Posted on Jun 8, 2020
Did you wait till you were out to get your disability rating? If so, how long before you made your first claim?
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How many of you are rated through the VA If so did you wait till you were out or did it while still in If you waited how long were you out when you made your first claim?
Posted in these groups: 
Disability
Disabled Veterans
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)ClaimsClaims Representative
Disability Disabled Veterans Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)ClaimsClaims Representative
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 745
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I was never informed that I was VA eligible. I got out in 1985 and was out for 19 years before I re-enlisted into the FLARNG. I did 3 years there and ETS'd. Still never informed I could utilized the VA. Then 5 years later I had some medical issues. At that time I had no health insurance. A family member told me to go to the VA. apparently in 1985 when I got out of the Corps the Corps had sent my medical records to the VA. I was already partially in the VA system. Next thing I know I'm 10% rated for tinnitus. I then spoke with a VSO and filed filed for and increase. I got an additional 10% for hearing loss. I then did my own research and filed (on my own) for 3 other items in my medical records and I got increased to an 80% rating with Individual Unemployability. I now have full medical with no co-pays and EXCELLENT dental through the VA. I have my Military I.D. Card as does my wife in having her dependent I.D. Card. I filed for SSDI and was approved first time through. But back to my reason for responding. Like I said, I was never informed that I was VA eligible and I know many more that also were never told that we could use the VA. I really hope these failures to inform has changed!
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PO2 Edward Gilbert
Awesome, good for you. We all need to be our own advocates. Getting assistance is good but nobody knows our own story then ourself.
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Yes I did wait and it was ten years before some friends coerced me into filling I am at 90 % now possibly headed for a hundred so many things I would have done differently if I knew what I do now like document early and often GET A SLEEP STUDY done prior to getting out.
In PA the County provides a VA rep and in York county he is also the American Legion rep they are helpful he helped me get from the original 30 % to 70% some fellas I work with suggested VETCOMP &PEN They got me to 90% working on the other 10% and as stated by others VA math will perplex You.
In PA the County provides a VA rep and in York county he is also the American Legion rep they are helpful he helped me get from the original 30 % to 70% some fellas I work with suggested VETCOMP &PEN They got me to 90% working on the other 10% and as stated by others VA math will perplex You.
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Yes, and it took me 6 months to get a physical. Claims--none. The VA, in my opinion is a "slooooow" process. It can be worth your time.
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I filed my first claim less than a month after separation. It was denied. Fast? forward twenty-six years, I refiled. After more years, finally approved for a whopping 10% disability. A couple of my claims were again, denied, but a couple are "pending"
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SCPO Rick Hunter
well here's an interesting kettle of fish. Got a call about 2 weeks ago (mid-December 2021) from regional VBA Office in Muskogee OK. Guy told me my claim had been erroneously flagged and denied back in 2006. Yes, you read that right TWO-THOUSAND-SIX, and he was re-opening my file and if I had any subsequent information to send it in and I am scheduled to have further testing for my claims. YEAH ME!!
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SCPO Rick Hunter
Another UPDATE, It's now mid-April 2022, VA approved some of my claims and I'm now Service Connected at 50%. I have to say, I'm happy with that since I was expecting ZERO
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I filed my disability rating 90 days out from my 20 retirement and took copies of all my medical records, which was two and half copy boxes to the VFW representative on post. I think it took about 4 months after my terminal leave ended that my wife and I received the 1st check from the VA. I was rated at 100% Permanent and Total. If a SM is getting ready to retire or be medically retired, my recommendation is to start planning at least a year to 6 months out. That means getting copies of all your medical records and noting all your injuries or wounds received during your time of service. If you have other documentations like Military Interviews to News media and documentaries.. I was featured in HBO's Baghdad E.R. cira 2006, that goes a long way in helping the VA establishing and validating the injuries you experience and went through. Hope this helps.
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After my first heart attack it was 40 yrs, the va found it was agent orange, how ever I got a letter from the va saying if I had filed a claim right after I got out I would receive retroactive back to the date I first filed.
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PO2 Edward Gilbert
They do retroactive for vets filing and denied that later became recognized due to AO. Diabetes was one of the diseases. But it required a filing and denial for retroactive benefits. Better late than never, welcome home!
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No way!! Do not wait until you get out. Start conducting your physical before. They should be a office at the hospital on post with a liason to help get you started with tons of info to get you started. I would start now with requesting everything from your medical records NOW!! Then go burn up your company printer to make 2 more copies of them. By doing it now, you can start going thru with labeling all injuries no matter how small you think they are. Illnesses. Acid reflux, ringing in your ears. Nightmares from / if you were in combat. DO NOT down play any of your PTSD for pride. Your not weak but on the other hand do NOT over play it bc that is WEAK. If you had sleep studies done, on a CPAP machine, chronic headaches, regular diarrhea, any trauma that happened in the field that never made it into your records..list that. ALL OF IT. Also write down those on a note pad and have a couple copies of that. Your rep that you will see at your base hospital will want that done so that they can get you physical started for any service connected disability. Make them do their job. If you have it ALL written down and start the claim, do all the appointments they set up, it's their job to try to prove you wrong as well so don't let them. As a retired old SFC tanker who did 27 years, this is the best advise that I can lay upon you Soldier. Good luck.
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Make sure everything is documented thoroughly. If there is constant pain, seek medical attention as many times as needed. I was a paratrooper for 9 years and suffered knee, spine and neck injuries. I was rated for the back and neck injuries but not the knee injury. It seems that I didn't receive enough treatment to be rated for the knee injuries
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SPC Matt Ovaska
Seek medical attention.... I had to write my congressman in order to go on sick call and see a doctor. I paid dearly for that letter. 5 of us committed suicide in 8 weeks. They just were not able to take it, so they climbed the water tower on tank hil,l at Ft. Jackson and jumped.
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DO NOT WAIT!!!! DO NOT sign ANY forms until you get the percentage you want to stick with! If you do, once you are out you’ll be fighting against everything! Keep appealing until you get at least 75% Army and keep working to get 100% VA rating! Believe me, it is worth it to do it now because once you are out you are on your own, while you are in you still have the army, peblo and VA working on your ratings to get you out ASAP, once you accept those ratings “to get out ASAP” then you are on your own.
Stay in! Keep collecting that paycheck to go to PT and final formation, keep using school TA, keep saving the BAH or for when you are truly out and use as much time as you possibly can to stay in and rack in leave days, TIS, push it as far out as you possibly can and get everything done while you are in... if you don’t, once you are “out” it will be an uphill struggle with NO ONE helping you, not one willing to help you and if you think the VA and the Army will be there or will care, you will be disappointed and by then will be too late... take care of YOU and your family. The army is done with you, it’s your turn!
Stay in! Keep collecting that paycheck to go to PT and final formation, keep using school TA, keep saving the BAH or for when you are truly out and use as much time as you possibly can to stay in and rack in leave days, TIS, push it as far out as you possibly can and get everything done while you are in... if you don’t, once you are “out” it will be an uphill struggle with NO ONE helping you, not one willing to help you and if you think the VA and the Army will be there or will care, you will be disappointed and by then will be too late... take care of YOU and your family. The army is done with you, it’s your turn!
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SFC Osvaldo Vazquez
You would be right... however, remember not to confuse your Army rating Vs your VA rating. Army max is 75% which puts you as if you would retire at 34TIS. Remember that at 20 years you get 50% of your oh and 2% at each additional year, for a max of 34 years of total service that could be accumulated before being forced to retire just because you can’t serve past 32 years unless it’s on a position that’s like joint chiefs or something like that, if you do 25 years you get 60% of your pay, 30 years you get 70% and so on. The Max you can EVER get is 75%, anything over 75% you will only get 75% max retirement pay. So, that’s that example for that purpose.
Now, when the VA gives you a rating higher than the Army rating you can chose to get “retirement pay” or “disability pay”. Retirement pay is taxable, disability pay is NOT! Another advantage of getting disability pay is that retirement pay is “divisible asset” for those who got divorced and you can be forced to give half of that to your ex-wife. Disability pay is NOT a divisible asset so she gets ZERO! Just being tax free and knowing they won’t ever take that money and give it to her is worth taking disability pay over retirement pay. Rule is, if you get 75% army and 50% VA then 50% of your pay comes from the VA tax free and 25% comes from the army and would be taxable. Now, if your VA is 75% and your Army is less then if you chose VA disability pay then ALL of it will be tax free because VA is higher than the army rating. Thanks what I mean.
Plain and simple, don’t get out until you drain as much rating as you can because once out you’ll be lucky to get anyone in the phone... while in IDES they are trying to get you out so they will bend backwards to find answers, once you clear they won’t give a damn... it is how it is. Good luck.
Now, when the VA gives you a rating higher than the Army rating you can chose to get “retirement pay” or “disability pay”. Retirement pay is taxable, disability pay is NOT! Another advantage of getting disability pay is that retirement pay is “divisible asset” for those who got divorced and you can be forced to give half of that to your ex-wife. Disability pay is NOT a divisible asset so she gets ZERO! Just being tax free and knowing they won’t ever take that money and give it to her is worth taking disability pay over retirement pay. Rule is, if you get 75% army and 50% VA then 50% of your pay comes from the VA tax free and 25% comes from the army and would be taxable. Now, if your VA is 75% and your Army is less then if you chose VA disability pay then ALL of it will be tax free because VA is higher than the army rating. Thanks what I mean.
Plain and simple, don’t get out until you drain as much rating as you can because once out you’ll be lucky to get anyone in the phone... while in IDES they are trying to get you out so they will bend backwards to find answers, once you clear they won’t give a damn... it is how it is. Good luck.
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I got my VA Disability exam during my outprocessing from Active Duty. There is an actual VA exam and service center at the Soldier Support Center at Fort Bragg. I did my disability exam and submitted my paperwork before my ETS even rolled around. I believe it took 3 months for everything to go through the system and I received my first disability payment.
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