Agent Orange Claim

[KJB]

Originally Posted by toneumanns

I was given a disability for tinitus. The VA counselor told me you can't be denied disability for it since there is no test for it. The VA lost its ability to deny clams as a result of a law suite.

Wonder if that is something new. My claim for tinnitus was denied a couple years ago. My claim was based on working on jets back in the 60s and working the flight line in the 80s. The basis of my denial was because hearing issues were not in my medical records while on active duty.

[Brian W]

Must be really new. I claimed it 2 years ago and went through a series of audio tests. Ended up getting 10% for it. I would rather not get the 10% than have to deal with the constant ringing in my ears.

It bothers me that someone would suggest to claim something because they can't prove you don't have it.


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[Wayne M]

Originally Posted by KJB

Wonder if that is something new. My claim for tinnitus was denied a couple years ago. My claim was based on working on jets back in the 60s and working the flight line in the 80s. The basis of my denial was because hearing issues were not in my medical records while on active duty.

Originally Posted by Brian W

Must be really new. I claimed it 2 years ago and went through a series of audio tests. Ended up getting 10% for it. I would rather not get the 10% than have to deal with the constant ringing in my ears.

It bothers me that someone would suggest to claim something because they can't prove you don't have it.


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To many times undocumented medical conditions come up. A word to the present day warriors. If you have something wrong with you while on active duty, anything, get it documented in your medical jacket. Then, before you get out of the service - make a copy of everything, including your SRB.

Get a service representative involved, like DAV, VFW, AL. They know the ropes and can help.

[jdoc]

x2 on what Wayne said. I was a FMF Navy Corpsman and when ever a Marine came into sick call everything he complained about was written down. I was lucky because I had access to my Medical Records and could copy every page.

Jerry

[Wayne M]

Whenever we were transferred between stations we carried our SRB and Medical Records with us (as SNCO's or Officers) so we had the advantage of making a copy.

[Moonrover]

Two years now. Still being raked over the coals by the VA. Nothing has changed since the big stink hit the fan. Possibly they hired more bureaucrats, but that has not increased efficiency. I now get a boiler plate letter every two months telling me that they apologize for the delay ... blah ... and more blah. It is signed with a rubber stamp; very personal. The first letter said something about "welcome home and thanks for your service". Sort of like forty years late.

Since I'm now tracking the "progress" on the VA web site, I can watch nothing happen. My status is still "application received" and in the blocks below there is a notification that they have not received the requested information from me. Huh? Long ago I sent in PDF all my military records, and civilian medical records. Took me days to organize and scan that stuff. What more do they want, pray tell? Reading deeply into the web page, I see three caution areas that require my attention. Seems they need more proof that I was in fact in Nam during the Agent Orange thing. Does not the DD214 give a hint of that? While I was spraying the defolliant, I probably should have bottled up a bit of it for proof.

The never ending stonewalling from the VA may just outlast me. That might be the intent.

[flaggship1]

Originally Posted by Moonrover

Two years now. Still being raked over the coals by the VA. Nothing has changed since the big stink hit the fan. Possibly they hired more bureaucrats, but that has not increased efficiency. I now get a boiler plate letter every two months telling me that they apologize for the delay ... blah ... and more blah. It is signed with a rubber stamp; very personal. The first letter said something about "welcome home and thanks for your service". Sort of like forty years late.

Since I'm now tracking the "progress" on the VA web site, I can watch nothing happen. My status is still "application received" and in the blocks below there is a notification that they have not received the requested information from me. Huh? Long ago I sent in PDF all my military records, and civilian medical records. Took me days to organize and scan that stuff. What more do they want, pray tell? Reading deeply into the web page, I see three caution areas that require my attention. Seems they need more proof that I was in fact in Nam during the Agent Orange thing. Does not the DD214 give a hint of that? While I was spraying the defolliant, I probably should have bottled up a bit of it for proof.

The never ending stonewalling from the VA may just outlast me. That might be the intent.

Did you not see doctors here recently and even on a Saturday?? And still nothing. Geesh!

[Moonrover]

Originally Posted by flaggship1

Did you not see doctors here recently and even on a Saturday?? And still nothing. Geesh!

That was the "medical side" of getting into the VA. Yes, I did finally become one of the family (so to speak), and will soon receive my photo ID card. Was hoping for a decoder ring as a bonus gift.

The VA claim side of the hassle is ... well ... still a hassle. I thought I had finally navigated all the barriers for the claim, but apparently the VA is very inventive with new ways to prolong the process. For the first year, it was "we can't locate your information", or variations on that theme. That tactic effectively reset my application date to May 2014. Now the current game is "more information is required". Of course they already have my entire medical and military history, but I'm supposed to provide more proof that I was in combat during the Agent Orange era. Either they don't look at the stuff that is sent to them, or their computers are programmed to automatically spit out little obstacles that are designed to prolong the process.

Every form letter that arrives has the obligatory "We care about you and if you need further assistance please phone the number below". What a joke !! The number gets you into the spinning wheel of pressing numbers for this and that situation, and before long you are put on hold waiting for the next available representative. After a long wait, you hear the ringing sound and you get some bureaucrat's voice mail with a promise to call you back as soon as possible. You leave your phone number and a brief message then wait ... until hades nearly freezes (many days) for a return call. Yeah they eventually do call back but in my case the clueless soul told me that I need to phone another office, and to write down the number in case the transfer gets lost. More waiting, more pressing numbers. The routine seems suspiciously familiar. Yep ... same result ... I end up leaving my phone number on somebody's voice mail.

With the eBenefits web page it is a similar jumble of trying to ask a question. This morning I logged on only to find the screen was a notice that the web site is down for maintenance. By noon, it was back up. That's when I saw a notice that I'm past due to provide "proof" that I was in Nam during the Agent Orange era. My status on that event was shown as "overdue and closed", meaning that they probably now have an excuse to reset my application date again.

Maybe I should consider a leaflet drop of a zillion copies of my DD214. Possibly somebody in the building would pick one up and read it.

[flaggship1]

That's disheartening.. I had hoped that getting the docs behind you would loosen the log jam. Keep after em. You'll get there.

[NotSoBadBob]

My next-door neighbor finally got his benefits. It took him at least five years, though. Don't give up. God bless, and thanks for your service.

[Moonrover]

Just returned from a visit with the local VA people. Took me a while to get into the "right office", and finally talk with a VA rep that seems to be understanding of the problems. She said that at this point I can expect another 18 months of waiting. I told her about the sneaky reset trick that has been pulled several times. She is aware of how that happens, and sort of hinted that it may happen again. By the way, even with her computer access, she could not determine why my application has any more need for information. Everything is there, if only somebody would take the time to look. I saw my DD214 pop up on her screen a few seconds after she started scrolling through the PDFs that I had sent. There it was ... proof that I was in Nam during the Agent Orange era.

I'll report back here in 18 months.

[Wayne M]

Absolutely ridiculous. Maybe a call to the Inspector General is in order.

[K9Piper]

Well now folks I have read most every post on this issue from the start. So let's try to make it easy for all. The VA is not in the business of handing out money or pensions and they will seem to take a lot of time to handle a claim.
The first thing to remember for us folks from the Nam Rice War is if you were stationed in Vietnam you will be covered on AO by citing Boots on the Ground but you need to prove to some extent you have something that the AO has caused by a side effect. IE Type II, a heart problem and one of the other side effect things on the list the VA has. If it ain't on the list good luck! Your DD214 will state Vietnam. If you were stationed in Thailand your DD214 will state INDOCHINA. If you file a claim under Indochina but you will fall under the presumption clause( Thailand) you will not fall under the Boots on the Ground that became part of the law back in 2011 (I think if I remember correctly) and that clause only covers some but not all AFSC's An example would be Security Police Canine Teams and some Law Enforcement Canine Teams who patrolled the base perimeter where the crap was sprayed. A smart move would be to see your own civy Doc and have it checked out and submit that info with your claim. When you get your notice for your COP exam the VA Doc will have that on his computer disk that has been sent to the Doc that he reads as he talks to you and does his examination of you. Now that is only for things associated with AO. Hearing and other issues can be claimed even without any military medical record but again see an outside doc and use that doc report of examination and put it in your claim that you give to the VA. The hearing issue is usually 10% and no more but you will get hearing aids and batteries as well most of it is from that damn never ending ringing. Most AFSC's for flight line Law Enforcement, Security Police and Jet engine repair / testing usually do not have a problem with that claim. If you were involved in any sort of explosion and have a haring problem that if tested and written correctly should be ok after the COP exam is found valid.
Lastly, if you have something in your medical jacket that shows service connected should be ok . Now that is all for COP purposes.
Also remember that any VET can get medical from the VA but if it isn't service connected you will have a copay unless a means tests shows that you can not afford medical coverage and care. This could get you glasses if needed for a small copay as well as some other things like Rx's and such. Do a web search va.gov and do yourself a favor educate your self most of the info is there if you read it. Use your own doctor for a check up on AO issues and side effects of AO before you do your claim and submit it with your clain. Copy everything and keep a file. You can file a claim on line but you only have a year to do so and if they want additional info it has to be to them with in that year or the clock ends on that claim. Want to save yourself some time and headaches? Use the DAV, Am. Legion or one of the Veteran Service Organizations that are recognized by the VA to assist Vets submitting a claim. Also remember Big Brother is not known for telling the truth on such matters dealing with VETs. I spent 4 years in the USAF some of it in S.E.A Thailand and it took a little bit of time but it worked out. Maybe having worked for Uncle Sam for 30 plus years non military as well taught me to never give up, know that Sam will cover up any thing that can be covered up and most folks who do the claims never were in the military and are not the brightest light plugged in. Educate yourself folks cause Sam ain't going to do it for you K9piper

[Moonrover]

Just received notification from the VA that all of my items on the claim for disability have been denied. Of course they had a pile of rubber stamp reasons, the flimsiest being that they could not locate any medical records for me for the time I was in Nam. That allows them cause to deny my claim for compressed vertebrae from an aircraft crash. Now for the two forms of cancer that I have that are on the "presumed to be caused by agent orange" list ... the VA slithers out of honoring that by telling me that I have no current side effects. Which is pure crap! The bulk denial paperwork showed up before I have been to the two specialists that the VA has scheduled me to see for evaluation. Same for my hearing claim. Denied. Yet my hearing exam is scheduled for next week.

So much for the "thanks for your service". I gave my 100% effort while in combat! Got beaten up more than once in helicopter crashes, and climbed back in the seat, sore and bruised to fly the next day because I cared about my fellow soldiers. I never dreamed that my most difficult fight would be with my own government many years later.


> My motto: I like breathing. It gives me something to do ....