Any veterans have claims in little rock?

braggscowboy · #1 02/21/12, 10:41 PM

I live in Oklahoma, and filed a claim on hearing. I had four different tests. Three were conclusive. I am totally deaf in one ear and loss of some hearing in the other. All findings were consistant with firearms noise and equipment. The third on, the reason for the fourth test. VA audiologist took just a few minutes and did not do near as thorough as the others did and asked a few question about what I did before being drafted? She knew from my records that I was a police officer. Did not ask how long and how much shooting I did before going in. She reported that "it probably occured" before I went into the army from being a police officer. I was for only 16 months and maybe shot a box of shells to qualify. I am wondering, if it happened before, then why did it not show up before I was drafted? Anyway, my relative works for the VA as a service rep. of veterans in Muskogee, Okla., so my records cannot go through this VA where I live and they works. I started the process in Aug. 2010 and I thought I would call today and check on the status. I was informed that it would be a long time. A very long time!!! I think that is not the right answer nor a good answer. Maybe another two or three, maybe six months, a year, not a long time, a very long time. I know this does not happen where I live at the VA. To me 19 months is a long time, a very long time. Anyone else having trouble with claims there? I am 68 and at the rate they are going, I will be too old to know what I am hearing, if I were to get hearing aid. Only one, will not need one for right ear. Friend of mine (94) who hears better than I do, got a claim turned in and approved on his hearing in less than two months. (age factor), no doubt, at the local VA here. Anyway, anyone having trouble with claims in Little Rock? Thanks.

lonelytree · #2 02/22/12, 02:11 AM

I have pretty bad hearing loss. I got 0 service connected. That means I get free hearing aids. I don't know anyone with hearing loss actually receiving a ratine above 0. Tinitus is 10%.

google up CFR 38. Then you will know what questions they are going to ask beforehand.

gwithrow · #3 02/22/12, 06:29 AM

my husband worked for the dept of Veteran Affairs for over thirty years, and I can tell you for sure if you want your claim to be fast tracked, just write to your state or better your national representatives, and or Senator....

remember it is who you know(even if you personally don't know them)...but when they get an inquiry letter with that letterhead on it, you are suddenly at the top of their list to look at....

no matter how small your issue is, it is big to you and you deserve to get all the benefits coming your way....and they should be coming in a timely manner...

all VA facilities are not equal, call them on this you deserve to be served

Big Dave · #4 02/22/12, 06:47 AM

Thought of you when I went thru Braggs last week. A bar and an Ice cream store. Back to the post. My friend was going thru similar trouble as you describe. Slow action. They lost his file. He went to an office to help them look. He worked for the VA hospital in Waco,TX. He found his file. It had been under a plant on top of the filing cabinet used to soak up water. You need help. I wish I could point you in the right direction.

kimmom2five · #5 02/22/12, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwithrow

my husband worked for the dept of Veteran Affairs for over thirty years, and I can tell you for sure if you want your claim to be fast tracked, just write to your state or better your national representatives, and or Senator....

remember it is who you know(even if you personally don't know them)...but when they get an inquiry letter with that letterhead on it, you are suddenly at the top of their list to look at....

no matter how small your issue is, it is big to you and you deserve to get all the benefits coming your way....and they should be coming in a timely manner...

all VA facilities are not equal, call them on this you deserve to be served

That's just not true anymore. When my DH retired from the Air force any disability claims were supposed to be processed within 3 months. After 3 months he contacted Jim Webb and the VA got it done, partially. That was 3.5 years ago. Since then he has not heard one thing about the rest of the claim or his appeal of the original claim. He has contacted Jim Webb at least twice and gets a letter thanking him and promising he will hear from the VA soon and that the senator will also contact him with any news. Nothing else happens after that. I read a news story in the Washington Post I think that the VA claims office building in Roanoke, VA actually has structural issues from the weight of the claims paperwork inside the building.

Esteban29304 · #6 02/22/12, 07:56 AM

First,, do you have copies of all your military records ? Your initial physical will have the results of a hearing test when you first went in, or were tested. Then look at a hearing test for when you were discharged, & see if there was a decline. Mine showed about a 10% decline after 3 years in service. As years passed, my hearing continued to decline on the same scale til I filed a claim 35 years , later & my hearing was so poor. The first claim for service related hearing loss resulted in 0 rating. I appealed it & was awarded 10% . I had also filed a claim for Tinnitus that was done the same way. Zero at first, appelaed & got 10% . The initial claims took about 9-12 months & appeals took another year. Almost 2 years, total, BUT compensation is started from the initial claim, so I got 20% compensation for the almost 2 years, once it was decided in my favor. Many other vets I have talked with have had their first claim for hearling loss compensation declined. If yours is, & you are sure it was from the service ,, appeal.

Huntinfamily · #7 02/22/12, 08:28 AM

It took the VA 5 years and 4 audioligy tests to finally get my hearing aids. I filed a disability claim when I got out. I also added a copy of my entrance physical, copy of medical reports from when I was treated after an IED blast and my final discharge physical. It ended up being my VA doctor that got everything pushed through. I get 0 for the hearing loss but I think 10% for tinitus. My VA doc told me that everything moves SLOW with the VA. See if you can get your Doctor to help. Mine is wonderful and really seems to care

Rick · #8 02/22/12, 08:49 AM

My son received a concussion leaving brain damage (left and right lobes out of sync, epilepsy type symptoms) and other issues resulting from an IED.

The Korean Vets in Pittsburgh helped him keep pressure on and stay on top of things.

It took 18 months for them to decide oh yeah, you have a disability. The gave him his money for the 18 months, too.

Now they are tying to get additional money because he is married, so apply for that if it is warranted.

SmokeEater2 · #9 02/22/12, 08:55 AM

The VA can be pretty slow on stuff like this. An Army Doc told me that he was forwarding my med records to the VA after Desert Storm and I was checked 3 times by the VA and then I didn't hear from them for about a year and I'd pretty much forgotten about the whole thing.

Then I got a letter from them one day saying that I was awarded 20 percent. Every so often they send an updated letter but they haven't asked me to come back for a physical in years.

Good luck to you braggscowboy.

braggscowboy · #10 02/22/12, 09:08 AM

I have done pretty much all of the above. What I was more upset with was an answer from the individual I talked with and her answer. A long time, a very long time is not a good answer. It has been 19 months about it. I am working with the Purple Heart Order and my POA, but still I should be able to get a good answer when I call the VA to check on my file. It is under review, or said to be and has been forever. If we as veterans, did the same thing and dragged our feet like they do, then we would not of been much help in the service. Oh well, guess I will just have to wait and see or start writing letters. I guess most Regional VA's have the same problem. I am wanting to know if Little Rock is the same or worse?

salmonslayer · #11 02/22/12, 10:21 AM

I retired a couple years ago after 33 years of service (24 active) in the Infantry and am still waiting on the VA determination. I have actually had a major surgery in the interval from when I filed and now which necessitated sending even more paperwork. Because I draw a retirement check all I am likely to get is some tax relief but each year that goes by means I will have to file another ammended state and federal tax return if I even want to bother reclaiming some of the taxes paid.

Good luck to you and keep pushing for your benefits.

Old Vet · #12 02/22/12, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braggscowboy

I have done pretty much all of the above. What I was more upset with was an answer from the individual I talked with and her answer. A long time, a very long time is not a good answer. It has been 19 months about it. I am working with the Purple Heart Order and my POA, but still I should be able to get a good answer when I call the VA to check on my file. It is under review, or said to be and has been forever. If we as veterans, did the same thing and dragged our feet like they do, then we would not of been much help in the service. Oh well, guess I will just have to wait and see or start writing letters. I guess most Regional VA's have the same problem. I am wanting to know if Little Rock is the same or worse?

I filed a claim in Little Rock but I had the VFW to help me through. In Little Rock the VFW is the best one around. They take care of the veterans the others are not so good. They stayed on it all the way through. If I had a question they would get an answer for me. They also made sure all the paper work was filled out before they turned it in and saw that it was never lost.

Qhorseman · #13 02/22/12, 10:49 PM

Your not going to retire on wht the VA gives you for hearing loss. I recieve the max for service related deafness. its only 10%

kimmom2five · #14 02/23/12, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qhorseman

Your not going to retire on wht the VA gives you for hearing loss. I recieve the max for service related deafness. its only 10%

But if you have sleep apnea, that's 50%. So if you snore make sure your doctor knows it..

willow_girl · #15 02/23/12, 07:19 AM

My husband has hearing loss caused by the work he did while in the Air Force (aircraft engines are noisy!). He was able to get hearing aids through the VA without any problem, but their audiologists could never get them adjusted to suit him, so now they sit in the drawer, and he complains that he can't hear me because my voice is too soft.