Veterans Day 2014
Today is Veterans Day in the USA. Other countries have similar holidays today.
I made a shadow box containing my Army insignias and took pictures of that shadow box and the certificates that are next to it. I have posted them below. I am missing the unit crests for HHB Divarty and Giessen MILCOM. If you know where I can get them please let me know.
Michael Robert Serovey, MA, MISM
Former US Army Sergeant
Labels: Army insignia, Veterans Day
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
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
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
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
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
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Labels: Privacy Policy
