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Old 06-26-2014, 3:28 PM
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rackops51 rackops51 is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Kern County
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I'm a little late to the party, but here's my experience...

I got out of the Navy at the end of June 2011. I had submitted my VA claim with the CA Dept of Veteran's Affairs at the beginning of the month as everyone (VA counselors, DAV counselors, etc.) I talked to in VA (where I was stationed) told me to wait till I got to where I was going to work as a civilian to make the claim. I had a month of terminal leave, so I filed the claim right when I got onto it.

I got the normal letters from the VA, apologizing about being slow, blah blah blah...They couldn't find my medical record, so I sent them a copy (and got the return receipt!) And then, a couple months later, they couldn't find it...again. And then........again. Luckily, I kept all my return receipts, as they came in handy later...

FINALLY, in October 2012, I got notified that I had appointments for my hearing test and physical. This was 16 months after I put in my claim...and now things were just getting started! Luckily for me, I did the hearing test the same day as the physical, and wouldn't you know it...I got to the physical and the idiots had scheduled it for the SAME TIME as the hearing test...and they were 15 miles apart! AGH!

So I then had to wait a month for another physical (from what I've heard, that's not a bad wait, actually...)

Anyway, I finally get the physical wrapped up in November 2012. Now I was free and clear...right?

I sat there, checking my status on eBenefits and sure enough, they lost my medical record...AGAIN. So I sent it to them AGAIN.

I watched, for no apparent reason, the date of completion stretch from March 2014 (note this is January 2013) to December 2014, then all the way out to November 2016! SERIOUSLY???

In February 2013, I ended up in the hospital for something that had carried over from being in the military and I had to pay out of pocket for the treatment. While it didn't really break the bank, I was still pissed off. So, in my medicated and pissed off mood, I wrote my congressman. That, of course, flew in the face of everything I was trained to do after 13 years in the Navy: "Trust the military..." "Never write your congressman..."

Anyway, on eBenefits, my status went into "special holding", and a month and a half later, I was at work when a heavy packet showed up in the mail. My wife opened it, and sure enough...my entire VA claim was complete; disability determined, and they thanked me for my patience!

I often think about what would have happened if I hadn't of written my congressman...and just what the heck his staffers did to get the VA off their collective hindquarters. I don't have a clue...but whatever it was, IT WORKED!

We're now going through the process with my wife (she is also a veteran). She's in the same kind of limbo, though oddly, she got part of her physical done very quickly...and then...it's been crickets for the rest of the claim. Really odd...we're not quite sure what to make of it. We're only about a year into the claim process though and look forward to seeing how this one progresses...

Dave
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