FYI PACT Act

[FL-JOE]

I know there was some discussion about the PACT Act in another post. I went online last August and applied for partial disability. The VA is extremely slow and has sent me at least three letter officially informing me of how "slow" they are and that my application was still pending. Now they have contracted my case out to a doctor 40 miles away from where I am staying! I have to go visit him tomorrow morning and then he will do some type of report moving my claim along. My claim was for hypertension (high blood pressure) and migraines. Not sure why my regular VA doctor who prescribes all my meds couldn't do an exam.

Anyway, for vets on here who may have applied under the PACT Act the VA is slowly moving thing along. I'm guessing my claim will either be denied or approved by the end of 2023.

 

[FL-JOE]

Thought I would update this original post. The PACT Act sage continues for me.

I originally filed my own claim for hypertension and migraines. Without going into a ton of detail my evidence was induction and ETS physicals plus my civilian medical records. VA came back and granted me disability for the hypertension but put it at 0 percent. They denied that the military, service in VN, or Agent Orange contributed to the lifelong migraines.

In their reasoning for the 0 percent disability granting, they stated that if I had BP readings consistently of 160/100 or higher than they could assign another number besides zero. Basically, they were saying "hey, go off your three BP meds and get back to us". Since I don't want to stroke out, I went another route.

My congressional office guided me to my local Veteran's Service Officer. Every County in Florida has one. These folks are trained in all matters concerning the VA and disability claims. He looked over my records/evidence plus I obtained additional medical records and he submitted it all as a supplemental document. The VA is reviewing it now.

When he found out the VA gave me hearing tests and subsequently hearing aids he asked about my job and experiences in the Army. After those conversations he files a claim for hearing loss also.

While I was in his office my right ear was covered with a white bandage. It was the result of recent surgery to remove squamous carcinoma skin cancer from my ear. We talked about that plus the 3 prior skin cancer surgeries I have had so he filed another claim.

I have no idea if any of these will be approved by the VA or not. What I did learn is that you are much better off to seek help filing these claims with the VA. My Veteran's Service Officer is a retired E-8 so he knows his way around the military and VA pretty good.

 

[Billyk]

Good luck I am paid for 100% But rated at 70. I also had hearing test they gave me hearing aids but did not change the rate because they pay me 100% I never understand them. I was in UH1H gunner. No ear protection and also we sprayed defoliant.

 

[FL-JOE]

Yes, I have looked at the charts explaining how they compute the ratings. It is really difficult for anyone to get to 100%. For example, right now I am at 10%. If they eventually come back and grant me another 40% that won't automatically mean I will be at 50%. I will get 40% of the 90% I have left. Plus they round that off, so I would probably be at 40% or something like that. Weird.

I read somewhere that they had a "special" computer program all set up to handle the huge amount of claims that were expected for hypertension when the PACT act was passed. That program messed up and denied thousands that should have been granted, so now they are all backed up and are having to go back through all of them. I'm guessing I will get approved this time but it will end up being in 2024.

 

[FL-JOE]

Here is an update....the rest of the story....

So after the county Veterans Resource Officer filed my claims they came back approved. I received 10% tinnitus, 10% for high blood pressure, and 10% for migraines. In the explanation the VA said Agent Orange caused both the high blood pressure and migraines.

Not only does this get me over $500 tax free dollars a month, but my VA HealthCare rating went up. Now I don't pay any deductibles for meds, office visits, eyeglasses, etc.

After the Veterans Resource Officer filed my supplemental claims the VA again sent me to an outside vendor for the BP recordings. This time I stopped taking my 3 blood pressure meds several days prior to the appointment. Just as you would expect my readings with that outside vendor were recorded 225/160 and above. They about freaked out when I told them I had went off my meds for the testing. I told them I brought the meds and they were out in my car. The doctor made me go out and take them immediately! I wouldn't suggest to anyone who applies under the PACT Act to stop taking their meds but I got away with it and it worked for my claim.

After I got approved and received my back pay (they go back and catch you up from when you first applied), I was telling a buddy about the whole ordeal. He was in VN and has had numerous issues. He had bypass surgery several years ago, has high BP, had a couple cancers, and some other issues. He went to his county Veterans Resource Officer and they filed several claims under the new PACT Act. A few months later he received a packet from the VA approving him for 100% disability. As a married disabled Vet he now gets over $4,000 a month tax free, plus all his meds and health care is free through his VA clinic.

Any vets on here that are not on VA HealthCare should at least read the PACT Act and see if any of it could apply to them. Even if you have great health care in the private sector a second layer of protection is always a good idea. I see my VA clinic Doctor once a year but I see a civilian Doctor twice a year on my regular health plan.