My husband was Diagnosed with EX SCLC in June 2008. He has filed for a service connected disability with the VA in July/08. Does anyone out there know how long it takes to have his claim approved? He has been seen by a VA Doctor in Brooklyn on the 15th of September and we have not heard anything from them since. If anyone has any advice it woulod be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
It could take quite a while for his approval to come through, but know that all benefits and payments go back to the date of his filing. I would recommend that you check out your local American Legion post and talk to the service officer there to see if they can lend some assistance. I know the service officers here locally in GA are great at assisting the vets with their claims, and finding out what is happening. Seeing as you have filed the claim and have already had the appointment with the Dr's you should be on your way with the results, but also know that since they started the Agent Orange research and asking all vets from certain era's to get checked for it there has been a swarm of claims as well as all of the claims coming in from the Iraqi veterans and so forth. Hope this helps in some way.
Scott
Thank you Scott for your reply. We had the Vet center in Staten Island assist us with the claim and they were very good at it. Just seems to be taking forever. Hopefully we will hear something soon
Thanks
I am a retired Marine who served in Viet Nam. I have sclc-ext and applied for a claim with the VA in July 08. I am still waiting. Did get a letter stating they had requested letters from my doctors which my doctors have received and sent back. Don't know why it takes so long since they have approved connection with agent orange and lung cancer. All you should need to do is show you served in Viet Nam and have lung cancer. End of story. Send me a check.
Exactly, My husband has been out of work since May. He has been approved for SSD but will only recieve a check in January and the VA has all of the info that they have requested from the Dr. so what is the hold up. After a few go arounds with them already concerning paperwork that they have requested I am of the opinion the the right hand of the VA doesn't know what the left had is doing. Have you had an appointment yet with the Pension and Compensation Doctor? Hope that things are going well for you. Thanks for replying
My dad maybe in the same situation. He also served in Vietnam and had a biopsy for potential lung cancer last week, but we do not have the results yet. Are either of you treating through the VA or are you just applying for the disability benefits? I am very disappointed to hear that processing takes so long! If the unlikeable becomes true and my dad does have cancer, he will need the benefits. He is self-employed and therefore, does not have disability benefits from an employer. If he cannot work, he will not have much of an income :(
Sorry to hear about your Dad. My husband was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan not by the VA, basically because his health insurance through his work for a US shipping company covered his care. We actually live in Canada but spend 4 1/2 months in NY so he could get his treatments there. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we applied in July and still have not recieved any money from SSD or Veterans Affairs.
Sorry to hear about your Dad. My husband was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan not by the VA, basically because his health insurance through his work for a US shipping company covered his care. We actually live in Canada but spend 4 1/2 months in NY so he could get his treatments there. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we applied in July and still have not recieved any money from SSD or Veterans Affairs.
My ex husband was in Viet Nam and he filed for Post Tramatic Stress sydrome many years ago. It literally took years. Social Security was much faster. I would have hoped they had improved by now
Julie
I am not being treated by the VA but could if I wanted as could any vet. I do get a small pension from the VA which is tax free because of a back injury and prostate cancer which is also been connected to agent orange. I think the prostate cancer got me an extra 100.00 per month so don't expect a lot of money from them. I have only been contacted by then once by letter saying they have my claim and are contacting my doctors. No appointment with them but why would you need one if you have lung cancer, servered in Viet Nam. and the VA has already approved a connection between lung cancer and agen t orange?
Anything the gov. is connected with is always f-----ed up.
Skip
my dad has also filed for agent orange. Even ended up getting the congress woman involved because they were giving him so much crap and he was getting bills that he should not have been getting. He is not being treated for his cancer with the VA, they have proven to us that they would let him die. He already gets disability from the VA for other issues and they told him he would not get anymore money if it were approved but still...
Good luck
I was diag with NSC Lung Cancer March 2007. Had lobotomy removing right upper lobe of lung. Staged IIIA.
Chemo April 2007 through August 2007. 3 month cycle of CAT scans/XRAYs and lab tests to monitor recurrence or metastasis. So far NED (No Evidence of Disease). Applied for C&P, Agent Orange Jul 2008. Have C&P exam coming up December 11th. The wheels move very slowly.
Have a DAV Service Officer representing me. Lately he's difficult to get hold of. Without his input I'm assuming that the VA accepts validity of claim elements of "boots on ground" (I had two tours in VietNam - 67-68 and 70-71) and lung cancer. The C&P is to determine "current level of disability". If lucky, will get 10% because I am in "remission", but, have residuals from treatment. It is also possible that I may be rated SC-0% (Service Connected with no current disability).
Had I applied back in March or April, I would have gotten 100% for the period March to August and for 6 months after the end of my chemo-therapy. Then I would have been scheduled for re-evaluation as it would be expected that treatment would reduce or eliminate the disability. That's how it works.
Someone staged IVA or B normally gets 100% and P&T (Permanent and Terminal). I'd rather get a lower rating and live longer.
The process can take a year or more, but, when finally approved, payments are retroactive to date of application (not date of diag or treatment). Some recipients then get a huge "catch-up" check and then the normal monthly checks.
I'm not expecting much in the way of dollars, but, want to be registered and recognized in case things go south (income and health) and I need the VA as a back-up for treatment and prescriptions.
Now am a Kaiser Permenente member through my wife's work, and while the co-payments can add up, have been generally pleased with treatment.
Bottom line - process is excruciatingly slow, but, compensation, when it finally arrives, is retroactive.
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