Veterans Blog

Friday, May 2, 2014

There is a New Website for Military Veterans to Check on Their Benefits

Check out this site below

This video explains eBenefits for Military Veterans

Labels: VA Benefits

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Status Update

Since my last post a few things have happened. I got the C & P exam for allergic rhinitis and was denied because it existed prior to service and there is no evidence that my time in service aggravated it. So, I requested to be evaluated for all of my respiratory and sinus problems lumped together. I am still awaiting an answer on that.

I have applied for VA vocational rehabilitation and I am still undergoing tests to see if my returning to work is feasible. Right now, it is looking unlikely. I have also submitted an application for 100% disability due to individual unemployability caused by my service-connected bipolar disorder. We will see how that one goes.

Mike Serovey, MA, MISM

Labels: VA Benefits

Sunday, December 19, 2010

VA Sluggishness

I have been waiting for the VA to send me an appointment with both podiatry and orthopedics for over a month now! I'm going to have to call them about these appointments tomorrow. I'm also awaiting an C & P exam for allergic rhinitis. Probably not much will happen until aftr the holidays!

Labels: VA Benefits

Monday, August 3, 2009

Final Decisions from the BVA

In today's mail I got a letter from the BVA with the decisions concerning my disabilities. Everything was pretty much as expected. What surprised me was that my back pay was direct deposited today as well. The amount was pretty close to what I had guessed it would be. After reading the letter I realized that I need some more documentation to send to them and then I should be able to get the rating for bipolar disorder raised from 30% to 50%. I hope that the letter that I sent to them a few days ago succeeds in getting me the correct effective date for that.

I made an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of my individual ratings and their effective dates. The reason for this is because I need to know when I have had an item service connected for more than 10 years and when a particular rating is 20 years old. The VA can't deny service connection on anything that is more than 10 years service connected and can't lower a rating that is more than 20 years old.

I also confirmed that most creditors can't go after my disability pay. The federal government, however, can. I'm still not sure if they can take away my disability pay if I default on my student loans but it looks like they can. I'm 51 years old and have so much student loan debt that I will never be able to pay it off unless I get a dramatic increase in income. Going from 60% service connected to 80% service connected does increase my income some, but not enough to pay back those loans and live by myself too. Until I can get to 100% service connected I will need at least a part-time job or a successful website.

Labels: BVA, VA Benefits

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Tentative Rating Decisions

I recently received a letter from the DAV stating that the BVA has reached some tentative decisions. They have granted service connection for my facial acne at 10% which surprises me because I was expecting 0%. I'm also getting about 9 years back pay on that.

They granted 30% service connection for my bipolar disorder but only back dated it to 2007. I sent a letter to them protesting that and stating that they should back date it to when I filed my claim for Depression. If I have to appeal this to the veterans court of appeals it will take several more years to get my money, it will be worth less then due to inflation, and I will have to split it with a lawyer. So, no matter what the eventual outcome is, I will lose money if I have to appeal this in court!

I don't have an effective date yet on the 10% increase on my right shoulder. I got 0% for gastritis secondary to the bipolar disorder. The effective date is the exact same as the bipolar disorder.

I sent a letter to the DAV asking them how to get the evidence of TMJ Disorder reconsidered because I can't afford to go through more testing to prove that I have it. I'm still waiting on a reply.

Labels: BVA, VA Benefits

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Good News

Recently, I got a letter from the VA Board of Veterans Appeals. It was a decision on some issues that I had appealed. They raised the service-connected rating on my right shoulder from 0% to 10%. I don't know the effective date for that yet so I have no idea how much back pay I am going to get for that. I also got service connection for my acne scars, my gastritis and my bipolar disorder. With all 3 of these I don't know the effective dates or the ratings for each one. When this is all sorted out I could be at 100% service connected. The back pay could end up being quite a bit! The issue of allergic rhinitis was remanded back to the regional office.

Labels: VA Benefits

Monday, March 10, 2008

Update on Medical Records

About a week ago I finally read the contents of the big envelope that I got from Congressman Adam Putnam's office. It contained some things that I completely forgot about. Much of the information in my files was useful to me in furthering my claim. However, they failed to send me what I specifically asked for, my C&P exams from June 2007. So I called his office and spoke to Pam Fuller and told her that I still need those records. She said that she would inform the person that is handling this. So, I am still waiting for those records.

I also sent a letter to the VA Appeals Management Center telling them that they had overlooked a great deal of evidence in my favor when making prior decisions concerning my claim. I hope that they actually read my letter and verify my information. That should lead to an increase in my service-connected rating.

Labels: VA Benefits

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Contents of the Envelope

I got a large envelope from Congressman Adam Putnam's office about a week ago. I just opened it yesterday. It had some of my medical records going back to the 1970's when I was stationed at Ft. Carson. I found some useful stuff there that I pointed out to the VA in the letter that I am going to mail to them tomorrow. However, they did not send me what I specifically asked for! That was the C & P exams from June of 2007. I will have to contact his office again and make it quite clear that I still need those records. Unfortunately, I deleted the emails that I got from his office prior to opening that envelope. I will have to call his office again to request those particular records.

Labels: VA Benefits

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I Got My Medical Records

A couple of days ago I got a really think envelope from Congressman Adam Putnam's office. I haven't opened it yet, but I am pretty sure that it is all of the medical records that I requested back in June of 2007! It is unfortunate that I had to get my congressman involved in order to get them from the VA! After I have gone through them I will send a reply to the VA about the issues that are going back to the BVA. I can say this much, I am really tired of being screwed over by the VA when it comes to getting problems that started when I was in the service rated as service connected!

Labels: VA Benefits

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Good News At Last!

I went into my online bank account and noticed a large deposit from the VA. They finally paid me for that increase in rating on my back! Hurray! Now I can get on with my life! Now all that is left for me to do is to get my medical records from last June and then to try to convince the VA to grant service connection to the problems that started when I was in the service!

Labels: VA Benefits

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

I Heard From The AMC Today

I got 2 packages from the Appeals Management Center today. Both packages were bad news. They basically said that I was not going to get an increase in rating for my right shoulder problem, even though x-rays are showing arthritis in my right A/C joint! They are denying service connection for facial acne because I can't prove that it started in the Air Force. They are admitting that I have GERD (acid reflux) and some psychiatric problems, but they deny that both are service connected. I currently have a 10% disability rating for tinnitus (ringing in both of my ears) and they will not increase it above that level unless I can prove to their satisfaction that the problem can be heard by someone else or that it is causing some major problems in my life. Basically, the doctors that did the C&P exams in June of 2007 all screwed me! I still haven't heard from them on that 20% rating I am supposed to be getting on my back problem!

Labels: VA Benefits

Friday, January 25, 2008

I am Still Frustrated With the VA!

When I first started this blog I was planning on detailing how I went about getting the rating that I believe that I deserve from the VA. So far, all I have been able to do is document how frustrated I am with the fact that I can't get those fracking assholes to do anything that I ask them to! I still don't have the medical records that I requested back in June or July! I still haven't been paid for that increase in rating on my back awarded over a year ago! So far, nothing I have done has worked to get those fracking assholes to pay me! Even contacting my congressman has produced no results so far! They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they owe me and yet they keep stalling when it comes to actually paying me! I still don't know why those fracking assholes refuse to pay me! The last response that I got from the Appeals Management Center in DC was along the lines of, we got your application for benefits but we are too busy to process it. We are still deciding if we need more information to make a decision on your claim! I sent those idiots written proof that they owe me over 4 years back pay. Why are they still refusing to pay me?!?! I truly hope that someday I can put a success story on this blog! The other day I estimated that they currently owe me $9,880 in back pay! This is just an estimate based on a difference in pay of $190 per month. I don't know that actual pay differential for the past 4 years so all I can do is estimate it. By my figures, I will be owed over $10,000 in back pay by the time that I finally receive it! What truly sucks is that the VA is getting an interest free loan from me that I did not authorize! I am the one that needs an interest free loan! If it was me owing them over $9,000 and refusing to pay they would hit me with all kinds of interest and penalties! They would have the IRS or some collection agency after me! Why can't I do the same to them! It is simply not fair!

Labels: VA Benefits

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

I Heard From Adam Putnam's Office Today

Pam Fuller called me back earlier today. She works for congressman Adam Putnam and she sent a form for me to fill out. I have done that and will fax it back to her tomorrow. She promised to do an inquiry, whatever that means. I tried to make it clear to her that I need for someone to light a fire in someone's pants at the VA in order to get them to do their jobs! Now, I just have to wait and see if this actually does any good or if I am going to waste my time and money sending this fax.

Labels: Help From Politicians, VA Benefits

I Contacted Adam Putnam's Office Today

I called congressman Adam Putnam's office in Bartow, FL. today and briefly spoke to some woman on the telephone. She told me that some other woman handles VA issues and that that woman would call me back. So far, she hasn't. I was told the same thing by Gus Bilirakus' office and no one ever called me back. So far, I have asked 3 different politicians for help with this problem and I have yet to get anyone to actually do anything about it! We'll see if this woman actually does call me back from Adam Putnam's office.

Labels: Help From Politicians, VA Benefits

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Update on Getting My Back Pay Continued

I went to www.house.gov and put my zip code into the form there. I found out that my congressman is Adam Putnam. I went to his website and filled out the form there asking for his help with the VA problem. I got what looks like an autoresponder message that he will eventually get back to me after he has read my message. I don't expect anything to happen before January 2 because his staff is probably on Christmas vacation. I hope that I can get his help via email and phone calls because I really do not want to have to drive all the way to Bartow, Florida to see him in person. It is about 40 miles one way.

Labels: VA Benefits

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Still Frustrated With The VA

It has now been over a year since the BVA agreed to increase the disability rating on my back! I still have not been paid for that increase! So far, nothing that I have done has worked to get these jerks to pay me! Recently, I sent another letter to the Appeals Management Center in DC telling them that I am owed some money and I sent proof that I am owed. So far, I haven't gotten a reply of any kind. I gave them until the end of 2007 to pay me. If they don't I will go in person to both of my US senators and to my congress person. One of the three will help me with this problem, I hope. So far, I have been ignored by both Senator Bill Nelson and Congressman Gus Bilirakus when I asked them for help! I got a flier from Gus Bilirakus, but when I called his office I was told that I am not in his district. I need to find out definitely for sure who my congress person is and contact him or her. Right now, I am owed over 4 years back pay which is over $9,000! I really do need that money now!

Labels: VA Benefits

Friday, October 12, 2007

Still Getting Nowhere With the VA

I requested a copy of my most recent C & P exams back in June 2007. I got a letter stating that they would send my records to me when they were reproduced. I haven't heard anything from them since! It should not take four months for them to copy my records and send them to me! This is ridiculous! I also haven't heard anything on that audit that the DAV requested. The VA is just dragging their feet when it comes to everything that I have asked them for! The only things that I can get in a timely manner are medical appointments at the local VA hospital.

Right now I am owed over $9,000 in back pay and I have no idea when I am finally going to get my money! At the rate that things are going it could be another year before I see the money that I am owed! And what sucks is that I can't charge them interest on this money that they are refusing to pay me!

Labels: VA Benefits

Sunday, September 9, 2007

The Ball is Rolling

Yesterday I got a letter from the DAV that basically told me what Miguel Carrion sent to the VA. He basically asked the finance department of the VA to do an audit of my account as quickly as possible and sent them a copy of the fax that I sent him. I have no idea how long this audit will take, but it should result in my getting that back pay that I am owed and the increase in my monthly pay. I'll let you know if and when that happens.

Labels: VA Benefits

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Help From the DAV

On Tuesday, August 21, 2007 I contacted the DAV office in St. Petersburg, FL for some help with this not getting paid problem that I have. I spoke with Miguel Carrion and then faxed some information to him. He promised to get on it right away and to have something sent to the VA by Monday, August 27. I do hope that he keeps his word on this and gets the VA to pay me pronto! If not, I am going to be in a world of hurts financially!

I did request deferments on those student loan payments that are coming due in October. If I can't get the extensions on my deferments or some kind of forbearance I will be screwed. Even with reduced payments I cannot pay both loan payments without a full-time job. Getting a good paying job without my own car will be really difficult and getting a car without that back pay that I am owed will be impossible!

Labels: VA Benefits

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Left Hand Doesn't Know What the Right Hand Is Doing!

Here is an update on the continuing saga of my efforts to get the VA to pay me the money that I am owed. I tried contacting my NSO and the DAV and was told that she no longer worked in that office. The rest of the NSO's were at some national convention until the 16th. I'll try calling them again on Monday, August 20. I did call the regional office in St. Pete, FL and was told that one issue was cleared but it is being held up by the other issues that are still under remand. It looks like I won't get the back pay that I am due for several more months! Right now, I am due almost 4 years back pay on my back. That comes out to about $9,120! I really do need the money and their stalling like this is not helping me any at all!

I was told by Fred and the appeals management center that there is nothing in the computer about a partial grant and that it could be several more months before a decision is made on the issues that are remanded to them. Because the appeals management center is not aware of the fact that a partial grant has been made, even though I have told them so several times and in writng, they will not process the paperwork to pay me! Senator Bill Nelson has yet to respond to my request for help in this matter, most likely due to the fact that congress is on vacation now. It is a crying shame that I cannot get the very people who are being paid to help me to actually do their jobs!

Labels: VA Benefits