From the
Columbus Dispatch:
... Starting today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will offer veterans seeking disability
benefits the chance to be eligible for one year of retroactive benefits by filling out
comprehensive disability forms known as Fully Developed Claims [FDCs].
The retroactive program, approved last year by Congress, is an aggressive effort by the Obama
administration to dramatically shorten the wait for disability benefits that tens of thousands of
veterans have been forced to endure. ...
The VA says it can process the FDCs in half the time a more traditionally filed form takes. ...
I would say that such a program would never work at Social Security but I have no idea how a more complete claim form would cut processing time in half at VA. My familiarity with the VA system is quite limited. Does this make sense to those who are familiar with VA?
5 comments:
Tried and true method called "buying down the backlog" or in SSA parlance settling for an adverse onset date as a compromise decision.
Exactly
As a disabled vet I am worried this is going to be a disaster for many claimants. I suspect many will see dollar signs and fail to submit some crucial document, which may have been asked for previously, and instead will result in a lower rating for the vet. I have no idea or have not heard how this will affect the appeals process.
This isn't all or nothing like SS. You get ratings from 10% up to 100%, with a lot of variables. More than a 50% rating can trigger getting the 50% amount plus keeping your full retirement pay - something that doesn't happen with less than a 50% rating. A rating of 60% or more can trigger "unemployability" and escalate your rating up to 100% because of that. Not getting at least a 10% rating can shut you out of their health care system. As I said, a lot of variable and risk in doing this. I wouldn't chance it with a mental illness such as PTSD. But if you're missing limbs it's probably a good deal.
I am a Disabled Vet also, and I'm going through the appeals processes at this time, and I am in the 7th year of this process, I received a 10% disability back in 2009 and it should have been a 30% Disability. I seen the Judge the first of March of this year, and was told last week it could be another 6th months before he makes a dissuasion on my case. They said they were working on 2010 appeals and my appeal started in 2011.
The VA low-balled me the first time as well. They gave me a 40% rating, which was really a 30% rating because the way they calculated one of my 10% ratings.
I appealed it because of the seriousness of my problems and they gave me a 100% rating a couple years later after another round of medical screenings..
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