Top 3 Easiest Things To Claim For Va Disability
How would you like to learn about the 3easiest things to claim for VA disability, using SECRET VA disability claimsdata as your guide? Well, Ive got some good news for youBrian Reese here,USAF 100% disabled veteran, and founder of VA Claims Insider.
Part of the reason we call ourselves VAClaims INSIDER is because we get access to information that nobody elsedoesthis blog post is no exception.
For the first time ever, VA Claims Insiderreveals and explains the easiest things to claim for VA disability based on theVeteran Benefits Administration FY 2018-2019 report to Congress regardingVA benefits and compensation.
Were You Denied Va Disability Compensation For Gerd
Veterans who file VA disability claims for GERD are often denied. However, Veterans have the right to appeal the VAs decision. A VA appeal involves requesting that the VA reviews their decision regarding your disability claim. In addition, an appeal can involve presenting the VA with additional medical evidence that can impact the outcome of your disability claim.;
If your GERD claim has been denied, there are several steps you can take to potentially get a better outcome. In addition to teaming up with a skilled attorney and appealing the VAs decision, you can also do any of the following:
Recruiting a skilled attorney can help you get a better outcome for your GERD claim. If you were denied; Veterans benefits or given a rating that you feel is too low, we can help.
At Berry Law, we are committed to helping Veterans in their fight for disability benefits. With a team consisting of award-winning attorneys, Veterans, former VA employees, and military spouses, we are dedicated to providing Veterans the firepower they need to get the disability benefits theyre entitled to.
If your GERD VA disability claim was denied or rated too low, we may be able to help. Contact us today to receive a free case evaluation.
How Does The Va Qualify Eligibility For Sleep Apnea
Veterans can only receive disability benefits for sleep apnea if they can prove the medical condition is service-connected.
In other words, patients must prove that a current diagnosis of sleep apnea is related to an in-service event, injury, or illness.
Moreover, a veteran may establish a service connection for sleep apnea through a secondary basis.
In this scenario, the veteran demonstrates that an already service-connected disability contributed to sleep apnea.
The military only accepts service connection on a secondary basis when there is a medical nexus that links the sleep apnea to another service-connected disability.
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If I Start My Va Disability Application Does Va Consider This Intent To File
No. Simply starting your VA disability application doesnt show your intent to file. Youll need to submit an intent to file form, which sets the effective date . Then you can focus on gathering supporting documents to turn in with your disability application. If you submit an intent to file before you file your claim, you may be able to get retroactive payments .
Note: If you file your claim online, you don’t need to separately send an intent to file form. The online application already includes your intent to file.;
Most Common Va Disability Claim #: Hearing Loss
According to the 2018-2019 disability claims data, Hearing Loss was the #2 most commonly claimed disability for all Veterans. 93.6% of Veterans were rated between 0% and 10%. It is very common for hearing loss to be rated at 0%, that is, if youre lucky enough to get your hearing loss service connected.
The Audiogram is the only way to detect and diagnosis hearing loss!
If you have hearingloss, that does not mean that it is significant enough by VA standards toreceive compensation.
The first step is to prove that you have a certain level ofhearing loss.
The VA considers twofactors for rating hearing loss after an examination:
An audiogram measuresthe level of decibel loss at the various thresholds.
For VA purposes, anaverage loss of 26 or more decibels in three of the five frequency rangesconstitutes hearing loss.
Speech discrimination how well you can hear normal conversation
This test involves thepresentation of a series of monosyllabic words and determining how well you canhear them.
A speech recognitionscore of lower than 94% corresponds to a number related to hearing loss.
Even if an audiogramshows that one ear is 100% deaf, you are still not guaranteed compensation.
If the hearing loss inthe other ear is not significant, your likelihood of receiving benefitsdecreases.
Service Connected Hearing Loss
The second step relates to service-connection for the hearing loss.
Depending on your MOS, your chances of getting benefits may increase or decrease.
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File A Claim To Increase Your Va Rating
The disability rating VA assigns in its initial rating decision may be satisfactory at the time. ;But what happens if, later on, you feel that rating is no longer sufficient?
If you are outside of the 1-year appeal window to file a Notice of Disagreement with VAs initial decision, perhaps consider filing a new claim for an increased rating. ;You can submit any new documentation or evidence you have supporting that your service-connected disability has worsened. ;VA will treat this as any other claim and issue a rating decision in response.
In the legacy appeals system, the evidence must be new and material, whereas under the Appeals Modernization Act, it must be;new and relevant.;;Importantly, the new and relevant standard does not impose a higher evidentiary threshold than the former.; An example of new and relevant evidence may include a medical opinion explaining how your condition has worsened over time.
It is common for VA to require the veteran to undergo a new Compensation and Pension exam once a claim has been filed.; Veterans must attend this exam, as VA can deny the veterans claim if they fail to do so.; Veterans can also submit private medical exam results or records to further support their claim.
Generally, veterans submitting a claim for increased disability compensation should use VA Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits.
What Are The Most Common Va Disability Claims
Todays veterans are receiving compensation for more than 21 million types of disabilities. The VA uses a special formula to assign a disability rating to veterans based on their injuries or illnesses. The rating is determined after the VA examines the evidence submitted in the servicemembers claim for benefits.
According to the most recent VA Annual Benefits Report, the top VA disability claims are:
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How To Apply For Va Disability Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs recommends eligible Veterans apply for disability compensation benefits through the VAs eBenefits online portal. However, Veterans may also apply by mail with VA Form 21-526EZ, in person at your regional benefits office, or with help from a trained professional.
In any case, you will need access to your DD214 , the medical evidence of the disability, and dependency records .
If you have yet to separate from service, you may still apply using the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program. To be eligible for the BDD, you must:
- Be on full-time active duty , and
- Have a known separation date, and
- Your separation date is in the next 90 to 180 days
If you have less than 90 days until separation, you may still file a fully developed or standard claim.
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How Do I Submit The Form
You can obtain a PDF here.
Submit your hard copy of VA 20-0995 by mailing it to the Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center:; PO Box 4444 Janesville, WI 53547-4444. You can fax to 844-531-7818 or 248-524-4260, walk it in to your nearest regional benefit office, or via direct upload @ Centralized Mail Portal ;;
You can also ask a regional benefit office for a copy of VA 20-0995 to fill out. Or you can call the VA toll-free hotline at 800-827-1000, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET, to request a form. You can receive the form via email upon request.
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Gather Documentation Of Your Illnesses And Injuries
Youll need documentation of your injuries to support your claim. Documents you should submit with your application may include:
;;;;Medical clinic and hospital records related to your injury or illness. While your benefits application allows you to sign a medical records release, many private medical providers ignore VA requests for these records. Submitting medical records with your application eliminates this problem.
;;;;Supporting statements from friends, family, clergy, law enforcement, or other veterans regarding your injury or illness.
;;;;VA medical and hospital records related to your injury or illness.
Do We Have Everything
A complete application for a disability benefit will have all the information needed to determine that you have a diagnosed medical condition related to your service. In this first step, we will review your:
Learn more about how to complete an application for a disability benefit.
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How Is My Service Covered
If your service records show that you were serving in a Special Duty Area or Special Duty Operation when you became ill or were injured, any disability from that service is covered by the Insurance Principle, which provides 24-hour coverage.
If you were serving outside an SDA or SDO, you will be covered through the Compensation Principle, which provides coverage for an illness or injury that occurred while you were on duty.
The 20 Top Va Disability Claims Revealed
Knowing the top VA disability claims can be extremely helpful to you in your efforts to get the benefits you deserve, as a veteran, from the VA! Knowing what is most common may help you decide what to submit a claim for, especially if you are suffering from more than one condition.;
While those Top 10 are extremely common, the truth is there are a great deal more disabilities that veterans experience and the VA recognizes. These Top 10 are also the only specific conditions the VA lists in their annual report about disability compensation. These 10 make up 9,760,307 of the 25,127,129 disabilities recognized among veterans in the year 2019.;
That leaves almost 16 million uncovered. So without further ado, we have done the research and found 10 more of the Most Common VA Disability Claims.* Here are the numbers 11-20.;
Sleep apnea affects millions of veterans
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Special Monthly Compensation For Serious Disabilities
Can a Veteran Receive Additional Payments for Serious Disabilities?
VA can pay additional compensation to a veteran who, as a result of military service, incurred the loss or loss of use of specific organs or extremities.
What Is Considered Loss or Loss of Use?
Loss, or loss of use, is described as either an amputation or, having no effective remaining function of an extremity or organ. The disabilities VA can consider for SMC include:
- loss, or loss of use, of a hand or foot
- immobility of a joint or paralysis
- loss of sight of an eye
- loss, or loss of use, of a reproductive organ
- complete loss, or loss of use, of both buttocks
- deafness of both ears
- inability to communicate by speech
- loss of a percentage of tissue from a single breast, or both breasts, from mastectomy or radiation treatment
What if I Have a Combination of These Disabilities?
VA will pay higher rates for combinations of these disabilities such as loss or loss of use of the feet, legs, hands, and arms, in specific monetary increments, based on the particular combination of the disabilities. There are also higher payments for various combinations of severe deafness with bilateral blindness.
Additional SMC is available if a veteran is service connected for paraplegia, with complete loss of bowel and bladder control.
In addition, if you have other service-connected disabilities that, in combination with the above special monthly compensation, meet certain criteria, a higher amount of SMC can also be considered.
Va Disability Tips & Tricks: Easiest Things To Claim For Va Disability
If youve done any research about VA Disability Compensation and the easiest things to claim for VA disability, then you know it takes a while. Youve also likely heard that the process can take a while and that filing a claim will eventually lead to frustration.
What youre not likely to read though, is how to apply for VA disability compensation. The initial application is actually easy if you know what you are doing.
However, someone who hasnt researched the process may get a little confused. Actually, you may end up filling out a lot more than you need to if you just file without preparing your info in advance.;Youre in luck, though.
Ive actually filled out a lot of these applications in the past, and Ive learned a few VA disability tips and tricks along the way. Here are 7 hacks for filling out the initial application for VA benefits.
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Easy Va Disability Claims #: Migraines
Based on the latest 2018-2019 VA data, Migraines were the #9 most common VA disability claims for all Veterans, across all demographics.
Migraines are a high-value claim because thereis a high likelihood of getting rated at 30 percent or higher.
Migraine headaches and tension headachesare two very different things.
Migraines are a serious neurological conditionrated between 0 percent and 50 percent.
| 8100 Migraines VA Rating Criteria: | Rating |
| 0% |
Common symptoms of Migraines include throbbing pain, nausea, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and sound.
A migraine is usually characterized by apulsing sensation on the side of the head. The pain could last hours or daysdepending on the severity of the pain.
For VA rating purposes, the term prostratingis very important because it indicates the severity of your Migraines.
Prostrating simply means that your migraines are so severe, that you have to lay down.
Learn How to File Your VA Claim for Migraines HERE.
Common Va Errors That You Can Appeal
Sometimes you are not responsible at all for the reason that your claim was rejected. The VA is legally required to take certain steps to help you build your case. However, the VA is not perfect and may make a mistake or two along the way, which ultimately can end up resulting in the denial of your disability claim. Some of the most common appealable legal errors made by the VA include:
The VA is required to tell you what evidence is necessary to prove your claim. The notice must specify what evidence you are responsible for submitting and which evidence the VA will gather for you. If you are able to demonstrate that you would have submitted satisfactory evidence had you been given appropriate notice, you have a firm basis for appeal.
Legally, the VA is required to help you obtain records that support your claim. If you have identified these types of records adequately, the VA has a duty to gather them for you. This is only relevant if the records are related to your disability claim.
Under certain circumstances, the VA is required to provide you with a medical examination to obtain an opinion about the relationship between your disability and service. The VA must administer an exam when there is not sufficient medical evidence and there is evidence that you have a current disability or evidence that you experienced an in-service event or injury. The same applies when there is evidence that the in-service event might have caused the current disability.
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Most Common Va Disability Claims: Degenerative Arthritis Of The Spine
Based on the latest 2018-2019 VA data, Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine, also known as Osteoarthritis of the Spine was the #10 most compensated VA claim for all Veterans, across all demographics.
92.2% of Veterans were rated between 0% and20%, once again making this a low-value VA claim.
What is Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine?
The most common type is Osteoarthritis,which is also known as degenerative joint disease.
It is a serious musculoskeletal conditionin which the protective cartilage that cushions the tops of bones wears down anddegenerates.
Often, this is met with swelling and significantpain.
Osteoarthritis can also cause thedevelopment of osteophytes, or bone spurs.
What Is Osteoarthritis of the Spine?
Osteoarthritis of the spine is a breakdownof the cartilage of the joints and discs in the neck and lower back.
Often, osteoarthritis produces spurs thatput pressure on the nerves leaving the spinal column.
This can cause weakness, pain, and tinglingin the arms or legs.
The standard VA rating for DegenerativeArthritis of the Spine is 0 percent to 50 percent.
Need more medical evidence to service-connect and get rated at the appropriate level in support of your VA disability claim or appeal? Join VA Claims Insider Elite and have our medical team get started on your VA disability claim for FREE:
What Is A Va Disability Rating
When a veteran applies, and is approved for, VA service-connected disability benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs assigns a disability rating based on the severity of the condition.
Ratings can range from 0 to 100 percent, in increments of 10 percent.; A rating from 10 to 100 percent qualifies the veteran for monthly compensation.
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