Openbah / Journal of a Marine Officer Candidate

Category: Marines

  • VA is currently assigning my rating

    Just got off the phone with the VA. I called to check the status of my claim, and to see if there was anything they needed from me. It’s been 4 months since I started the claim, and I haven’t heard from them in quite a while. The man I spoke to told me that my claim had just been transferred to ratings. All the paperwork and evaluations supporting my claim will be looked at, and I will be assigned a rating. He said it could be another 1-2 months, but hopefully won’t be too much longer.

  • First two appointments with the VA

    I just got home from my second appointment with the VA. I had my first appointment last Wednesday. I was right, it turned out to be just a basic medical appointment. I met with a nurse practitioner, and we did a full medical history, starting from my initial injury. She checked my vitals (blood pressure, lung sounds, etc), and then sent me to get my blood drawn. After that I was free to go.

    Today’s appointment was with an orthopedic physician’s assistant. Again, we went over my medical history starting with the injury. This appointment however focused on my leg. She measured all the ranges of motion, and wrote down the degrees. For those of you that don’t know, I lost quite a bit of length in my right leg when I injured it, but never really knew exactly how much. Well, she measured, and it came out to a 2.5cm difference. So basically my right leg is an entire inch shorter than my left. It’s no wonder I limp so bad. Next, I had to rate how my injury affects everyday tasks, such as shopping, bathing, and driving (the degrees were none, mild, moderate, severe, & prevents). Once that was finished I was all set. The whole appointment took a little over an hour.

    I guess now I just wait to hear from the VA.

  • Two appointments scheduled with the VA

    My first two appointments with the VA have been scheduled. The first is at the Boston Outpatient Clinic on Causeway Street, the second is at the Jamaica Plain VA. It is my understanding that the first appointment is a medical appointment, while the second is an orthopedic appointment, though I’m not really sure.

  • Finally getting registered with the VA

    Thanks to solid advice from a reader, I was able to submit my paperwork to the VA for disability compensation. Thank you Don!

    This morning I went to the Disabled American Veterans office and met with a Service Officer who helped me with all the paperwork. Not even 30 minutes later I was finished. I should hear from the VA in a week telling me they received my information. After they retrieve my file from the Department of the Navy (which will take about a month), they will schedule an orthopedic appointment for me. The VA orthopedic doctor will evaluate me, then submit his findings, and the VA will give me another disability rating.

    So why am I getting a second disability rating?

    The military rates only conditions determined to be physically unfitting, compensating for loss of a military career. The VA may rate any service-connected impairment, thus compensating for loss of civilian employability. Another difference is the term of the rating. The military’s ratings are permanent upon final disposition. VA ratings may fluctuate with time, depending upon the progress of the condition. Further, the military’s disability compensation is affected by years of service and basic pay; while VA compensation is a flat amount based upon the percentage rating received.

  • Received my TDRL packet

    I finally received the packet with all of my TDRL (Temporary Disability Retirement List) information in it. It contained information explaining my benefits as well as instructions for my time on the TDRL. I basically need to see a military doctor every 18 months, keep the Marines informed of any change of address or other significant changes (marriage, children, etc), and choose a Tricare health insurance plan.

    As for it aiding my VA registration dilemma, it sadly didn’t help at all.

    The packet also contained something I didn’t expect to receive. (more…)