Anyone who writes a buddy letter should include their contact information, their name and signature, the full name of the veteran that the letter is for, and the date. How to File a VA Claim for Sleep Apnea My stressor is about 1 page long, but my VSO told me it was not good enough to get approved. Now the VA after turning me down for PTSD because I cannot give them names I again am fighting the system. PDF Buddy Statements For Sleep Apnea - J & J Spring Enterprises I filed for my disability upon discharge was was rated at 0% service connection on three issues. First, it is important to choose the right type of planter and support system for your plants. They had over two months to get them there and failed an easy task. I would also notice he seems to be almost tired in the morning, he feels irritable and would fell asleep sometime. I am in the process of obtaining evidence for an appeal that I submitted. Total Disability Individual Unemployability. I have been on medication since 2012 (after my deployment OEF). my claim is going on almost 2 years with a congressman backing me an nothing has happen. Hi, my name is Chris Narcoman, over at the Veterans Law Blog, and if you watch today's video, I bet you have a lot of questions about getting a sleep apnea disability claim, listen, veterans ask me more questions . His tone was very matter of fact. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! (You know, lead them by the hand, show them every little detail.) Depression, for example, may have been the cause for the daytime sleep patterns, not OSA. I am and will always be proud to have served our great country. I have seen a therapist and a psychiatrist, but that just drains me talking about these things all of the time. VA Regional Office Contact those organizations also on your behalf. Jerel L. York, National Pre-Discharge Claims Representative Copyright 2023 VA Claims Insider, LLC. They have a Duty to Assist. Sample letter for sleep apnea: Fill out & sign online | DocHub I was almost died Jan 4 2010 with a double anuresym of my aorta one part was repaired with a stint and the other has not been repaired as of yet. U S Army retired SSgt 101st Airborne Division, Fort Camnpbell, Kentucky 1972. As I tell all my clients, just having a condition does not merit a disability rating from the VA. Most of the time, the evaluating doctor will complete the NEXUS letter, however, sometimes the veteran must do it. I, Joe Smith, hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the following is true and correct to the best of my knowledge: John Doe and I served together as combat engineers in the U.S. Marine Corps from August 1984 to August 1992. Nexus Letter Military Disability Made Easy #1 in Veterans Disability examinations for the VA. Who was leading the VA prior to the current Secretary Two decades have passed, It sickens me knowing what this country took from me and how terrible they treat the soldier after they screw him or her up. He is also featured regularly in national publications as an authority on Department of Veterans Affairs policy such as Bloomberg News, Foreign Policy Magazine, Washington Times, Fox News, CBS, NBC, Star Tribune and more. Buddy letters | Stateside Legal I average 2 appointments per week assisting fellow veterans. But VA told that I do not get anything, nothing change. This information is especially important if your service treatment records lack sufficient medical evidence of any in-service disability or condition. One thing I found is my doctors never did Blood sugar tests on me in-service, My diabetes was diagnosed post discharge by the VA, but since I have diabetic family members, they said Non-service connected. They said they needed more info from my regional office in Reno and that they had not investiagted my claim enough. Did you serve in combat? In fact, this post was written based on that experience during my first year of law school. Good Luck, DT. If they were in our shoes they wouldnt be able to wear them because they probably couldnt handle it. To whom it may concern. I filed a CUE claim on the asthma which was granted in 1988, with an initial rating to date of discharge of 10% and then a 30% rating from date of the approved CUE. The thought of the VA letting vets die before they decide a claim makes me want to punch whoever is in charge. Well it turns out that those super strong titanium rods and screws holding my spine together arent that strong after all. Thanks. Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from theUnited States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State Universitys Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class). Service connection may also be granted for any disease diagnosed after discharge, when all of the evidence, including that pertinent to service, establishes that the disease was incurred in service. thay gave me a rating of 10%. Your VA sleep apnea rating is based upon the severity of your condition. A lot of what are now compensated conditions were not known when many veterans were in-service. Be sure to get a copy of your file using the Freedom of Information Act request letter. Click on Trace Your Claim Since cutting back on his drinking, John slowly began to open up to me about what happened while he was deployed. I was 10% SC for hypertension but not snoring. Use any workman comp awards after your served and it pertains to your present claim, espeically if you believe that the military cause the issue in the first placelike mental health issues, some work settings can worsen symptoms with PSTD, Major Depression and insomonia . I hope this help a case * I meant to say that.. I went to neurology several months ago and she listed in report that I told her I had not had a seizure in years and I was furious, so sent her letter stating I never had a seizure period and she never responded. Currently 90% sc and had to retire early do to my sc disabilities. Really good job bilking old Vets out of money when a half-way decent VSO can do it for free-my point is shop around and interview them as to what they have experience with. I am also going through the compensation process for my issues related to service. With sleep but rather, buddy letters should you may experience during that buddy statements . Va Spouse Letter Example for Sleep Apnea Not the form you are looking for? Conditions are automatically considered service-connected . *A medically untrained individual is not usuallycompetentto offer a medical opinion regarding the etiology of disorders and such an opinion is generally assigned little probative weight. How they come to this conclusion is beyond me, because as far as I know I didnt know you could joint the military as a cancer patient. VA court Sleep apnea now a rated disability Roswell Daily. In 2009, I started my fight again for my benefits. A long, rambling letter just obscures why you are writing. Bobbigidy said: Hi all, I am currently diagnosed at 50% PTSD. Fortunately, the VA offers sleep studies to veterans who may be suffering Top 5 Reasons for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Claim Denials (Plus OSA Service Connection Tips) Was your obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) VA claim denied? I am a military mom, my boy served on the USS EnterpriseHe came home a wreck. No payment until after dead. I was not diagnose obese while AD but my sick call SMR indicate my wait was over 200. They make so many mistakes and if the info was in, and it wasnt reviewed properly and a erroneous disability determination was determined, that is a mistake they made. As for VSOs, do your homework-some are really on the ball, others are useless and it shows in the initial claims we get. LOL, this John B sounds like the same F**ktard spewing his hatred of veterans all over facebook. In this example, the brother of a veteran is writing on behalf of his brother with PTSD. I strongly agree that only vets care about vets. When it comes to free meals on veterans day he gowns himself with stolen valor uniforms cause he has no documentation of being a veteran just to feed his fat self. He is no longer in the telephone business and avoids electrical contact, He left the phone company via buyout for that same reason, constant stress of this happening again. (Quote from Forrest Gump). I found the link below during a google search for VA comp attorneys. I filed under the benefit delivery at discharge program (goal of 2-4 months for determination after separation) and now almost 7 months after separation I have no rating decision. I live in Anderson, IN Before drafting your letter, be sure to look through your service medical records to get your dates right. What is the veterans reaction toward VA giving out 17 million dollars in free bonus during the year 2015. When it comes to sleep apnea, there are several types that you can qualify under. Benjamin, thanks for the insight. He said they didnt want the extra documents and I would be wasting my and their time including it. In 2009, I was finally forced to face my sleeping problems. I have rad this whole article by mistake whille searching info for a fellow veteran. He refused to see a psychologist because he insisted he could care for himself and went back to work as a chef. the va had done x-rays and mris and the va apointed doctor stated that basically this guys back is beyond repair. I recall almost on a regular basis where it sounded as if he was choking in his sleep and gasping for air. Both the Va and Sen.Levins office called me about this and said it was in the highest level. I dont know about you but the times I get a rejection letter, I put it in my bible because I know It is already DONE. How do I know this to be true, because GOD said so. This is very depressing:-(. The more help, the better. It was good to see him, and I hope that, in time, we can restore our friendship to the way it was before we deployed. Click Go Elite Now below to get started today and a member of our team will be in touch within minutes. A large percentage of denied VA disability claims are later overturned on appeal. Just another vet giving out bad information. How would be there ? My summary letter was 5 pages. This type of sleep apnea occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep. I think that claim denials will soon hit an all time high. what a joke. Many VA hospitals and clinics have in-house SOs from the DAV, state, etc to help guide you. Call your VA counterpart and ask about your claim at least once a month. At that time the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was 37, and even worse at 63 when supine postion. Went to all their doctors too. Tell me why. So we when went to QTC, and I already faxed his evidence that I gathered including the reckless driving speeding tickets, my documented proof of me trying to contact the base before he deployed, I wanted him to talk to somebody. Were here for disabled veterans exploring eligibility for increased VA disability benefits and who wish to learn more about that process. Awesome info. My original claim was filed in 2005. Getting a spousal letter supporting sleep apnea is a great way to get this lay evidence. I am very good with SSI/SSDI cases because that is my actual job 9 to five.. and vicodin 10s every 4 hours for pain and also celexa 10mg for depression, but hey im employable lol. Ben, can i ask where you found the information on the epa reports and such for the buildings you were stationed in? I waited until I had enough medical evidence. Then in the spouses own words, talk about the change noticed in the veteran. Any ways if anyone wants any info. It will change your life. PTSD can turn a friendly, outgoing person into a withdrawn loner. He was also paranoid and reactive. Regardless of the cause of your sleep apnea, a signed and dated letter from your spouse can go a long way to assisting you in filing a winning claim for this disability. Well, things got rolling with my new advocate and talking with someone at the Regional Office, I ended up getting 70%, because in 2005 I should of received 50% and then 70%, so of course I received a good amount of back pay. Buddy Letters (Buddy Statements), also known as Lay Statements, can serve as valuable pieces of evidence for VA claims. Then the legislation is flawed and riddled with loopholes, a WWII hero with an amazing service record is denied because his income is slightly over the limit (he did the right thing by working and saving money); yet some dirtbag who sprained an ankle in basic training in 1995, who got separated and subsequently gets the HIV (how that is service connected is beyond me..my drill sergeant forced me to share needles or have unprotected sex?) [font=&]I hereby certified this is true and accurate. To update this-I finely got my claims corrected with much effort and the help of Sen.Levins office. It was my Teams SOP to only give 30 day windows-regardless of what category of evidence we were requestingthen the claim can be denied on the basis of failure-to-prosecute. After his left ankle surgery in 1996, he was unable to regularly exercise and he gradually gains weight. The help that I received came from VETERANS QUALITY of LIFE ACCESS NETWORK INC., located in New York City, NY.