After your exam, the doctor will write up a report and send it to a VA claims processor to be added to your claim file. Your exam may be very short, or it may last an hour or more. It all depends on the conditions you’ve claimed and whether we need more information to make a decision.
Unfortunately, the VA guidelines are probably going to get worse before they get better.
But because of rules that changed in 2003, veterans are no longer eligible for VA Health Care because of their veteran status. The reason for this is rather straightforward: budget cuts. In 2003, Congress passed a budget that included a freeze on veterans qualifying for benefits, what the VA calls Priority 8.
Veterans can qualify for VA Health Care in lower priority groups based on having an income below the VA national income threshold or geographic income thresholds.
If you failed a required course or did not receive the minimum grade considered “passing” (for example, you received a C- in the course but need a C or better to actually receive credit), the VA will pay for you to repeat the course.
No. If you finished the class, you won't have to pay back the GI Bill benefits you used for that class. This is because we count a failing grade (or “punitive grade”) as progress toward graduation requirements even though you don't get any credit for it.
You can receive a medical discharge for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Whether you're applying for a medical discharge or have developed medical issues after you've separated from the military, you can apply for VA compensation for service-connected medical issues.
You can take the class as many times as necessary and get paid each time. However, if you drop or withdraw from a class, the grade will not count towards your degree and in the eyes of the VA you aren't due any money for it.
What happens if I fail or drop a course? Failing a course will not affect your GI Bill benefits; however, withdrawing or receiving an incomplete grade for a course may affect your benefits. As long as you receive a grade (pass or fail), the VA will not ask for money back.
Call us at 800-827-0648 (or 1-612-713-6415 from overseas). We're here Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. If you have hearing loss, call TTY: 711. Contact us online through Ask VA.
A physical or psychological condition that interferes significantly with an individual's fitness for duty can be grounds for discharge. Each Service's disability evaluation system will determine if a servicemember is unfit for duty due to physical disability. Not all medical problems amount to a disability.
Members who are found medically unfit from conditions incurred in the line of duty will receive medical discharge with a lump-sum severance payment if their disability rating is determined to be less than 30% and they have not served for 20 years.
7 – A medical discharge may be given to service members who become sick or injured to the point where military duty is no longer possible based on a medical evaluation of the medical condition. This process can be lengthy and may or may not be appealed depending on a variety of factors.
Once you have dropped a class, you no longer have to attend it, and you will no longer receive a grade in that course. Instead, there will usually be a "W" (for "Withdrawn") next to the course's name, instead of a letter grade, on your transcript.
Normally if you drop a class you will have to pay back any GI Bill money you received for that class to the VA. This includes your tuition & fee payment (even though it was paid to the school - not you), your Monthly Housing Allowance, your book stipend, and any kicker or college fund money you received.
That’s because the purpose of the exam is to gather information that will help us make a decision on your claim.
Either a VA doctor or a non-VA doctor who we’ve contracted with will do the exam. You can also have your own doctor examine you and fill out the necessary forms.
VA claim exam (C&P exam) After you file your disability benefits claim, we may ask you to have a claim exam (also known as a compensation and pension, or C&P, exam). Get answers to commonly asked questions about the VA claim exam below.
After you file your disability benefits claim, we may ask you to have a claim exam (also known as a compensation and pension, or C&P, exam). Get answers to commonly asked questions about the VA claim exam below.
This exam will help us rate your disability. Your rating will be based on how severe your disability is—and will affect how much disability compensation you’ll receive. Compensation may include things like monthly payments and enrollment in the VA health care program.
If you have what we consider to be a good reason for missing your exam (called “good cause”), we’ll work with you to reschedule your exam. Examples of “good cause” might be an illness or the death of someone in your immediate family.
But the questions for a more complex illness or injury could take much longer. A mental health evaluation usually lasts 2 to 4 hours. It’s important to remember that your in-person visit is only one part of the claim review process. The doctor will also spend time outside the exam carefully reviewing your records.
A presumptive disability is an illness or injury we believe is related to military service. You can also learn more about dependent eligibility.
You: Got sick or injured while serving in the military—and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an inservice disability claim), or. Had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim), or.
You may be able to get VA disability benefits for conditions such as : Chronic (long-lasting) back pain resulting in a current diagnosed back disability. Breathing problems resulting from a current lung condition or lung disease. Severe hearing loss. Scar tissue.
If you don’t score on each of these criteria, you won’t get approved for VA disability benefits.
To win your VA disability compensation claim, you must demonstrate three things: medical evidence of recurring or persistent symptoms. If you don’t score on each of these criteria, you won’t get approved for VA disability benefits.
Somatic symptom disorder. Military sexual trauma. Disabling mental health conditions are generally regarded as “high-value” claims. This is because mental health issues are much more likely than neurological, skin, auditory, or most musculoskeletal conditions to receive a disability rating of 30% or higher.
As of 2021, if a disabled veteran with a spouse and no children has a 100% VA disability rating, he or she would be entitled to a monthly disability compensation payment of $ 3,321.85.
Again, while musculoskeletal conditions are assigned a VA disability rating of 20% or less more than 90% of the time, you can also claim them as a secondary condition.
It can occur with ordinary age-related hearing loss. But. The VA may pay benefits for tinnitus, but the highest rating you can receive for tinnitus alone is 10%. Disability compensation professionals regard tinnitus as a “low value” claim for this reason.
However, tinnitus is among the easiest VA disability benefits to get approved.
You are told by your local VA medical facility that you will need to wait more than 30 days for an appointment from the date clinically determined by your physician, or, if not such date is provided, our preferred date.
You reside in a State or a United States Territory without a full-service VA medical facility that provides hospital care, emergency services and surgical care, and reside more than 20 miles from such a VA medical facility. Note: This criterion applies to Veterans residing in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Also note that some Veterans in New Hampshire reside within 20 miles of White River Junction VAMC.
The Choice Program non-VA Provider will issue a prescription with up to a 14 day supply of a National Formulary drug. You may have the 14 day supply prescription filled at any non-VA pharmacy of your choosing and may submit a request for reimbursement to VA. For prescriptions needed past 14 days, please follow standard procedures to fill a prescription at the VA pharmacy.
The Veterans Choice Program is a new, temporary benefit that allows eligible Veterans to receive health care in their communities rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.
VA copays will be billed by VA after the appointment. If you currently pay VA copayments you will be subject to the same copayment requirements under the Choice Program. Your VA copay will be determined by VA after the care is provided.
As defined by Title 38 of the United States Code, a veteran is "...a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable." It also states that "active duty" in this case means full-time duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and does not include training.
Your DD214 is one of the most important documents you possess, especially in terms of applying for veteran benefits, primarily because it lists your Type of Separation, Character of Service, and Narrative Reason for Separation.
It also states that "active duty" in this case means full-time duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and does not include training. So, if you completed basic training and went on to active service, whether or not you receive benefits would depend on your length of service as well as the circumstances surrounding your injury.
Obviously, you need to be a veteran to take advantage of the veteran benefits provided by the VA and other sources, but what exactly does that mean? Are you a veteran if you completed 10 weeks of basic training? What if you served on active duty only briefly before getting hurt and discharged?
But because of rules that changed in 2003, veterans are no longer eligible for VA Health Care because of their veteran status . The reason for this is rather straightforward: budget cuts. In 2003, Congress passed a budget that included a freeze on veterans qualifying for benefits, what the VA calls Priority 8.
The result of these cuts was that the VA no longer could accept new veterans into Priority Group 8, and veterans who do not qualify for one of the higher-priority groups are no longer eligible for VA-funded health care.
The VA has eight priority groups that it uses to qualify veterans for VA-funded health care. The highest priority groups are reserved for those veterans with “service connected” disability ratings, or veterans in special groups such as: Former POWs; Those exposed to Agent Orange; Recipients of the Medal of Honor; and. Recipients of a Purple Heart.
Veterans already enrolled in Priority 8 were grandfathered in and allowed to continue receiving VA health care in that priority group.
Many veterans are stunned to hear that they do not qualify for VA Health Care simply because they are veterans. Most veterans who have private health insurance with significant co-pays – especially for expensive treatments like chemotherapy – are looking for alternatives to get their treatments paid for by the VA.
Unfortunately, the VA guidelines are probably going to get worse before they get better. As recently as last year, the House of Representatives proposed a plan to cut VA Health Care for those in Priority Groups based on income, specifically those who have incomes above the national threshold (currently $36,554 per year for a veteran and one dependent) but who are below the geographic threshold.
Our Veterans Department can help you or a loved one file asbestos-related VA claims and access potential benefits.
With due diligence, there is a strong chance of getting the help you need. Gather as much current evidence as possible with professional records (medical, psychological) then get official statements from as many friends, family, and other veterans you served with as possible.
VA Medical Malpractice – Any injury or condition worsened or caused by the negligence or malpractice of the VA.
Presumed Service Connection – This type of service-connected disability is assigned to conditions the VA automatically expects to be from military service. A good example of this is from the Vietnam War, where every troop that spent time in the country of Vietnam is automatically presumed to have been impacted by Agent Orange. This means that any condition they experience linked to Agent Orange is to be automatically approved.
Many disabled veterans worry about receiving a service connection without va medical records. As with every job, it’s nearly impossible to keep perfect records of everything that occurs in the military during your service time. Unfortunately, this can cause issues if a veteran received an injury or debilitating condition due to an event occurring ...
In order for the VA to accept lay evidence or buddy statements , certain criteria must be met. It must come from a competent and credible source. Meaning it must not only be believable but also be corroborated by other evidence, such as current medical records.
Thankfully, it doesn’ t always mean the disability can’t be service-connected. You may still be able to get a service connection without va medical records.
The VA will also look to see if the event described has been exaggerated, and, if so, will not consider the lay evidence credible. Regarding mental illness claims, the VA will consider the report of psychologists. These have been found to be very helpful in helping veterans receive VA compensation.
Under the law, veterans are labeled as anyone in the armed forces who served honorably for their country. The members of the National Guard and the Reserves are usually not eligible for veterans benefits, unless they were deployed under federal guidelines. Other qualifying circumstances include reservists or guard members who were injured while during basic training or during two-week summer training.
There are a number of circumstances where a person wouldn’t necessarily qualify as a veteran if they served for less than 180 days, but there are exceptions to this perception of federal law. For instance, let’s say that a man joins the Navy as soon as they turn 18 right out of high school. Within a week, they’re taking part in basic training.
Other than honorable (OTH) discharge: This type of administrative discharge is the most severe, and might include serious violations of military code. Drug possession, security breaches, or negative civilian encounters might all result in an OTH discharge.
Honorable discharge: This designation indicates that the military member did everything requested of them and was an asset while on active duty. General under honorable discharge: A general discharge indicates a mixed review of a member’s behavior. In most respects, they were likely exemplary in their behavior.
The type of separation from the military, whether it’s the Air Force, National Guard, Navy, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps branch, will dictate the paperwork for each individual. The information included in this paperwork will have a lot to do with whether or not you’re granted certain rights after leaving the service. Known as DD Form 214, this document will list the circumstances under your departure from the active military. Whether it’s discharge, separation, or retirement, the paperwork will tell the Department of Defense (DoD) how its military veterans left their position. The information will be pivotal for those applying for any kind of VA benefits.
Bad conduct discharge: A bad conduct discharge is a non-administrative discharge and will usually come after a court-martial. These discharges may result in prison time, depending on the severity of the crime.
A person who’s new to the military is required to handle a lot of initial stress. They’re asked to adapt to an entirely new way of living, which can result in a bumpier ride than was originally expected. As they work their way through boot camp, it’s not entirely unexpected for some recruits to show signs of serious distress. In most cases, they have the option to work with their superiors to come up with a solution that works for both parties.