Veteran Claims

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1/2dollar bill

 The V A has a new system for fileing a claim, They send a form from a company in Houstin Texas called M E S and they send you to their doctors and you have to go within 35 days for all your tests and appointments plus if you have ever had any medical treatment at a VA center you have to go there to sign a release so they can review your claim. My VFW rep says they're very generous with their findings  toward the veteran . After my second heart attack I'm trying to up my disability higher than 45 percent so I won't have a co-pay for my meds.It seems the VA can't add,they gave me a 30 points for diabetes and 20 points for PTSD to me that adds up to 50 percent , but the VA says thats only 45%     Halfdollarbill BLACKHAWK forever  
William C Reynolds  (Bill)

Stu McDiarmid DTroop

Stu McDiarmid
D-Troop
Aero-Rifle Plt

1/2dollar bill

 I raised so much hell with the VA and My VFW service officer the VA updated my disability , my rating went from 45% to 80% because of my heart condition. I no longer have to pay a co-pay every month,that will save me about $100.00 a month and my disability checks should be larger. Now I just need to get well enough to go to Fire-base Barker next summer to meet some of you guys I missed meeting at the Reunion in D.C. this fall. HalfdollarBill  William c Reynolds HHT 1970  Blackhawk forever .
William C Reynolds  (Bill)

dtroopscout

Audit of VBA's 100 Percent Disability Evaluations (1/24/2011)

01/24/2011 12:00 AM EST

The OIG conducted an audit to determine whether Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) correctly assigned 100 percent disability evaluations as either permanent or temporary and effectively monitored and adjusted temporary 100 percent disability evaluations. We found the staff at the VA Regional Offices (VARO) are not correctly evaluating and monitoring 100 percent disability evaluations. We identified approximately 239,000 veterans who had at least one service-connected condition rated 100 percent disabling as of September 2009. We eliminated from our review approximately 58,000 veterans with conditions that indicated no likelihood of improvement, such as double amputees. We projected that of the remaining 181,000 veterans, VARO staff did not correctly process evaluations for about 27,500 (15 percent). We further projected that since January 1993, VBA paid veterans a net amount of about $943 million without adequate medical evidence. If VBA does not take timely corrective action, it will overpay veterans a projected $1.1 billion over the next 5 years. We recommended the Acting Under Secretary for Benefits increase oversight by ensuring future exam dates are included in the electronic records and providing VARO staff the necessary training. VBA also needs to ensure claims folders with temporary evaluations are kept at the VARO and each temporary evaluation has a future exam date entered in the electronic record. The Acting Under Secretary for Benefits did not agree with the findings, particularly as they relate to the projected overpayment amounts, but agreed to implement the recommendations and provided responsive implementation plans. We maintain that the primary message in our report is VBA paid veterans without adequate medical evidence. We believe our projection is a reasonable and conservative estimate of over payments based upon our review of compensation records available.
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

1/2dollar bill

#4
Willis ; Thanks for the new info on claims as I recieved a 10% increase on my claim and am now 90% .Still have not heard anything about my claim on my heart condition, except more experimental meds. The last time I had an attack they shot me full of steroids and I gained 75 lbs in 40 days and the night I came home my sugar level reading was 644, it took me 48 hrs to get it below 300. I sometimes think there  just waiting for me to die , but I'm too ignorant to comply.    Halfdollar bill HHT 1970 Black Hawk forever  
William C Reynolds  (Bill)

dtroopscout

1/2 dollar Bill I'm glad this info was able to help .I received it from the VVA for which I am a member..You do have a group representing you correct ?? Such as DAV,VFW, American Legion ect..
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

1/2dollar bill

#6
Good Afternoon Willis, in answer to your question, I'm a trustee for the largest VFW post in the state with over 1,000 members. No matter how much you read or talk to other veterans some information still slips by, thats why I check the unit guestbook & the cav lounge every day.  halfdollar  HHT 1970
William C Reynolds  (Bill)

dtroopscout

 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Benefits Administration

Washington, D.C. 20420





January 11, 2011

Director
(00/21)
In Reply Refer To: 211A

All VA Regional Offices and Centers Fast Letter 11-
03

SUBJ:Consolidation and Processing of Disability Claims Based on Exposure to
Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Purpose

The purpose of this letter is to inform all Regional Offices and Centers
(ROs) that all
disability claims and appeals based on exposure to contaminated water at
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will be processed at the
Louisville RO.
This includes claims currently under appeal located at the Appeals
Management Center (AMC), Pension Management Centers (PMCs), and Appeals
Resource Centers (ARCs). All Camp Lejeune-related claims associated with
paperless claims folders will remain at the Winston-Salem and Salt Lake ROs.
This letter will describe procedures for transferring cases to the
Louisville RO and guidance for processing these claims.

Background

From 1957 through 1987, persons residing or working at the U.S. Marine
Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were potentially exposed to
drinking water contaminated with volatile organic compounds, including
benzene, vinyl chloride, tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene
(TCE). Claims based on service at Camp Lejeune involve potentially complex
issues of exposure and causation, and VA remains concerned about the
potential for harmful effects associated with past exposure to the
contaminated water supply. As the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, which has been contracted by the Department of the Navy, continues
to research the effects of exposure from this incident, VA must be prepared
to evaluate claims based on such exposure in a consistent manner. By
centralizing jurisdiction to the Louisville RO, VA enhances its ability to
process these claims efficiently and consistently.

Training Letter 10-03 dated April 26, 2010, informed ROs of various
environmental hazards, including the Camp Lejeune incident, and provided
specific guidance on handling claims based on exposure to contaminated water
at Camp Lejeune.
The
training letter guidance remains in effect and should be referenced along
with this fast letter when adjudicating these types of claims.

Actions by Office of Original Jurisdiction (OOJ)

Effective immediately, all claims folders with pending claims or appeals
based on water contamination at Camp Lejeune will be Permanently Transferred
Out
(PTOed)
to the Louisville RO. This includes claims and/or appeals from the AMC,
PMCs, and ARCs, if they include at least one Camp Lejeune-related issue.
Pending claims
are to be identified by the MAP-D special issue, "Environmental Hazard -
Camp Lejeune." Do not transfer claims where no disability is specifically
alleged, e.g. a claim stating "Camp Lejeune" or "exposure at Camp Lejeune".
Follow the procedures in M21-1MR Part I, Chapter 1, Section B.3. If a
disability is subsequently identified, then the claims folder is to be PTOed
to Louisville.
Additionally, do not transfer claims alleging disability of dependents,
including birth defects, as VA has no statutory authority to compensate
dependents of Veterans exposed to the water contamination. These claims are
to be processed under the procedures at Part III, Subpart ii, Chapter 7.2.b.

Claims received prior to installation of the special issue identifier in
MAP-D in October 2010 cannot be identified through VETSNET Operations
Reports (VOR).
For this reason, all employees should be on the alert for these cases
including appeals from previous denials based on Camp Lejeune water
contamination.

Take no further actions on existing claims or appeals prior to PTOing the
file, unless non-Camp Lejeune issues associated with the file can be
resolved immediately, (e.g., GAP an Award and release letter).

Backfile the enclosed FLASH notice in the center section of the claims
folder prior to shipment. See Enclosure A.

The OOJ will notify the claimant that his or her claims folder is being
transferred to the Louisville RO. The enclosed letter is to be used for this
purpose.
See Enclosure
B.

Continue the end product controlling the Camp Lejeune issue and any other
claimed issues when the claims folder is PTOed.

For all future Camp Lejeune-related claims, the OOJ will establish the
appropriate end product and immediately PTO the claims folder to the
Louisville RO.
Do not
initiate development of these cases prior to transfer. Also, applications
for benefits that do not meet the requirements of a substantially complete
claim should not be PTOed, (i.e., those applications that do not identify an
actual claimed condition as a result of exposure to the water
contamination).

The Louisville RO has established a separate PO Box for all corresponding
mail.
Send all mail that needs to be associated with a Camp Lejeune claims folder
to the following address (This PO Box address is also provided to claimants
in the attached notification of transfer letter):

Department of Veterans Affairs

Louisville Regional Office

ATTN: CLCW Team

PO Box 2648

Louisville, KY 40201-2648

Actions by Louisville RO

Following receipt of claims folders, the Louisville RO will update COVERS
and conduct a comprehensive review of the case to determine what actions are
required.
All actions should be taken expeditiously. When it is necessary to send the
claimant a VCAA notice letter, include language requesting the dates of
service for the Veteran at Camp Lejeune, (i.e., month and year of arrival
and departure), and where the Veteran lived (on-base or off-base) and worked
on base. Autotext the request for this information into the notice letter.

Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service recently developed an "Environmental
Hazard - Camp Lejeune" special issue under the MAP-D contentions screen.
It is
imperative that all claimed issues based on the Camp Lejeune incident are
correctly identified using this specific MAP-D special issue.To ensure
conditions are identified on the coded rating conclusion, a special issue
for RBA 2000 will be installed in the February 2011 coordinated install.

When processing Camp Lejeune claims, a Corporate "Camp Lejeune" Flash should
be placed on every Veteran s record with verified service at Camp Lejeune
during any period between 1957 and 1987.

Establish EP 685 in addition to the standard EP for all Camp Lejeune
contaminated water appeals.

The Louisville RO will assume responsibility for processing all pending
issues and appeals (including both Camp Lejeune and non-Camp Lejeune claims
and
appeals)
until all Camp Lejeune-related issues are finalized and the folder is PTOed
back to the OOJ. For purposes of this fast letter, a finalized claim is one
in which a decision has been completed and no appeal has been received
within the one-year appeal period. The Louisville RO will assume
jurisdiction for any appeals received on Camp Lejeune claims and all other
non-Camp Lejeune claims and/or appeals received during the one-year appeal
period.

Because a special issue identifier for Camp Lejeune conditions cannot be
immediately added to RBA 2000, the Louisville RO is to establish a database
containing the following information on all completed Camp Lejeune
cases:

Claim number

OOJ (RO Station Number)

Decision date

Specific claimed conditions due to exposure to contaminated drinking water

Diagnostic code

Whether the condition(s) was granted or denied

Percentage assigned

If denied, state reason (e.g., no exposure, no current disability, no
nexus)

Claims Processing Policies and Procedures

Training Letter 10-03 provides guidance on handling claims for disabilities
potentially resulting from exposure to drinking water contamination at Camp
Lejeune. C&P Service is currently drafting a new training letter specific to
the Camp Lejeune exposure that will provide updated guidance.

It is imperative that VA examination and medical opinion requests include a
discussion of the facts and circumstances surrounding the claim. The Camp
Lejeune fact sheet must accompany the claims folder to the VHA facility. Any
details such as date, location, and length of time on Camp Lejeune, medical,
occupational, and environmental exposure history, and any other pertinent
facts, should be made available to the examiner.Any noteworthy evidence
should be brought to the examiner s attention by including it in the remarks
section of the examination request and flagging the appropriate item in the
claims folder.

C&P Service provided training to the Louisville RO Staff on December 21,
2010, to ensure consistency of application of Training Letter 10-03 and to
address other concerns as needed.

The Veterans Health Administration leadership will ensure clinicians receive
training and guidance on conducting C&P examinations and rendering medical
opinions for disabilities based on exposure to water contamination at Camp
Lejeune.


Questions


If you have questions concerning this fast letter, please submit
to:VAVBAWAS/CO/211/ENVIRO.

Points of Contact at the Louisville RO are:

  Primary POC: Laura Kuerzi-Rogers, VSCM

Technical POC: Ellen Bauer, DRO

The Office of Field Operations POC is: Adam Kinder

/S/

Thomas J. Murphy

Director

Compensation and Pension Service





------- End of forwarded message -------


--Forwarded Message Attachment--



cid:image001.jpg@01CBBDEE.B8D209B0


   



DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Benefits Administration

Washington, D.C.  20420

January 11, 2011

Director (00/21)                                                                                                                                                                              In Reply Refer To: 211A

All VA Regional Offices and Centers                                             Fast Letter 11-03             

SUBJ:  Consolidation and Processing of Disability Claims Based on Exposure to Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Purpose

The purpose of this letter is to inform all Regional Offices and Centers (ROs) that all disability claims and appeals based on exposure to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will be processed at the Louisville RO.  This includes claims currently under appeal located at the Appeals Management Center (AMC), Pension Management Centers (PMCs), and Appeals Resource Centers (ARCs).  All Camp Lejeune-related claims associated with paperless claims folders will remain at the Winston-Salem and Salt Lake ROs.  This letter will describe procedures for transferring cases to the Louisville RO and guidance for processing these claims.

Background

From 1957 through 1987, persons residing or working at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were potentially exposed to drinking water contaminated with volatile organic compounds, including benzene, vinyl chloride, tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE).  Claims based on service at Camp Lejeune involve potentially complex issues of exposure and causation, and VA remains concerned about the potential for harmful effects associated with past exposure to the contaminated water supply.  As the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which has been contracted by the Department of the Navy, continues to research the effects of exposure from this incident, VA must be prepared to evaluate claims based on such exposure in a consistent manner.  By centralizing jurisdiction to the Louisville RO, VA enhances its ability to process these claims efficiently and consistently.     

Training Letter 10-03 dated April 26, 2010, informed ROs of various environmental hazards, including the Camp Lejeune incident, and provided specific guidance on handling claims based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.  The training letter guidance remains in effect and should be referenced along with this fast letter when adjudicating these types of claims.

Actions by Office of Original Jurisdiction (OOJ)

Effective immediately, all claims folders with pending claims or appeals based on water contamination at Camp Lejeune will be Permanently Transferred Out (PTOed) to the Louisville RO.  This includes claims and/or appeals from the AMC, PMCs, and ARCs, if they include at least one Camp Lejeune-related issue.  Pending claims are to be identified by the MAP-D special issue, "Environmental Hazard – Camp Lejeune."   Do not transfer claims where no disability is specifically alleged, e.g. a claim stating "Camp Lejeune" or "exposure at Camp Lejeune".  Follow the procedures in M21-1MR Part I, Chapter 1, Section B.3.  If a disability is subsequently identified, then the claims folder is to be PTOed to Louisville.  Additionally, do not transfer claims alleging disability of dependents, including birth defects, as VA has no statutory authority to compensate dependents of Veterans exposed to the water contamination.  These claims are to be processed under the procedures at Part III, Subpart ii, Chapter 7.2.b.

Claims received prior to installation of the special issue identifier in MAP-D in October 2010 cannot be identified through VETSNET Operations Reports (VOR).  For this reason, all employees should be on the alert for these cases including appeals from previous denials based on Camp Lejeune water contamination.       

Take no further actions on existing claims or appeals prior to PTOing the file, unless non-Camp Lejeune issues associated with the file can be resolved immediately, (e.g., GAP an Award and release letter).

Backfile the enclosed FLASH notice in the center section of the claims folder prior to shipment.  See Enclosure A.

The OOJ will notify the claimant that his or her claims folder is being transferred to the Louisville RO.  The enclosed letter is to be used for this purpose.  See Enclosure B.

Continue the end product controlling the Camp Lejeune issue and any other claimed issues when the claims folder is PTOed.       

For all future Camp Lejeune-related claims, the OOJ will establish the appropriate end product and immediately PTO the claims folder to the Louisville RO.  Do not initiate development of these cases prior to transfer.  Also, applications for benefits that do not meet the requirements of a substantially complete claim should not be PTOed, (i.e., those applications that do not identify an actual claimed condition as a result of exposure to the water contamination).

The Louisville RO has established a separate PO Box for all corresponding mail.  Send all mail that needs to be associated with a Camp Lejeune claims folder to the following address (This PO Box address is also provided to claimants in the attached notification of transfer letter): 

Department of Veterans Affairs

     Louisville Regional Office

     ATTN: CLCW Team

     PO Box 2648

     Louisville, KY 40201-2648

Actions by Louisville RO

Following receipt of claims folders, the Louisville RO will update COVERS and conduct a comprehensive review of the case to determine what actions are required.  All actions should be taken expeditiously.  When it is necessary to send the claimant a VCAA notice letter, include language requesting the dates of service for the Veteran at Camp Lejeune, (i.e., month and year of arrival and departure), and where the Veteran lived (on-base or off-base) and worked on base.  Autotext the request for this information into the notice letter.

Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service recently developed an "Environmental Hazard – Camp Lejeune" special issue under the MAP-D contentions screen.  It is imperative that all claimed issues based on the Camp Lejeune incident are correctly identified using this specific MAP-D special issue.  To ensure conditions are identified on the coded rating conclusion, a special issue for RBA 2000 will be installed in the February 2011 coordinated install. 

When processing Camp Lejeune claims, a Corporate "Camp Lejeune" Flash should be placed on every Veteran's record with verified service at Camp Lejeune during any period between 1957 and 1987.

Establish EP 685 in addition to the standard EP for all Camp Lejeune contaminated water appeals.   

The Louisville RO will assume responsibility for processing all pending issues and appeals (including both Camp Lejeune and non-Camp Lejeune claims and appeals) until all Camp Lejeune-related issues are finalized and the folder is PTOed back to the OOJ.  For purposes of this fast letter, a finalized claim is one in which a decision has been completed and no appeal has been received within the one-year appeal period.  The Louisville RO will assume jurisdiction for any appeals received on Camp Lejeune claims and all other non-Camp Lejeune claims and/or appeals received during the one-year appeal period.   

Because a special issue identifier for Camp Lejeune conditions cannot be immediately added to RBA 2000, the Louisville RO is to establish a database containing the following information on all completed Camp Lejeune cases:

?  Claim number

?  OOJ (RO Station Number)

?  Decision date

?  Specific claimed conditions due to exposure to contaminated drinking water

?  Diagnostic code

?  Whether the condition(s) was granted or denied

?  Percentage assigned

?  If denied, state reason (e.g., no exposure, no current disability, no nexus)

Claims Processing Policies and Procedures

Training Letter 10-03 provides guidance on handling claims for disabilities potentially resulting from exposure to drinking water contamination at Camp Lejeune.  C&P Service is currently drafting a new training letter specific to the Camp Lejeune exposure that will provide updated guidance.       

It is imperative that VA examination and medical opinion requests include a discussion of the facts and circumstances surrounding the claim.  The Camp Lejeune fact sheet must accompany the claims folder to the VHA facility.  Any details such as date, location, and length of time on Camp Lejeune, medical, occupational, and environmental exposure history, and any other pertinent facts, should be made available to the examiner.  Any noteworthy evidence should be brought to the examiner's attention by including it in the remarks section of the examination request and flagging the appropriate item in the claims folder.   

C&P Service provided training to the Louisville RO Staff on December 21, 2010, to ensure consistency of application of Training Letter 10-03 and to address other concerns as needed.

The Veterans Health Administration leadership will ensure clinicians receive training and guidance on conducting C&P examinations and rendering medical opinions for disabilities based on exposure to water contamination at Camp Lejeune.   
Questions

If you have questions concerning this fast letter, please submit to:  VAVBAWAS/CO/211/ENVIRO.

Points of Contact at the Louisville RO are:

      &n bsp; &nb sp;   Primary POC:     Laura Kuerzi-Rogers, VSCM

            Technical POC:  Ellen Bauer, DRO

The Office of Field Operations POC is:  Adam Kinder

                                                          /S/

Thomas J. Murphy

Director

Compensation and Pension Service
BlackHawk Aero Scout forever Dtrp 2-1 CAV.             Willis Townsend

Stu McDiarmid DTroop

 This is the link to "Fasttrack" a claim to the VA for Agent Orange claims they say they want Vets to get their OA claims through the system asap.
I have had one in one in for Ischemic Heart Disease since Oct'2010 and the computer says it is in the decision mode. Thats fast for the Detroit VA. Good luck and Welcome to the Agent Orange Health Club.
Stu McDiarmid
D-Troop

https://www.fasttrack.va.gov/AOFastTrack/logout.do?method=logout
Stu McDiarmid
D-Troop
Aero-Rifle Plt

Stu McDiarmid DTroop

On Feb 14th I recieved 60% from VA for Arteriosclerotic  Heart disease as related to AO. This was a Fast Track claim that took only 4.5 months to settle.
Stu McDiarmid
Life Member Agent Orange Health Club.
Stu McDiarmid
D-Troop
Aero-Rifle Plt

1/2dollar bill

Hey guys,I finally did it and it only took 14 months. The VA just sent me one of those large manila envelopes with My new rating of 100% and awarded Me the grant of individual unemployability for ischemic heart disease, which now makes me 100% and eligible for a free $20k insurance policy. At least my kids won't have to pay for my funeral .    William Reynolds  HHT Hq plt  Song Mao 1970
William C Reynolds  (Bill)