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and I approve of this message.
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.
"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
Meeting With A Family Law Attorney
Yeah you...
Buy some cookies from
my granddaughter.
Her daddy is an
Iraq war vet.
These are great cookies.
You know you want to.
Alabama
Is the VA offering vaccines to veterans?
Who picks who can get it?
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Spine Pain Independent Medical Opinion
James Shields, MD, MBA...A Board Certified Physician
Veteran Spine Pain, Weakness, Stiffness, Neck or Cervical Pain, Fibromyalgia,
Intervertebral Disk Syndrome, Decreased Range of Motion, Degenerative Arthritis
of the Spine, Hip Pain or Weakness, Shoulder Pain or Weakness
Greg served in the Air Force as a C-17 loadmaster in both Operations Enduring
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Greg's practice includes VA disability compensation
appeals, Individual Unemployability (TDIU) claims, MST, PTSD and other mental health disability claims and appeals and other veterans disability claims processes. Attorney
Rada offers free telephone case evaluations as well as nationwide representation.
Call today! 844-838-7529
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.
Some Wounds Can't Be Seen Contact Us Today
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.
Question:
I have severe restless legs syndrome, and was wondering if you have any knowledge if PD-680 dry cleaning solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) has had any neurological affects on those vets who used it. Thank you.
Reply:
TCE has a long history of causing neurological problems. You'll have to ask your doctor if he or she believes your RLS may be caused by TCE exposure or you may want to seek an IMO.
Question:
Hi Jim. The VA doctor who took over my medical care and kept me on my Xanax usually does drug screens on patients every 90 days. They stopped doing them when COVID started but are doing them again now. Are they only looking for the narcotics or are they looking for everything? I do smoke weed to help with my anxiety so when it shows in my urinalysis what will they do?
Reply:
Veterans disability benefits aren't predicated on the veteran being drug free, the only determining factor is the degree of the service connected disabling condition. So, no worries about losing benefits. Veterans are screened at almost every encounter for 8 different substances.
Medications, particularly opiates and psychoactive prescriptions are a different matter. Most providers don't care if you're using marijuana other than mental health providers. They don't like to have a psychoactive drug in combination with the drugs they may prescribe so the mental health provider may decline to write prescriptions if you test positive.
Other providers may cease any further prescriptions for narcotics or drugs like Xanax or Valium. That decision is up to each provider. VA treats substance abuse or use as a health problem, not a criminal issue...a good thing. If other drugs are detected you'll get invited to a rehab program, nothing more.
The very best way I know of to learn about how VA views your condition and rating is to search for similar cases and their outcomes when appealing various issues about them. If you'll use the BVA search engine ...it's simple...you'll learn just how others have managed their similar claims and appeals.
Secondary Conditions
Secondary Conditions are disabling injuries, illnesses or diseases that may be caused or aggravated by your
existing service connected conditions.
Nomenclature is very important when working with VA so it helps for you to understand the language.
The term "condition" is used to describe any physical or mental health problem you may have. A condition is an injury or an illness that occurred during your military service. The condition may be disabling or not.
You may have had a condition like a fungal infection that was treated and cleared up with treatment.
That isn't disabling but it may be rated as service connected at 0% disabling.
Or you may have had a significant injury such as a gunshot wound.
Even though it was treated, that wound may have left you with only a partial use of the affected limb and a big scar.
That's a disabling condition and will likely be awarded an appropriate rating for purposes of compensation.
Use the search engine provided below to learn more about your rated conditions.
The VA Watchdog Dot Org
Since 2005, We're Keeping An Eye On Your VA
Because Somebody Has To!
Welcome Home! I'm Jim Strickland. I'm an Army vet, I was 91-D20 in USAREUR at the
98th General Hospital near Camp Baumholder 1967 - 1970. I publish the VAWatchdog
Dot Org to help you obtain the benefits you earned by your service to our country.
I'll also share what I'm reading today, the important stuff. An informed veteran
is a successful veteran. Feedback is always welcomed.
Veterans Law Attorney Drew Early
Graduate of the US Military Academy West Point
20 years of active Army service, multiple deployments, tours with 2 Infantry
Division, 10th Mountain Division , XVIII Airborne Corps, and Third Army,
Airborne and Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal badges.
Graduate of the Command and General Staff College Master's Degree in
Strategic Planning from the School of Advanced Military Studies
Welcome to the KnowVA Knowledge Base
Locate information more quickly and efficiently
Jim Strickland
jim912@gmail.com
Title 38 - Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief
Volume: 1
Date: 2019-07-01
Original Date: 2019-07-01
Title: PART 17 - MEDICAL
From COVID-19 Vaccine Scams
Criminals continue to capitalize
on coronavirus pandemic
Never Stop Reading
Never Stop Learning
How Can Military Veterans Maximize Their Tax Benefits?
Expert explains tax breaks for military members
Schedule for Rating Disabilities
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.
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GloverLuck began with one goal in mind —
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Nexus and IMO Letters
When You Hit A Dead End
The Department of Veterans Affairs
White House Hotline
855 - 948 - 2311
< Denis.McDonough@va.gov >
Yes, this really works. No, it doesn't ring in the White House. The email address and phone number are staffed by a seemingly serious group of players, many who are veterans, and if you have a legit issue, telling these folks is like bringing in the artillery. Let's prepare for your call or email. Make some notes before you proceed so you don't forget anything. I prefer email since there's no waiting for someone to answer and I can take my time to prepare the story in just the right detail. 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. Less is more. Include the necessary components but don't tell your life story. Don't rant. Be polite...military courtesy will get you places that hollering IN ALL CAPS won't. Respect! Don't waste their time with bogus complaints about your feelings being hurt. If you appropriately utilize this service, I'll vouch that this works like a champ. Tell them you read about this at The VAWatchdog Dot Org...they know who we are.
The NPRC
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Are You Rated For A Spine Condition?
Mistakes Have Been made!
Accuracy of Claims Decisions Involving
Conditions of the Spine
C&P Service Clinician’s Guide
When the examiner says, “more likely than not”
or “at least as likely as not”, how
does that affect the outcome of your claim?
Denis McDonough
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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