It should really be workers comp but if we're still able bodied to work then, we work for some extra income. But posting in r/Money showing how much you get from VA yearly ontop off a full-time job makes all the other vets who arent able to work but are also 100% p&t, look bad.

I recieved a 40% rating back in May 2020, for Vietnam service/Diabetes/peripheral neurapathy. I did the intent-to-file in August 2019, didn't get my C&P until nearly Dec 2019, and then finally in May 2020, recieved the 40% rating. That whole claim cycle took nearly 9 months..

Fast forward to now: I put in a Tinitus claim in early July of this year, within a couple of weeks, I was notified for the C&P, and within days after the C&P, I got the decision letter for 10% Tinitus. Though due to the wacky VA "math" I got zero $$ increase there.

Since my hearing is shot besides the tinitus, I decided to put in a hearing claim around the middle of September. Again, I was notified of the C&P exam within less than two weeks after filing, and yesterday, I got the decision letter... 20%, putting me now at 60%.. Impressed..

I'll be having a major surgery soon that has a low risk of death, but you never know. My wife is concerned of course.

I'm a 100% Disabled Veteran. What happens if that actually happens? Do the surgeons carry insurance, for malpractice? Or would my wife have to potentially sue?

This isn't a surgery that should cause issues, I'll be under for just a couple of hours.

Credit to: https://veteran.com/va-disability-rates/

Official increase rate is 3.6%. Biggest in a few years. Due to the recent oil price increase.

This is just my opinion but I do believe the inflation has been more than 3.6%. Feels more like 5~6%. They usually make this number up based on how they feel like. It's not even possible to audit this made up CPI figure either.

Say you sign up for VA healthcare and your first VA appointment set three weeks distant, but in the meantime you need to visit an urgent care where there are no VA facilities, and you would like the VA to cover the cost. I see there is a stipulation in order to use urgent care you must have received VA healthcare first, and within two years. Couple questions:

Does care received mean any type of care received via the VA or Community Care? Meaning if you only have had mental counseling, would that satisfy the requirement for needing urgent care treatment for a physical injury or illness?

Should you obtain short-term medical insurance for this three-week gap until you can be seen at the VA for your appointment?

After getting out of the military I went to school to become a respiratory therapist. I graduated, got licensed, and worked for a few years in different departments around the hospital. I worked in the ICU, NICU, and ER. I had one patient that just really triggered my PTSD (Rated 70% PTSD due to MST, 80% total). That was the start of the downfall for my career. I started calling out, spiraling, and eventually was let go. I am a mom of 3 and my husband works as an Ironworker, but living in southern California, one income, va disability for 80% total, and 3 kids, just is not cutting it. I started wfh part-time for a friend who is a real estate agent. I basically audit her sales and make sure all her paperwork is perfect before it gets submitted to escrow/ state etc. But really it makes only $600 a house and has no benefits. I want to get a career going that is flexible (I am the primary parent) and something that won’t trigger my PTSD. I’ve been in therapy for awhile now and I’m on a good medication regime. I applied for VR&E benefits, but I’m really wondering what type of careers people do that are in a similar situation? The idea of anything IT makes me want to rip my eyeballs out. My parents are both civil servants and work in Cyber/IT, so I’ve been around those fields almost my whole life. You can’t tell me they’re enjoyable lol. Every career aptitude test I took through the VR&E links puts me back in the medical field, specifically nursing. I wouldn’t mind nursing due to the versatility. I can work in telehealth, psyche, women’s health. there’s options outside of critical care. I just feel like they will deny that path based on my previous experience. which I mean I can’t blame them. Any advice on career paths that would be more likely to be approved outside of IT/ cyber/ anything computer system related?

TIA

Has anyone experienced this that they can offer additional insight??

I was granted community care for my GI’s office like 2 months ago. (I get monthly remicade infusions)

And for some reason they keep billing the appointments to my account. I’m here at my doctors currently and the front desk told me i have an outstanding balance on my account for like 3k and i’m not understanding why when they were given the community care referral beforehand and i haven’t maxed out on my visits yet?

Also i made an appointment with a GI through the VA so this can go a lot smoother but their earliest appointment they have for me is in February 🙂 so im stuck using community care till then 😪

I’ve requested a withdrawal back in August to the board of veterans appeals and said they received on the 11th of August.
Two months later still waiting. Called many times and got an email to email them. Has anyone dealt with this and how long has it taken for the appeal to resolve itself?

My wife got a call from (877)717-7581 claiming to be "Jack with VA benefits". I'm assuming it was a scam caller. Has anyone ever been called by the VA? Also I have a Law firm representing me over my VA claim, so I'm sure the VA would have reached out that way.

FYI
Friendly reminder that even though the increase becomes effective Dec 1st, since compensation is paid a month in arrears the first check where you’ll see the new monthly amount will be January.🫡

She told me to breathe in and out, 2 mins a day. and come back next month.

She hasn't asked me about anything really...except the anger issues. She doesn't know about my hygiene issues or anything, because she didn't ask.

Is this common? If there's a better reddit forum to ask this question, please let me know. She's not a therapist..and I can't remember what she said she is. But she acts like a pre-school teacher and I'm the pre-schooler.

Hey are the any veterans that have attended Schools through the G.I.Bill abroad? Seems pretty difficult even to contact people and go through the whole Visa Process, while not knowing anyone at the university or country. Any information helps

How many of you have dropped part B Medicare and how has it been? Here's my situation:

- I'm in priority group one
- I use VA exclusively
- I use Community Care as needed
- I don't want to pay for something I'll likely never use.

I'm fully aware of the 10% penalty / year for non-enrollment. I live in a small county (under 9500) and there are only 7 MA plans here, only one with any modest premium reduction and that plan has zero enrollment. It's likely even that plan will go away after 2027. Humana just dropped the USAA Honors plan here for 2027. All current plans in my county are Aetna.

Thanks for any replies...

I submitted a VR&E application on September 8th, 2026 and still havent heard back. I am located in Northern Virginia. I called the VA and they told me the application was submitted but theres nothing they could do as they were waiting on a case manager to be assigned.

Is there anyone I should reach out to to hopefully push this request through quicker?

Is there anyway to figure out the full information included in the remarks section of the pdf? It seems to be a fillable form but the document was scanned so I cannot view the rest of the section. Are there any tricks I can use to see what else was stated?

I understand the cutoff line reads: Medical Opinion for Secondary Service Connection: Choose from the following: [] The claimed condition is less lekely than not....

but I can't scroll further in the section to see what they marked.

Hi. I have an informal conference tomorrow related to an increase I filed back in March. VA PCP sent me for a CT due to sinus/ear infections and polyps were found. I later went to an ENT who confirmed the polyps with a nasal endoscopy. The claim was closed and 0% for rhinitis was continued due to “no polyps present”. I submitted the HLR next day.

A week later I had surgery. The VA requested records from the ENT after the surgery and has access to the post-op report. That report states polyps were removed. I plan to stick to evidence submitted before the decision, since no new evidence is allowed?

Will the VA look at the new evidence through the HLR, or would that be considered if a DTA is found and a supplemental claim opened?

Is it possible to be receiving GI Bill benefits, going to school, and drawing a monthly housing allowance without any document existing that substantiates all that?

And what would that document be, the Education Verification Letter? How do you get it?

Anyone know how it works when put on orders/tours/deployments? I understand it as pausing Va pay when it's a long term set of orders. But is there anything else to know?

Also does anyone know how the "pay back process" when you owe debt for getting both mil & Va pay work at the end of the year?

Submitted my supplemental claim today for some feet conditions. Got a nexus letter and more medical records. Let the anxiety begin...

I have a question tho, I got denied in Feb 2026. The claim was started in January 2026. Will I have to do another C&P exam and xrays?

i got out of the military in march, i experienced mania in pretty sure during summer (may to july) I can’t even remember most of it but can remember how i felt. I had some traumatic events that happened within a year. I’m going to general exam and bring it up but will the examiner think i’m fucking crazy or something like i’m diagnosed ocd after service

Hey everyone, I’m still active duty and going through IDES/MEB for MDD. I’ve completed my C&P exams and reviewed my DBQs. They include diagnoses for my claimed conditions, and the documented symptoms and limitations appear to line up with favorable ratings based on the corresponding CFR criteria.
I know nothing is guaranteed until I receive my proposed ratings, but how much confidence can I reasonably have at this point? Since these conditions are being documented and diagnosed while I’m still on active duty, are there potential service connection or evidence issues I should still be aware of?

For those who’ve been through IDES, did your proposed ratings generally match what your DBQs supported? Has anyone received a denial or significantly lower rating despite a favorable DBQ, and what was the reason?
Everything looks encouraging, but I keep feeling like something could go wrong. Just trying to understand whether there’s a specific concern I should look for or whether I have good reason to feel optimistic.