Did you wait till you were out to get your disability rating? If so, how long before you made your first claim?

I was in a VA hospital while on active duty in Boston Mass. All ready had a VA card before I received a 50% Retirement and left out of Ft. Dix to my home of records. Went to the VA once in 84 and they told me if I stayed there and took their med's I could get %100 disability. Scared the hell out of me. I got out of there as soon as possible. Worked odd jobs for years. Eventually became a CNA and wife insisted I get treatment. So i played the game and was an out patient at a VA for over twenty years. Injured my spine in 2014 and couldn't work. Since I was already 30% at the VA I requested an increase to my rating. A person at the VA did the paper work for me. I was given an increase to 70%. After that I requested unemployable Insurance , got it and that made me equal to %100. You will have to receive treatment for your disability at a VA to get a rating. It takes medical documentation and evaluations. If your being or have been treated else where make sure what ever clinic you use gets those records. Off the record it could take you two or three years of treatment before there is proof enough of your disability. The more treatment the better. Met more Vet's than I can count that had to have lawyer's to get it. I never needed one myself.

I got rated 6 months after I retired. I was given a rating of 30%. 3 years ago I found out about a company called VA Claim Pros. The bad thing about them is you have to pay them but the way the payment is made is they take your increase until it is paid. They did help me go from 30 to 70%.

ETS 1973, filed first claim 1976 approved in 8 months, second claim was 1994 approved in 4 months. The second claim I had been in a VA hospital just prior to filing.

I waited till the statue of limitations were almost up...I knew I had big problems but, could not explain them to anyone in the correct manner. So, the twentieth year I went to VA inpatient and stayed there until they could figure it out...they are still denying the physical aspect of what happened to me and at the time I didn't really care as long as they provided medical treatment. They rated me 100% for PTSD but, ignore my physical disabilities! So, IMHO, it's a clear case of a CUE claim...but, as long as they keep treating me and my problems, I guess it's o.k.. NO, not really...but, what else do I have to do? I'm getting old and tired of fighting the VA...they know that and are just waiting for me to die off. My VA Therapist told me, they want to sweep under the rug what happened to me. I've spent a lot of my own money for treatment that should have been paid for by the VA! I even had to get then Senator Sam Brownback involved, because the VA were dragging their feet. It's a long horrible story and today, I'm being tortured...they still won't do what they should be doing for me...I think I have a pretty good idea why the suicide rate with Veterans is high. I knew I had to be a white collar worker when I got out because of my physical limitations. So, I became a computer programmer/analyst and was one of the best! I made a flow chart of all the doctors I had seen while on active duty and when I got out...documentation, documentation, documentation...is the word to know. Today, at least thru the Mission Act, I get community care. My issues are complex and I'm sure rare and most doctors don't even know what to do for me...I prolly provided TMI in this post and am sorry about that but, when I can tell my brothers and sisters in arms my story, it helps me...thanks for reading about them. Peace be to you and God Bless all...Sincerely Ken

6 years, no12 years for the other.

I retired in 1983 with a 10% disability back then we didn’t know it was called PTSD and we didn’t know about traumatic brain injury are a lot of other things my first application to increase my disability was in 2006 buy 2008 I had to fight several different legal battles and got my rating up to 50% it’s now at 80% From my head my arm my diabetes and my PTSD my final rule in Kane in 2013

I went directly to the VA Doctor after I got out to make sure my disability was documented. Also wanted to make sure my Education Benefits and my Home Loan Guarantee was available when I needed them.

Make sure everything that is wrong with you is in your records before you get out. Make sure you do your first claim (and any more claims that you need) within the first year you get out and prior to your year anniversary, this will make you eligible to possibly (depending on what you are claiming) get the effective date of the day after you are released. I would also recommend putting a claim in prior to getting out about 3 months in advanced, but it is up to you. I made my first claim while I was still in as I medboarded. My second claim was within my year of getting out. Get into the manual for the va and see what applies to you, keep your records, and keep fighting the va if they deny you when you are within the criteria. Direct service connection is directly related to service. Secondary SC is when one of your issues that is rated as a Direct SC has caused another issue, the issue that is new is Secondary SC. Buddy statements (statements from battle buddies you served with that witnessed your particular problem that is not of record) can help if there aren't a record of what you are claiming. Don't be afraid to go to the BVA. They can grant more things that are on the fence that the VA denied. Attorneys usually will hold your claim for up to the year mark to make more money if they get something granted and will also usually get paid before you do. VSOs are paid by the state to be your representative for the VA and will help you for free so any money you get will be yours. Whoever you have represent you make sure they know what they are doing or if you only want to represent yourself then make sure you read the regulations to see what you are actually eligible for. Reach out if you need help. Some people in the VA are willing to help as well.

Make your claim lonnng before you get out. In fact, make it paramount that the military holds a med board to put you out.

30 years