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TIPs By Tom Pamperin:
Filing a first claim for disability compensation can be a stressful experience. The stress can originate from one or more of the following factors: –Physical
or mental discomfort –Financial need –That transitional feeling when you are no longer in the military but not really a civilian –Concern about the outcome –Lack of knowledge of the process –Unrealistic expectations –Erroneous assumptions –Things you have heard from other Veterans and the media and, just –Dealing with a bureaucracy During this discussion I’d like to use my experience as both a Veteran and a senior VA official
to demystify the process and empower you with information you need and what you can expect.
Recommendations
Dealing with large organizations
can be frustrating. Some things that appear clear and certain to you may not be to others. Additionally, legal requirements
can sometimes be confusing and time consuming. To have the best experience possible I recommend the following:
1.
If you are still on active duty and thinking about getting out and filing
a claim, go through the Benefit Delivery At Discharge or BDD program at your installation. To qualify you must have between
60 and 180 days left on active duty. We will take your claim and get you examined before you go home. Normally, decisions
are available about two months after you separate or retire.
2. If you are still on active duty but have less than 60 days to go, you can still file a “Quick Start” claim. Quick Start claims are processed at dedicated facilities so decisions are quicker for most Veterans
3. If you are out of service for less than a year, think you might
have a claim, but are unsure if you want to “go through the hassle” apply. The evidence is fresher and cleaner,
there are unlikely to be what we refer to as “inter-current injuries” (i.e. you back hurts a little but when you
get out you get a job as a long hall truck driver or a construction working and don’t file a claim for years. In such
cases even if there is some documentation of “something in service” without evidence of treatment for the condition
within the first year, service connection is less certain). Why All Veterans Should Apply for
Benefits Darlene
McMartin is the director at the Pottawattamie County Veterans Affairs Office, located at 223 S 6th St #6, Council Bluffs,
IA 51501. Ms. McMartin provides a brief narrative as to why it is in a veterans best
interest to file a claim for benefits. Ms. McMartin advises veterans whose diseases aren’t on the list to file claims. Even though a claim may be
rejected in the future, the disease and/or medical condition may be added to the presumptive list at some future time. The
record of a claim now may entitle the veteran to months or years of retroactive benefits. The same is true for Navy and Marine Corps veterans whose ships aren’t
currently recognized by the VA as having been exposed to Agent Orange.
“They’re adding constantly,” McMartin said. “We don’t know when they’ll add that ship to the list.”
Ms. McMartin goes on to mention that many veterans are too humble to apply for disability benefits. “They don’t think they deserve it,” McMartin said. “A lot of the vets are very proud. They’re not whining. They don’t want to be sick.”
Bottom line, Ms. McMartin maintains that all veterans should apply for benefits to provide an opportunity for their family to be eligible for monetary compensation in the event the veteran is not around. Many of the presumptive conditions currently on the list were not there just 10 short years ago. Apply now, because you never know what condition you might have now that will appear of the VAs list of presumptive disabilities in the future.
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