Quit Virtue Signaling and File Your VA Medical Claim

If you’re getting out of the military in the next 2 years you should read this poorly written article in its entirety and start working towards a smooth transition with your medical department.

To keep a complicated issue short, the VA medical claim is a tool and a benefit for veterans (YES! It’s a tool so are you if you disagree) to stabilize some of the issues the military lifestyle passes out like candy on Halloween (TBI, Back Pain, Knee Pain, loss of hearing, loss of limb). When considering applying for this benefit don’t compare yourself to other veterans your age, compare yourself to some of your friends and family you left at home. Surely you notice the differences. There is a reason the suicide rate in the military and veteran community is abnormally high (TBI, PTSD, blast exposure). Sure, this COULD be a touchy subject, but it shouldn’t be. If approaching this subject feels uncomfortable, know you’re not alone. If you feel like you are, send us a message and I’ll give you a call myself.

Go get yourself looked at before you get out.

I’m speaking from a place of sympathy, not authority. I questioned filing a claim myself because I assumed VA disability was solely for those who experienced loss of limb. My mom gave me the impetus to go through with the VA claim process when we were at breakfast together while I was on leave. She said, “If you don’t I’m going to be upset. They took so much from you. Your body is beat up, and you’re deaf and you’re only 27”. Thanks, Mom.

The VA medical check will be one of your only opportunities in and out of your military career to tell someone that, “my ankle feels shitty when I walk uphill…or up anything”, and medical actually does something about it. It may sound trivial to you now, but the YOU in 20 years is going to begrudge the fact that you didn’t get compensated. Here lies an important note: IF YOU ARENT SERVICE CONNECTED AFTER 1 YEAR OF GETTING OUT, YOU WILL NEVER BE (Or you may be able to get it done but you’re going to need to lawyer up… they will likely do the work pro bono.. or find a capable veterans group to help you get through the late claim process I’ll expand on that a little later). If you are connected later in life they will back pay you for 1 year even if you’ve been out for eighty.

 Service-connected is a simple term that means your injury was incurred during your time in service. This can only be verified by a doc or PA who has gone through a qualification process with the VA. To summarize, file your claim properly upon your exit from the military. If you can’t think of a single thing that may have happened to you in the military get a piece of paper out and write the header like this, “What hurts”. Take a look at the list below and see if anything on the list is something going on with you, if it is, write it down.

Mental Conditions

• Anxiety Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Adjustment Disorder
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia

Physical

The complete list of disabilities can be found HERE

If none of the above apply to you right now and you don’t think they ever have, Charlie Mike.  Leave the paper on your table for the next 6 months of your transition and a few months after. Keep thinking of anything that may be going on with you and if nothing fits then walk away knowing you have some tough-ass genes, and you’re pretty lucky.

If any of those did apply to you follow through with the next list of recommendations.

• Compile a list of your injuries before you see a doctor. No shit, sit down and think about some things that have happened to you while you were in. Not just while you were wearing camo. While you were in. Period… Yes, even when you were shit-faced and rolled your ankle. The longer you’ve been in the longer you should sit down and think about it.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for X-rays, MRIs etcetera. This is likely the last time you’ll be able to get everything checked. if they X-ray your knee and see nothing ask for an MRI, if the shit bothers you go figure out what needs to be done.
• DON’T wait for someone to walk you through the process. I remember falling 30ft to the ground while rock climbing (technically an off-duty pursuit, but I did go to a lead climbing school and was using what I learned, it doesn’t matter either way though. I was in the military) and after I got out of the hospital in 2 slings and having lost my memory for over 8 hours, no one from my command medical even called. I had to do everything for myself… so will you.
• Don’t be afraid to list embarrassing shit like herpes, lowered libido, ED, IBS, Bed-wetting, and anything that adversely affects your life. Everything should be annotated in your record.
• Pain is relative, just because you’re tough as fuck doesn’t mean you don’t hurt at all. You will later. If a doctor asks you to say when you feel pain, be honest not a badass.
• Some locations and some doctors are more sympathetic to veterans. Use that information however you will.
• Mental conditions like PTSD and Memory Loss aren’t mandatory and permanent features of military life, we get blown up and shoot Carl Gs a lot, that shit isn’t good for you.
• Don’t hesitate to speak with a lawyer to make sure your claim process goes well. Most law firms that handle VA claims won’t charge you a dime they will just take money from your disability check when it comes to you. This is currently frowned upon in the VA Claim sphere. Veterans Service Officers are the government-assigned go-to people to aid you in your claim. HOWEVER, often they don’t cut it and can’t help you because of their blindness to the system because they are in it. I am not disparaging their commitment and knowledge, but if you feel you were unfairly rated you can go to get a few more opinions from VSOs and other organizations. If they don’t tell you what you want to hear you can contact a law group that handles VA Claims and see what they think. There is a great possibility they won’t take your claim if you aren’t going to qualify.
• Doctors don’t know everything and are wrong on far more than one occasion per week. If they say you’re fine and you know you aren’t, fight them for more help. If that doesn’t work lawyer up and let a paid professional fight for you, or try another VSO.
• Lastly and most importantly don’t make a plan to cheat the system and work your ass off to get disability that is not for you. This may be painful to hear for some of you out there. Figuring out how to get disability when you don’t need it is a gross manipulation of a good program. If you’re the reason that the public opinion shifts on disability in the future I will personally come looking for you. It won’t only be me, so cut the crying and get to being a functioning member of society. Lying about PTSD is disgusting FYI. If this is you don’t buy our shit, don’t support our brand, go away. We don’t want you.

LONG STORY SHORT – Get checked out and think about what might not be hurting today, but it does…. when you do that one thing. Some professional advisors can help. Just do a cursory Google search and you’ll find someone. If not, as always, hit me up. Not everything is going to get you money every month, but that isn’t the goal. You want it written down that you got your tinnitus from the military because when you go deaf at 40 you’re gonna be pretty pissed if the VA says it wasn’t service connected so go get fucked and learn sign language instead of getting hearing aids.

P.S. – I used Robert Levine and associates to help me handle my claim. Click the link HERE to go directly to their website. If you’re currently getting disability and you think they are making a mistake on your % reference THIS for the reason why you may be getting less. If you think the VA got it wrong use THIS link and talk to a pro, they’ll let you know if you were screwed.

If you don’t like or don’t want a recommendation like the one above for god’s sake make your own decision and find a VSO and organization that will help or a different law group! I used them and I was happy with the result. Fact.