What is HadIt.com Veteran to Veteran LLC?
A Veteran Based Site to Guide veterans through the Veterans Affairs process for filing a claim for service connected disability compensation. We combining the Knowledge, Skills, and abilities of Veterans to provide other Veterans the Information and support they need dealing with the VA system.
What can I do here?
Utilize our site and discussion forum to research V. A. Claims procedures benefits. Search for topics of interest. Join our active discussion forum and post questions to other veterans.
6. What is a service-connected disability?
A disability is service connected if you can prove that it resulted from injuries or an illness that you had in the military. It also includes conditions can be established are secondary to a service-connected illness or disease. It further can include a condition you had before the service that was aggravated by your service. The only conditions that are excluded are those that result from alcohol or drug usage.
More Questions on this topic? Ask it here http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1394
7. Do I need to have incurred an illness or injury while wearing a uniform, on base or on a ship or at war?
No. You can be service connected for almost any illness or injury caused while you were in service or on leave from service.
More Questions on this topic? Ask it here http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1395
8. How do I establish service connection? Click Here For More
Read All Faq's Here.
Claims Tip Manuals, Codes & Laws
US code is the law. CFR is how the VA interprets the law and M21 is how the VA is supposed to apply the law. This may not make sense to you now, but you are going to see these terms thrown around quite a bit and this is just a good rule of thumb.
Benefit Tip Co-Payment Reimbursement
After receiving your service connection at 50% or above you can receive reimbursement for co-payments made from you initial service connection date. Take your award letter to your treating VA Medical Center go to Patients Affairs and ask them for the reimbursement.
10 Year Anniversary for hadit.com Veteran to Veteran
This is hadit.com Veteran to Veteran’s 10th year of operation and I wanted to thank you all. Without you there would be no hadit.com.
When I started hadit.com I was adrift in a vast sea on small raft I had cobbled together, the winds were rough and the sea unforgiving but I drifted on. From time to time I would see another raft drift by, tie on I would say we will go the rest of the way together. And that is how we began, a few rafts tied together sharing resources and manpower and now look at us. A fine ship indeed with the best crew a skipper could ask for. Together forward shipmates we will sail. Gathering any that want to join our crew and work towards our common goal of helping veterans to that final port of call where they receive the compensation they earned. Some will leave us at this port and others will sign on as part of the crew. I tell you this veterans any veteran who sincerely wants help with their claim or sincerely wants to help veterans with their claim will find a berth on this ship.
Benefit Tip 100% Benefit Commissary and Exchange Privileges
Unlimited exchange and commissary store privileges in the United States are available to honorably discharged veterans with a service connected disability rated at 100 percent, un remarried surviving spouses of members or retired members of the armed forces, recipients of the Medal of Honor, and their dependents and orphans. Certification of total disability is done by VA. Reservists and their dependents also may be eligible. Privileges overseas are governed by international law and are available only if agreed upon by the foreign government concerned. Though these benefits are provided by DOD, VA does provide assistance in completing DD Form 1172, contact the nearest military installation.
Claims Tip Retro Award Certain AO Claims
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is adding a new provision to its adjudication regulations concerning certain awards of disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC). The new rule explains that certain awards of disability compensation or DIC made pursuant to liberalizing regulations concerning diseases presumptively associated with herbicide exposure may be made effective retroactive to the date of the claim or the date of a previously denied claim, even if such date is earlier than the effective date of the regulation establishing the presumption. The new rule also provides that VA may pay to certain survivors of a deceased beneficiary. Contact your local VA at 1-800-827-1000 for specifics.
WINNING THE CLAIMS GAME
You finally decided to file a VA claim for disability, so now what do you do? Maybe you already have started the paperwork yourself or have been helped by a veteran rep filling out the required VA Forms and are now one of many waiting to hear from the VA about your claims status.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, it’s time to realize that you are involved in a giant paper shuffle and this IS NOT a spectator sport.
You must be actively involved with your claim. No one else has an interest in the outcome of your claim as much as you do. You are dealing with the Government, even though recent changes in law favoring the veteran have been enacted, it is still up to you to provide supportive evidence for your claim and become familiar with the rules and regulations the VA plays by.
1. Get competent representation, don’t go it alone. Be picky, interview several reps until you locate one that you feel confident with.
2. Send the required SF-180 form to request COMPLETE copies of military service files (including medical & personnel), a 2nd SF-180 form to request updating of Awards & Decorations, and a 3rd SF-180 form requesting a DD-214 if needed. TIP: When filing out forms it's helpful to fill the form completely out and before you sign it make a few copies in case you have to fill it out again. It also contains valuable information if you keep a copy of the form you can use for a reference.
3. Make a list and request copies of all Medical files from private physicians and hospitals ( available to you under the Freedom of Information Act) You can click here for a sample letter you can use.
4. Request a copy of your Units History & lineage from the appropriate archive.
5. Keep a file of all correspondence (make sure to staple the envelope to the letter for postmark date) with the VA; note received date in your logbook with a brief description.
6. Keep copies of everything you send to the VA, do not send originals unless required.
7. Never send documentation or requests directly to the VA. Always route through your rep as he/she should be keeping a log of information received and sent to VA dates. ( this is a back up source when the VA says they lost or did not receive a document from you) Also, your rep should be going over everything you submit checking for, and eliminating, items that would be detrimental to your claim.
8. Use the sources of information and links from this website. Use our discussion forum it's very active you can post your question in the any section that is pertinent to your question. It may take a day or so but there's usually at least one veteran out there that can lend some assistance. Use references, access to the laws and rules governing VA Benefits, tips, suggestions, and aids in helping you become knowledgeable.
9. There are no stupid questions, check the FAQ’s first, then ask for help.
10. Follow the guidelines laid out on the website and follow through with backup for everything.
Expect to continue learning as you go, education is ongoing, share with your brother and sister veterans whenever possible, knowledge is power, we can learn from each others mistakes and avoid problems others have overcome. Welcome Home !! Thank you for your service.
