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Marijuana, Drug Testing and VA
For the first time, U.S. panel recommends screening adults for illicit drug use
“We have a pretty high prevalence of adults using illicit drugs and we’re seeing harms every day from that. This is a big change that we’re really excited about. Effective treatment is where we will finally begin to move the needle on the epidemic.”
Substance use, substance abuse, smoking marijuana in a legal state...the rumors and the controversy rage on.
Here are the facts.
VA could care less that you burn rope whether it's legal in your region or not. There is no penalty for using marijuana, you will not lose any disability benefits for abusing any substance. If you test positive during a not-so-random drug screen, your provider may tell you that there won't be any more pain meds prescribed but other than that, there is no penalty. If you test positive for opiates or cola or speed or whatever, you'll get a referral to a rehab program...maybe. That's it, nothing more. Your rights are not being violated by drug screening you. Get over it. Drug abuse, particularly opioids, is a huge health problem in our country and VA is treating that like a health problem...not a criminal issue...and that's a good thing!
I support drug screens of all adults at every encounter. It entertains me when my lab result for marijuana says HIGH.
No, you do not have to submit to
a drug test at VA.
You can tell your provider you do
not want to be screened for drug use...
but that raises the question...why? What are you afraid of?
C&P Service Clinician’s Guide
This is your C & P examiners guide.
The language used in this guide is very much in effect at your VA. When you have a nexus letter, it should conform
to the phrases you'll find here. For example, your doctor should write "More likely than not" when talking of service connection.
That phrase wins claims, anything less may not.
See Page 14 Section 1.16 How do I give an opinion for nexus (relationship to a military incident?
Let's File A Claim
Filing your claim for VAbenefits isn't as hard as some want you to believe. Let's set the effective date of any claim you file in the next year. This one is easy so let's do it right now.
About the Nexus Letter
The professionally written Nexus Letter is often the single most valuable tool we have at our disposal to win claims. If you doubt any of that please go to the Board of Veterans Appeals and use their search to look for cases with Nexus Letters or IMOs. You'll find, "...the Board finds the September 2019 Independent Medical Evaluation Report to be probative even though the Veteran’s service treatment records are silent...". I've referred vets to a small handful of reliable doctors for years. I've received hundreds of positive messages that tell me that the IMO/Nexus Letter works for you as well as it did for me. If you're caught up in an appeal and you aren't sure what else you need or if you want to file a new claim and prevail without a lot of fuss...talk with these doctors and make a plan to win.
Good luck! /s/ Jim
Veterans Psych Evaluations
Brett Valette, Ph.D.
Providing Military Veterans Personalized Psychological and Medical Evaluations. Complete the Contact form, and you'll get a personal phone call from us. We listen, and want to know what you are going through. We provide Independent Medical Evaluations (IME), Independent Medical Opinions (IMO) and nexus letters for ratings reviews, secondary conditions, medical conditions, discharge upgrades, and many types of denied claims. We also provide Social Security Disability claim reports.
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Two options explaining the
Benefits you've earned.
Nexus and IMO Letters
Too many of us skip this important
step.Spending a few minutes taking care of this may give you months
of additional benefits.
Jim Strickland
jim912@gmail.com
I'm in Florida, up in the NE corner near Jacksonville.
Are you close? The coffee is on me.
<jim912@gmail.com>
"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired.
You quit when the gorilla is tired." — Robert Straus
VA Online Scheduling (VAOS) lets eligible Veterans request community provider appointments
(This looks simple enough. There are only 4 different links you have to click-through to get to ever more complex instructions.
I'll try to use this today. I have no hopes I'll be able to get any appointments. /s/ Jim)
Lodging & Camping in southern Illinois with access to the Shawnee National
We offer lodging, camping,
stabling, corral, pasture,
access to a hunting lease and discounts for America's
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Are Social Security Disability Benefits Set for Life?
Once SSDI begins, is there any way to increase the benefit amount?
Alabama
V A Claims Intake Center
PO BOX 4444
JANESVILLE, WI
53547- 4444
Toll Free Fax:
844-531-7818
Independent Medical Opinion / Nexus Letter
In a November 2011 nexus statement, the Veteran's neurologist opined that that the Veteran's progressive supranuclear
palsy is most likely caused by or a result of his exposure to Agent Orange. The neurologist explained that PSP is a
movement disorder very similar to Parkinson's disease. The neurologist further explained that PSP affects the same areas
as Parkinson's disease and is possibly causally related to chemical exposure such as Agent Orange.
The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding service connection for progressive
supranuclear palsy and will resolve reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
VA unemployment benefit would be protected under this plan
A new House proposal would make the Department of Veterans Affairs Individual Unemployability program
permanent even for elderly veterans, following attempts in recent years to pare back the benefit. President Donald
Trump’s administration, which proposed cutting back on the benefit for veterans after they reach retirement age.
Title 38 - Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief
Volume: 1
Date: 2019-07-01
Original Date: 2019-07-01
Title: PART 17 - MEDICAL
Government leaders to their workers: Get vaccinated or get tested
“Whenever a Veteran or VA employee sets foot in a VA facility, they deserve to know that we have done everything
in our power to protect them from COVID-19,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement Monday.
“With this mandate, we can once again make — and keep — that fundamental promise.”
Veterans Law Attorney Personal Injury Law
Nationwide Representation Free Veterans Consultations
Workers Compensation - Social Security Disability - Pain & Suffering - Emotional & Mental Anguish
Gregory Rada Veterans Law Attorney
Military Veteran - Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom
VA disability appeals, TDIU claims, MST, PTSD, other mental health disability claims, appeals and veterans disability claims processes.
Attorney Rada offers free telephone case evaluations and nationwide representation.
Fascinating historical documents, reports on items in the news, oddities and fun stuff and government bloopers, they're all here.
Hey Jim: This Court of Appeals decision is a bit of a smack-down for VA’s implementation of the Appeals Management Act. VA will need to relook what they are doing under AMA - although this case only speaks to three specific regulations, a broader relook of their overall implementation of AMA would probably be prudent. /s/ Drew
Decided: July 30, 2021
Congress enacted the AMA in 2017 to reform the exist-ing VA administrative appeals system, which was,
by all accounts, “broken,” marked by lengthy delays, and plagued with a formidable backlog of cases.
More problematic, however, was the “continuous evidence gathering and readjudication
of the same matters”that caused appeals to “churn” in the system.
MILITARY-VETERANS ADVOCACY, Petitioner v. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
The NPRC
Military Records
Veterans Law Attorney
Graduate of the US Military Academy West Point, 20 years of active Army service, multiple deployments,
XVIII Airborne Corps, and Third Army, Airborne and Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal badges.
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Independent Medical Opinion / Nexus Letter
The Board assigns significant probative weight to the September 2019 independent medical opinion of D.B.M., M.D
finding it is at least as likely as not that the veteran’s present left knee condition is the direct result
of his motor vehicle accident injuries that occurred while on active duty.
disability claim
Find out how to file a claim for disability compensation
or increased disability compensation.
Veterans Medical Malpractice
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Helping Veterans Harmed By The VA Medical System
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Accredited Veterans Law Attorney - Medical Doctor
Military Veteran
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Nexus Letters
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When You Hit A Dead End
White House Hotline
855 - 948 - 2311
< Denis.McDonough@va.gov >
Yes, this really works. No, it doesn't ring in the White House.
Be sure to include your DOB, your last 4, contact info...a couple of numbers, your preferred email and such.
Describe the problem as briefly as you can. Don't rant.
Tell them you read about this at The VAWatchdog Dot Org...they know who we are.
You may file claims on eBenefits or you can mail them in using certified mail or you can even fax them in.
Download VA benefit letters
To receive some benefits, Veterans need a letter proving their status.
Jim Strickland is a Vietnam era Army veteran and nationally recognized expert on VA
disability benefits. Jim writes extensively about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
Jim's Mailbag is a regular column featured at Stateside Legal where veterans, servicemembers,
and family members can ask Jim their questions about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
Veterans Struggle to Get Copies of Needed Service Records Due to Pandemic
Access to some VA benefits, services delayed as backlog of requests hits 500,000
The VA Watchdog
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The VAWatchdog is here to help you receive the benefits you earned.
/End/
Schedule for Rating Disabilities