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Edited on Fri Dec-15-06 02:12 PM by UTUSN
and mailed to the Regional VA office in your area. Basic things get attached to it, copy of the DD 214, statement of the vet describing his disability and how it relates to military service in Vietnam. If he's got something like diabetes, and his records show (90 days? 180 days?) ON THE GROUND in Vietnam (although now Navy ships too?), it's an automatic (presumptive) approval for the diabetes (Agent Orage). A copy of ALL scraps of medical records from civilian doctors or anywhere.
The gaps need to be filled in through the vet's statement, since civilian doctors might not be attuned to connecting the medical conditions they are looking at with military service. Write/type on one side of the page only, with the name, Social Security #, DOB at the top of each page. When they first respond, there will be a VA file/claim #, so from then on put THAT name and number on every page of new responses.
For somebody like this fellow, who might seem to be fairly easy to prove, he might be approved in, like, six months.
List EVERY medical and psychological condition, whether it is documented in the existant medical records or not----------diabetes, heart, hypertension, alcoholism, chemical abuse, tinnitus, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome-----EVERYTHING. If they need further proof of the conditons they will schedule him for exams with their contracted doctors. Be specific in the vet's statement, what combat conditions he experienced, what blood and death and wounds he experienced.
Here's the PROBLEM: It is of the UTMOST importance to FOLLOW THROUGH, to keep EVERY appointment, to respond to EVERY request the VA makes. They can deny everything for failure to respond. With a fellow like this, it is very possible he won't follow through.
If he gets approved, there will be percentages attached to his disability-----anything ranging from ZERO (no cash) to 100% (something like $2400 per month). If he gets approved for VA, he then turns around and applies for SSDI from Social Security, which adds on a goodly amount.
There will also likely be a lump sum going back to the (date of application?). Your friend's problems with his family are significant, but he needs to focus on his own solution instead of on them. Actually, the family problems relate to his psychological problems deriving from his military service. He should DO THIS (applicatioN)first. If/when he gets his goodly, unstoppable income, he can BUY so that he will never be homeless again. Of course, it's no guarantee, since the psychological problems (without treatment) often lead to continued, "unnecessary" suffering.
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