tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post1953588191488068722..comments2023-05-10T04:47:11.680-07:00Comments on The Blog at Military Disability Made Easy: The New VA Appeals Process - RAMPMDMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08807695915566004972noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-10969360395298704332020-11-24T20:05:13.970-08:002020-11-24T20:05:13.970-08:00I definitely see your confusion. I assume that you...I definitely see your confusion. I assume that your original condition was rated 10%. If so, then it looks like they did grant an increase to 20% but the severity of your instability wasn't enough to meet the requirements for a 30% rating. If this is correct, then yes, you should find that your increase is to 20%. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320151544107767655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-44313682318987254742020-11-13T12:45:50.466-08:002020-11-13T12:45:50.466-08:00Hello Dr. Johnson; I've been fighting the VA o...Hello Dr. Johnson; I've been fighting the VA on appeals since 2013 and last October, 2019, I had a board hearing in Wash DC. I received this letter the other day concerning my appeals. The response was from the Dept of Vet Affairs Appeals Management Ctr and I received this response on one of my appeals; "Your most recent knee examination did show an increase in severity for your right knee instability. Consequently, a higher evaluation was warranted for the condition. The details of that determination are spelled out in a separate rating decision. However, the examination fell short of revealing any sign of severe recurrent subluxation, or instability that is severe in nature. Accordingly, an evaluation of 20 percent disabling is denied." What is the heck does this mean? Was it granted or not?<br /><br />Thanks<br />Disgruntled VetNoNamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05549247990957581979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-22661714700159766122020-02-28T17:13:57.899-08:002020-02-28T17:13:57.899-08:00It depends. In essence, it's neither good or b...It depends. In essence, it's neither good or bad except for the additional time delay it will cause. They simply are sending the appeal back to gather additional information that is needed in order to determine the appeal. Once they have the additional information, they will continue to process it as usual. If they do not receive it, though, then they will end up denying the claim as they do not have enough evidence currently to approve it. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320151544107767655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-75013255071925569092020-02-20T05:25:15.803-08:002020-02-20T05:25:15.803-08:00Hello Dr.Johnson; I've been dealing with an ap...Hello Dr.Johnson; I've been dealing with an appeal for a few years now and I finally got a response from the VA the other day on that appeal. I'm not sure what to think of it. So I need your opinion. My two appeal claims were neither denied or granted, they were remanded. I understand what it means, but in your opinion, is my case being; "remanded" a good thing, a bad thing or neither?Jimmy1https://www.blogger.com/profile/05507804768961318573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-62573441218641385802019-08-29T11:46:34.870-07:002019-08-29T11:46:34.870-07:00Absolutely. As long as you can show proof that all...Absolutely. As long as you can show proof that all of your current conditions are a direct result of the broken leg and/or the service-connected arthritis, they will also be considered service-connected (secondary). Medical records showing the connection and a NEXUS letter from your physician noting the connection will strengthen your case. <br /><br />http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/service-connected.html#otherconditionsMilitary Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320151544107767655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-56152323538843815982019-08-21T05:49:36.186-07:002019-08-21T05:49:36.186-07:00Thanks Dr. Johnson. I broke my L leg in 5 places w...Thanks Dr. Johnson. I broke my L leg in 5 places when I was in the service and one of those breaks had to be fixed by rodding my femur and my hip has been giving me problems ever since. My rating is for arthritis in all 3 joints in my leg. Right now I need a surgery called; a "gluteus maximus transfer." I need this operation because of the following; "a significant amount of his gluteus medius is torn" "Heterotopic bone formation noted superiorly". The doctor who performed my examination noted the I have "a severe limp" and I have "Trendelenburg gait" with "2/5 strength in hip flexion." With this information, do you think any of these conditions are rate able?Jimmy1https://www.blogger.com/profile/05507804768961318573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-69655025843898354292019-08-20T07:54:46.222-07:002019-08-20T07:54:46.222-07:00Hi Jimmy -
No, a limp alone cannot be rated, but...Hi Jimmy - <br /><br />No, a limp alone cannot be rated, but whatever is causing the limp can. If you are already being rated for the condition that is causing it, then it is already being covered by that rating. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320151544107767655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-5419153789148044942019-08-20T05:42:31.131-07:002019-08-20T05:42:31.131-07:00Hello Dr. Johnson, I have a pronounced limp due to...Hello Dr. Johnson, I have a pronounced limp due to an accident I had back when I was in the military. I'm being compensated for all the things that happened to me because of that accident, but I'm not being compensated for my pronounced limp which has been annotated on many of my orthopedic records. Is there a compensation rating for a limp?Jimmy1https://www.blogger.com/profile/05507804768961318573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-39413342726942878332019-05-11T18:32:01.828-07:002019-05-11T18:32:01.828-07:00Both claims denied! What was your outcome?Both claims denied! What was your outcome?Prettypanthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00663928084180871065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-46116651773087072052019-02-26T12:45:15.360-08:002019-02-26T12:45:15.360-08:00Thank you Dr Johnson! I appreciate the reply!
Thank you Dr Johnson! I appreciate the reply!<br />Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05371151459937605732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-13873013629147999552019-02-26T10:59:01.481-08:002019-02-26T10:59:01.481-08:00Technically, conditions must be officially diagnos...Technically, conditions must be officially diagnosed BEFORE you can submit a claim for them. Since it hadn't been diagnosed, they were correct to deny the claim. It is not their job during the disability process to diagnose conditions. <br /><br />Now that it has been diagnosed, you can try to submit a new claim. In order for your claim to have a solid chance, you will need to also submit a NEXUS letter from your physician stating that the current sleep apnea diagnosis was clearly present during service based on the symptoms recorded in your service treatment records. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246704641900456151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-85142053775816478582019-02-26T10:49:08.230-08:002019-02-26T10:49:08.230-08:00Great! Disappointing that it took longer than it s...Great! Disappointing that it took longer than it should have, but good to see that the decision was in your favor and still faster than the Legacy appeals system. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246704641900456151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-38659893638762529132019-02-24T11:58:28.358-08:002019-02-24T11:58:28.358-08:00Hi Dr. Johnson,
While ...Hi Dr. Johnson,<br /> While in the Marine Corps, stationed in Hawaii, my wife kept complaining of me snoring and stopping breathing when I was a sleep. I went to see a doctor (documented in my medical records) and they scheduled me a sleep study. Not sure what it shoed, but the doctor suggested I have my tonsils removed, because If I was placed on a CPAP, I would be medically discharged. I had my tonsils removed , but the medical reason was "re-occuring" tonsilitus, even though I had never been seen for that. I was medically discharged in 2003 (an issue not related to sleep apnea) and upon separation I applied for compensation and treatment for sleep apnea (as well as several other issues). I never went to an exam for sleep apnea, and was denied as they stated I had complained about it, but there was no diagnosis. I went to see a specialist and was on a CPAP (and have been on one since) my denial by the VA. I am considering fighting the VA on this again. My question is, was the VA required to do a sleep study for me during my initial claim? If so can this be retroactive? If not where should I go from here? I am just frustrated I let the VA roll over me years ago, and maybe I should have fought harder. Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05371151459937605732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-10661340025606876792019-02-19T10:20:16.323-08:002019-02-19T10:20:16.323-08:00Update: Was approved through RAMP. Changed from ...Update: Was approved through RAMP. Changed from 30% to 70% on one of my disabilities. Also rewarded a good amount of back time (for me it was a good amount).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00466030117623349885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-59838527933476272142019-02-19T09:52:15.493-08:002019-02-19T09:52:15.493-08:00You can apply for the left hip as secondary to the...You can apply for the left hip as secondary to the right hip. If you can get a NEXUS letter from your doctor stating the connection, that will strengthen your case. <br /><br />"Disintegration" is a bit ambiguous, however. Without a solid diagnosis, the VA won't have anything definite to rate. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246704641900456151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-38585851909064324842019-02-12T08:47:36.384-08:002019-02-12T08:47:36.384-08:00I have a VA disability rating on my right hip but ...I have a VA disability rating on my right hip but because I put most of my weight on my left hip, my left hip joint now is showing signs of disintegration (orthopedic doctor's words). My orthopedic doctor thinks because I'm using my left hip to compensate for my weak right hip, it's adversely affecting my left hip. Is there a compensation code for this issue? NoNamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05549247990957581979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-10020988780276067032019-02-05T10:31:26.597-08:002019-02-05T10:31:26.597-08:00No. They are supposed to just review the conditio...No. They are supposed to just review the conditions on appeal. They shouldn't look at the others at all. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246704641900456151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-9605247716755474072019-02-02T11:48:52.854-08:002019-02-02T11:48:52.854-08:00I'm going through that right now. My ramp clos...I'm going through that right now. My ramp closed on Feb 1 2019 but ebenefits doesn't show any ratings. Have you heard anything yet?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794297110423098427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-78916167040815645492019-02-01T07:44:47.059-08:002019-02-01T07:44:47.059-08:00I recently joined RAMP to review my appeal, was wo...I recently joined RAMP to review my appeal, was wondering can RAMP reduce my disability rating for other conditions not apart of my appealbassmanusmchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11930322659746713696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-23368877350341262232019-01-29T13:36:24.036-08:002019-01-29T13:36:24.036-08:00Glad we've helped!Glad we've helped!Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246704641900456151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-26397081411034527632019-01-29T13:36:07.780-08:002019-01-29T13:36:07.780-08:00It's not a great sign that they have it listed...It's not a great sign that they have it listed as closed. If you didn't request for it to be closed, then they should still have it open, and I'm hoping that it is just a system error. This may actually be the case since they are transitioning fully into RAMP starting mid-February, so they may be doing some tech work on the system. <br /><br />However, they should be able to do some research and find out the truth for you at your Regional VA. At least they should be able to tell you who to contact to get the information you need. I would push them a bit more and see if you can't get something from them, even just a referral to someone else to talk to. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246704641900456151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-13605884805364805632019-01-25T20:26:48.604-08:002019-01-25T20:26:48.604-08:00I am giving you thanks for the exelent help that y...I am giving you thanks for the exelent help that you give us.<br />Efrain Saucedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07056230003206179151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-23060779207951127662019-01-24T09:21:14.923-08:002019-01-24T09:21:14.923-08:00I opted into RAMP in July 2018. I was notified by ...I opted into RAMP in July 2018. I was notified by the VA that my appeal was discontinued at my request on Jan 23rd. After a little panic, I researched and the current status is that The VA cannot track appeals under RAMP and listed my appeal as closed. So now, I can only assume it is still active, and have no way to verify. A call to the Regional Office of the VA gave me the answer that they do not know either. Any suggestions?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09869424086261712903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-77004087632107238022019-01-23T11:41:07.038-08:002019-01-23T11:41:07.038-08:00It is quite common for injuries like yours to caus...It is quite common for injuries like yours to cause wear and tear on the nearby joints, thus causing serious conditions in the future. <br /><br />You definitely have a case here, the VA just needs to be able to have all the evidence of the original injury and evidence of the conditions progression over the years. A letter from your physician clearly noting his opinion that the current conditions are due to the abnormal gate caused by the injury will definitely strengthen your case. Military Disability Made Easyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07246704641900456151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162041641030931379.post-67950464661084323932019-01-23T06:26:52.456-08:002019-01-23T06:26:52.456-08:00Hello.
In 1986 while active duty play intramural ...Hello.<br /><br />In 1986 while active duty play intramural Football, broke my pelvis in 3 places and was paralyzed for 4 hours. Feelings cam back and was airlifted to Wright Pat. for treatment. No surgery required, but laid up for 6 mths to heal. I had some pain in hips and pelvic region for years, but just dealt with it. In the last 3 years thinks have gone sideways. I had meniscus surgery on right knee and will need surgery on left knee next year. I've had severe hip pain and have seen my Dr on several occasions, with xrays showing cartilage wear. My Dr said that my "gate" is off and felt my pelvic fracture was the cause. <br /><br />I applied for Va disability and was denied. I hired an attorney and applied. I was invited to the RAMP process and accepted. I found out at the hearing VA didn't have my military medical records ( I uploaded in e-benefits -figures). I provided them to hearing officer. <br />What is your take on this since it is 30 years since my injury.<br /><br />Thank you,<br />(sorry if too wordy - wanted to give you a good history)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05568827545955285392noreply@blogger.com