms, the nations leading legal forms publisher. He would not return phone calls e-mails ext upon looking into this-I decided to enlist the help of Sen.Carl Levin from our great state of Michigan. Whether you are using plastic or fabric containers, Earthboxes, or even old buttercream buckets, there are a few important things to consider before planting. The VA is saying my COPD is unrelated to the fall. I have seen a therapist and a psychiatrist, but that just drains me talking about these things all of the time. See 38 C.F.R. The only shrink that did ask about it was the one that did my C&P but he was required to. Someone must bleed the words, Not me, I am probably in the chicken coop . By far the worst are from lawyers elder law specialists.they like to charge the poor claimant to do a POA, but guess what? I am sure your family and friends could testify about your symptoms post and pre war conditions. Contact those organizations also on your behalf. 3.102. It was good to see him, and I hope that, in time, we can restore our friendship to the way it was before we deployed. or try calling, Donald W. Priem, Jr. Competent lay evidence means any evidence not requiring that the proponent have specialized education, training, or experience. Youll be glad you did. In 1986, I thought COPD and asthma were one of the same, how ignorant I was. A spousal letter for sleep apnea, which documents what your spouse has witnessed over the years, and the approximate dates he/she noticed your sleep apnea symptoms began in-service IS lay evidence. Thanks, I have filed a claim with the VA Feb 8th 2009. Rory R Jones The tricky part is to do this without going on for so long that they get bored to death while reading your statement. I hope that helps push your claim along by greasing your wheels in at least one way to present your claim to a VA claims adjudicator. Now, through researching and this awesome website I have learned I need a letter from my doc to tie in my service connected conditions to SA. Our work is set up on points..we need to work a certain amount of claims per day in order to advance/keep our jobs. Dead bodies were everywhere, and everything smelt like it was on fire. Forget it I give up. Westley Thomas / USMC / Vietnam Veteran 1966-1968. I have diaphragmatic paralysis, which has lead to COPD and other ailments. Mulching is an effective way to keep the root zone cool and moist, while watering more frequently will also help keep the plant from getting too dry. Lay persons are competent to provide evidence regarding things they have personally observed, including symptoms that are capable of lay observation and when those symptoms occurred. A year or so later, John received a DUI and was forced to attend substance abuse meetings. Since cutting back on his drinking, John slowly began to open up to me about what happened while he was deployed. 2900-0776 respondent burden: 15 minutes expiration date: 11/30/2017 diabetes mellitus disability benefits questionnaire important - the department of veterans affairs (va) will not pay or reimburse any expenses or cost incurred in. Cir. I served on the Enterprise and wanted to know what where some of her findings about the ship. If your SLEEP APNEA claim is approved, you may receive up to $3,350.87 per month. Appreciate the site, and and ideas you have on this subject. I wish I could sue for pain and suffering. It can turn a devoted husband or wife into a spouse who's moody and distant, or even . For lay persons, personal knowledge denotes facts and information the author came to know through the use of the sensesthat which is seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted. Sleep apnea (AP-ne-ah) is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing, or shallow breaths while you sleep.
