Saturday, March 23, 2024

How To Get Proof Of Va Disability

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What Is Bipolar Disorder Disability

Getting Evidence To Prove Disabilities In TDIU

Also called manic depression, this condition is a brain disorder that can cause excessive mood swings, where a person cycles between depressive states and high states . These cycles can occur over long periods or may occur at the same time.

During mania, the person may experience euphoria, rage, sleeplessness, and rushed thoughts and speech. In severe manic episodes, the patient may become delusional or suffer hallucinations. In the depressive state, the person suffers extreme feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, too much or too little sleep, as well as suicidal thoughts and ideations. These unusual shifts in energy levels lead to an overall inability to function normally.

Many factors that are cited as causes of bipolar disorder disability include:

  • Imbalance in brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters
  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Traumatic experiences or extreme stress

Bipolar disorder and depression can also accompany an illness or injury as a secondary condition.

What Can I See Once I Sign In

Youll see your VA combined disability rating and a list of your individual disability ratings. Youll also be able to see which of your individual disability ratings are service-connected. Service-connected disabilities are injuries or illnesses that were causedor made worseby your active-duty military service.

Was Your Va Disability Claim For Hypertension Denied

Unfortunately, VA disability claim denials are common. Your claim may have been denied because:

  • You sent in the wrong form. The VA has a staggering number of forms on their website and continues to add new forms and new versions of forms all the time. Its not difficult to accidentally fill out the wrong form or an older version of the form, which often results in VA rejecting the claim or the appeal, sometimes without even notifying you of the rejection.
  • You missed an important deadline. Maybe the VA requested more information, but you didnt send it in time. We understand that life happens. When you hire our firm, our attorneys keep track of all of the paperwork deadlines. All you need to do is attend any medical appointments.
  • You didnt prove that your hypertension is service-connected. The decision-makers at the VA dont know you or what youve been through. All they have in front of them is a stack of paperwork. Our lawyers help veterans with their disability claims all across the country. We know what information the VA needs in order to establish service-related connections.

The good news is, a denial isnt the final word. Veterans have the right to appeal their VA disability claims for hypertension.

We can help you with your disability for hypertension appeal, even if we didnt work on your initial claim. Our lawyers know what a strong disability benefits application looks like. Well do the hard work of making sure your application is complete and well-documented.

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More Information On How To Request A Review Of The Decision

There are 3 ways you can make your request for reconsideration:

  • prepare and submit a written request to review the decision and include:
    • your name
    • your Social Insurance Number or Client Identification Number
    • a detailed explanation of why you do not agree with the decision
    • any new information that could affect the decision
    • your signature and the date

    If you complete your request on paper

    Sign and date your written request and submit it:

  • electronically by signing into My Service Canada account, or
  • in person at a Service Canada office
  • Reconsiderations can take several months to complete, depending on the case. Service Canada will review your application and any new information you submit in support of your request and send you a decision by mail.

    Get A New Sleep Study

    2013 Form VA 26

    Truth bomb: Just because you snore doesnt mean you have Sleep Apnea.

    Its certainly a marker though.

    Some other common symptoms of Sleep Apnea include: Trouble staying asleep at night , episodes where you stop breathing , daytime sleepiness , morning headaches, dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, and anger .

    If you have any of these signs and symptoms, you should consider doing a Sleep Study, which is also known as a Polysomnography.

    Even if youve had a Sleep Study before, we recommend having a current one on-file, which will confirm a medical diagnosis and current symptoms, especially if theyve become more severe over time.

    A Sleep Study is THE ONLY WAY to confirm whether you meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for Sleep Apnea.

    The Polysomnography study records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, and eye and leg movements, among others.

    So, now you might be wondering, how do Veterans get a Sleep Study?

    There are 3 primary ways for Veterans to get a Sleep Study:

    • The first way is to discuss your sleep issues with your VA primary care doctor and ask for a referral to a sleep specialist at the VA.
    • The second way is to ask your private doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist in your area .
    • The third, and easiest way, is to order a Sleep Apnea At-Home Test Kit, although itll cost you a couple hundred dollars or more .

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    The First Step To Proving A Va Disability For Hearing Loss

    by Chris Attig

    Almost every veteran I know has filed a claim to service connect a VA disability for hearing loss. Im sure that somewhere in some unit in the military, there is no noise. And because there is no noise, the veterans who served in this imaginary unit never experienced hearing loss.

    That is not true for the large majority of veterans each and every one of us was exposed to intolerable levels of noise in service. Military equipment is loud, because the work it does is loud. Each and every one of us who served in the military should probably receive VA disability for hearing loss. Even the Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges that hearing loss and tinnitusare the most prevalent service-connected disabilities among veterans.

    The health care research side of the VA even observes:

    As of the close of fiscal year 2014, more than 933,000 Veterans were receiving disability compensation for hearing loss, and nearly 1.3 million received compensation for tinnitus. In addition, many Veterans score normally on hearing tests but have difficulty understanding speech. This condition, called auditory processing disorder, is often associated with blast exposure.

    That said, the VA makes it damn near impossible to prove service connection for hearing loss and recover VA disability compensation for that hearing impairment, and to secure a higher rating when your hearing impairment is more profound than what certain tests can measure.

    About Va Claims Insider

    VA Claims insider is an education-based coaching/consulting company. Were here for disabled veterans exploring eligibility for increased VA disability benefits and who wish to learn more about that process. We also connect veterans with independent medical professionals in our referral network for medical examinations, disability evaluations, and credible Independent Medical Opinions & Nexus Statements for a wide range of disability conditions.

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    Report The Death Of A Social Security Or Medicare Beneficiary

    You must report the death of a family member receiving Social Security or Medicare benefits. The Social Security Administration processes death reports for both. Find out how you can report a death and how to cancel benefit payments. In addition to canceling SSA and Medicare benefits, find out what other benefits and accounts you should cancel.

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    What Forms Do You Need To Fill Out To Request An Updated Rating

    How do you Win your Veterans Disability Claim Proving Service Connection by Aggravation?

    The forms you need to fill out to request a re-evaluation differ based on where you initially received treatment. For instance, if you received care at a VA or military service healthcare facility, you need only to fill out Form 21-526EZ, which asks for the name of the site where you received treatment so they can be contacted to verify your information.

    If, however, you received treatment at a civilian facility, then you will also need to fill out Form 21-4142, which is, in essence, a HIPAA form. This form is required for the authorization of the release of your medical records. It also gives permission for your physicians to confer with the VA.

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    What Is A Social Security Award Letter

    If your eligibility to receive social security income has been confirmed, you will generally receive your benefit verification letter one to three months after a decision is made by the social security office. But according to the SSA itself, a decision takes 3-5 months. That said, you may not get a letter in the mail for as long as eight months after youve applied. Even if you get one sooner than that, the quickest you should expect your Social Security Award Letter is around four months.

    The good news is that you can cut that time in half by starting your application online, at least according to the SSA. Starting your application online will allow you to fill out both the benefits application and the disability worksheet . You will still have an in-person or phone appointment which will generally last around one hour. If the SSA requests any documents to verify your identity or condition, you should be sure to bring those to the appointment, or your local social security office if you have a phone appointment, to avoid the risk of slowing down the process.

    Tips For Active Duty Military Members Thinking About Va Disability

    If youre still in the military and youre thinking about applying for VA disability benefits, then you should absolutely go get a physical. Be sure to have everything looked at and documented. When you get ready to separate from the military, you can opt for the Benefits Delivery at Discharge process and file your claim that way.

    If you file within that first year of being out of the military, known as the presumptive year, you could have your decision letter within a month or two. The VA may be more apt to decide in your favor during this presumptive year.

    National Guard or Reserve Members

    If you are a national guard or reserve member on drill weekend when an accident occurs, the incident must be documented in a line of duty investigation. The investigation protects both you and the government because it proves the accident occurred on military time and is the responsibility of the government.

    If you deploy and are injured on active duty orders or National Title 10, that injury falls under the BDD process again because you just separated from the military free and clear.

    Within that presumptive year again, you should be able to file things that happened during that time and have these claims accepted by the VA with less trouble.

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    My Only Income Is Veteran’s Benefits

    Yes. Unless state law says otherwise, a court has the right to include the money that you receive from the VA as income when it decides how much you should pay for child support. This is true even if your Veteran’s Benefits are your only source of income.

    It is very important for you to let the VA know that you have children and/or a spouse because you may receive extra benefits because of them.

    How To Prove Service Connection For Sleep Apnea: The 6

    How To Get A Copy Of Va Benefits Award Letter  Mednifico.com
    • Step #1: Get a NEW Sleep Study
    • Step #2: Confirm a medical diagnosis of Sleep Apnea with a sleep specialist
    • Step #3: Conduct a Sleep Apnea Gap Analysis to include medical research and case law precedent
    • Step #4: Determine Direct Service Connection vs. Secondary Service Connection
    • Step #5: Obtain a Nexus Letter for Sleep Apnea
    • Step #6: Get at least one VA Buddy Letter for Sleep Apnea

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    If My Ex Does Not Make A Claim For An Apportionment Do I Still Have To Worry About Paying Child Support From My Veteran’s Benefits

    Yes. Even if your ex does not ask the VA for an apportionment, he or she can use all the tools that state law allows to try to collect court-ordered child support. Most states can suspend your driver’s license or other state licenses , if you do not pay child support. Your ex can also bring you to court for contempt if you do not pay your child support. If you are found to be in contempt, a court could order you to surrender valuable property or belongings , and a court could order that you serve time in jail for non-payment of child support. In addition, state departments of human services can keep your tax refund and apply it to child support debt.

    When Not To Expect A Reexamination

    In certain cases, the VA will not ask you to come for a reexamination, and if they do, it may be an error on their part. If you are part of one of the groups listed below and you get a letter asking you to show up for the reexamination, call the phone number on the letter you receive to explain why you think you should not have to go.

    VA normally does not schedule reexaminations for veterans:

    • over age 55
    • with static disabilities, such as loss of a limb
    • with a disability resulting from disease that is of a permanent nature
    • who have been assigned the minimum rating for their disability
    • who have a combined disability rating, and the individual ratings that were combined are so high that even if one or two of these ratings were reduced, the combined disability rating would remain the same.

    If you are not subject to reexamination, your disability rating cannot be reduced.

    If you do have to attend an examination, the VA can only reduce your benefits in some situations. Go on to the next page to learn about VA disability benefit reductions.

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    What Are Va Benefits For Back Pain

    First of all, although it is possible to receive benefits for pain incurred during your time in service without a diagnosis, it is not guaranteed. A current diagnosis is always recommended if possible to obtain. In addition to your current diagnosis, you will need to include a NEXUS letter and DBQ to partner with your medical evidence and in turn, prove your service-connection. Without these outside documents, you are significantly decreasing your chance of winning your VA disability for back problems claim.

    In determining benefits, the VA refers to the back as the thoracolumbar spine. This is the term used to reference middle or lower back pain. The VA considers upper back pain in the same category as neck pain. Therefore, anything above middle or lower back pain will be referred to as the cervical spine and falls under a different rating system.

    The thoracolumbar spine is composed of two parts of the spine the thoracic and the lumbar . These are the two areas that will be examined in order to determine benefits for any back pain.

    What Should A Buddy Letter Include

    Common VA Ratings That Add Up To 100% or TDIU Veterans Disability Benefits

    A buddy letter may cover how the physical and/or mental impacts of an injury are impacting the life of a veteran, or may provide details on a specific event or injury that led to a disability. Once an individual has been identified to develop a statement, it is important that the veteran submitting a claim provide information about their disability and their VA claim application, so that the writer understands the specific event or injury and can discuss it in their statement. The statement should include:

    • Who was involved in the injury or incident
    • A detailed description of what happened
    • Where the injury or incident occurred
    • The specific date of the injury or incident
    • A description of the claimants behavior and abilities before and after the injury or incident occurred

    A buddy letter should include as much detail as possible, and may include the following:

    • How the service member was impacted by the event
    • Any changes in physical health or behavior as a result of the event
    • The type of treatment required due to the event or injury

    When writing a buddy letter, these guidelines should be followed as much as possible:

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    In Step #5 Youll Want To Get A Nexus Letter For Sleep Apnea From A Credible Independent Medical Professional

    A Nexus Letter for Sleep Apnea is an evidence-based document prepared by a medical professional that helps to establish a connection between the veterans current disability and either their military service or another disability condition for secondary service connection.

    A Nexus Letter is often the missing link, aka, the essential piece of evidence needed to help a veteran get his/her VA sleep apnea service connected.

    So now Ive probably got you wondering: Brian, why are nexus letters so effective at proving service connection under the law?

    Awe yes, Im glad you asked.

    Simply put, its because VA disability claims are won or lost based on medical evidence.

    Either you have enough medical evidence, or you dont.

    In our experience, a well-crafted Nexus Letter for Sleep Apnea is the single most crucial document a veteran can provide the VA Rater to help prove service connection on an at least as likely as not basis.

    Yep, it really is the single, most powerful way to prove service connection.

    Why?

    First, a credible Nexus Letter fulfills the third legal pillar of secondary service connection for Sleep Apnea mentioned above.

    A Veteran must provide medical nexus evidence establishing a connection between the service-connected disability and the current disability .

    If youre wondering How to Get a Nexus Letter for Sleep Apnea, weve made a list of the Top 5 Doctors Who Write Nexus Letters for Sleep Apnea.

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