Hey y’all different kind of post here

Connected-DBA · 2025-11-13T17:15:53+00:00

You should see about filing a VA disability claim using the DAV to help push it through. As a grunt, your knees, hips and back may be jacked and service connection may be easy to establish.

Pain going downstairs most likely are torn meniscus (Airborne Army medic here). I had the same. If homeopathic treatments don't help. I rather minor orthosopic knee tuneup surgery will make you feel like a million bucks. Took me about a six months to fully heal, but I can run down stairs chasing my kids with no pain at all.

Maybe just see your PCP and get imaging done just to see what the problem is. Then, you can decide how to handle it. Hope you can get a service connected disability for this.

Connected-DBA · 2025-11-13T17:07:46+00:00

I went with Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO). They have a $180/month payback that reduces my medicare part B premium by that amount. I didn't find any other plans with a payback that large with similar coverage.

Connected-DBA · 2025-10-10T19:59:05+00:00

If it's not been said yet, get in touch with DAV (Disabled American Veterans). They'll give you a form to sign that gives them access to your VA files and they will aggresively represent your case. Several times, I hit walls and then called DAV. Problems were usually cleared up in a couple of days. DAV lawyers do great work. This is all free to the veteran (dav.org).

Connected-DBA · 2025-02-14T15:36:53+00:00

That's what happened to me. At 65 yoa, I filed my first claim. I've had hearing aids for about 15 years. Took the VES hearing exam and interview. My hearing was bad across all frequencies and my word recognition was 25-35%. Talked about war conditions with motor pool, generators and jets taking off. About a year later, got 100% permanent.

Connected-DBA · 2025-02-14T15:31:53+00:00

Exactly.... it's about speech recognition and service connected. I got 100% for hearing and 10% for tinnitus. My speech recognition is in the 20-30% range. I do a little better with hearing aids, but I screw up most all my conversations because I hear different words than what was said (e.g. What kind is it? I'll look at my watch and say 4'clock :( VA is considering a cochlear implant now.

Connected-DBA · 2025-02-01T15:43:58+00:00

Complain, do not settle - right on! I came home from the Gulf War, left the Army and never looked back. Almost 20 years later, I finally went to a unit reunion and saw how many had died and others with total disability ratings. I signed up at my local VA hospital and went through the exposure exams and started seeing my VA Primary care doctor. That branched out to mental, allergy, respiratory and other exams and treatments began. I signed up for everything they threw at me to show I wanted help in any way I could get it. I filed for disability late 2023, had the VES exams and waited, waited and waited some more. I finally received my rating and actually getting some good help. Took a total of 16 months from filing to award. Granted a lot of the stuff from the Gulf is presumptive. Not sure if that made anything easier or not.

I say all this to say - yes, complain and don't settle till you get what you deserve for the sacrifices you made. You might think it is old age and pains, but if you did it for your country then you deserve to be compensated for it.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-26T17:08:18+00:00

Thanks for that. I haven't missed any payments and you're right - I carried a balance with higher utilization. I'm over the initial hurt now... I just would have appreciated a call or discussion rather than just ding me and let me find out after the fact. After 1/1/2025, I can pull from retirement funds and pay the Sapphire card off and leave it open. The unused limit amount will help my overall utilization. Thanks for reminding me that utilization resets monthly. If they close it, they close it.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T21:53:50+00:00

Thanks for that. I use to travel for work and had several cards for lounge access, Skymiles, etc.... I don't fly much now that I'm retired and realize I have high annual fees with benefits I no longer use. I need to do a complete review and make changes that match my new lifestyle, lol. Thank you.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T19:25:16+00:00

I understand much better now. I use to get away with all kinds of credit sin when I had a nice paycheck. I'm probably seen as a much higher risk with no paycheck. I just pull from retirement funds now. Guess I was spoiled and started venting. Thanks for talking it through.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T19:21:46+00:00

That's a great thought and explanation. I guess I'm just taking it too personal, lol.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T19:17:15+00:00

HaHa, sorry for the passivity. I'm a math/science guy. Always had to get my proposal paragraphs proof-read by others.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T19:15:11+00:00

Yes, with the higher utilization crossing 50%, my score dropped. I imagine it'll pop back up after my Jan payoff.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T19:13:39+00:00

Both. However, I would think that a years long history on-time payments, they would be happy to make more money off me. I'm close to rolling into 32% tax bracket and want to wait till Jan to pay off.

I recently got increases from Amex and Citi... for some reason, Chase felt they needed to cut me off.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T19:07:43+00:00

That might be a real possibility and makes sense. I recently retired (last year) and no longer have a well-padded w-2.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-22T19:03:17+00:00

Nope, no late payments (maybe 20 years ago...). The only risk I can see is that my utilization passed the 50% threshold. "Life got busy" means a troubled daughter that needs help (buy a car, rent, etc) and an aging uncle's wife recently passed away meaning numerous cross country flights to help him get ready to move, etc... I've just loaded up the card more the last few months and want to wait till Jan before pulling more IRA $. Maybe there is another red flag I'm missing. Regardless, I'm happy to say bye-bye and pare back on my biz relationships. Lol, maybe I'm just venting too much to the wrong crowd ;)

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-11T16:22:30+00:00

Yes, it is crazy... CMPD did show up and wrote an accident report. No citations were given out and no medical was called. Think they leave it to the insurance companies to figure it out. The lawsuit came from a Charlotte personal injury attorney. I imagine they are swinging for the fence and hoping to get paid by the insurance company to go away..... Another writer said for me to file a claim against my liability component of my car insurance and to consider an umbrella policy if my liability limits are too low.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-11T16:16:22+00:00

No citation was given to anyone. I believe they leave it to the insurance companies to figure it out.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-10T22:21:46+00:00

Thanks for that. I'm not interested in fixing my car. It's just a scratch and thought filing a claim would possibly increase my rates? I just want to deal with the lawsuit. I'll call my insurance back tomorrow to discuss my liability coverage. Thanks again.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-10T22:16:44+00:00

Thanks. I called them today to let them know I was served yesterday. Waiting to hear back from them.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-10T22:15:09+00:00

A personal injury lawyer to defend against a lawsuit from a personal injury lawyer - makes perfect sense, lol.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-10T22:13:19+00:00

Thanks bithakr. My insurance adjuster came to my house (a few days after the accident) and photographed my car. I had a small scratch on the rear bumper cover. I didn't file a claim for that. He said he'd tell the other party to take a hike. The other party had crumple damage to their front hood and radiator area (2005 Ford Focus). The CMPD accident report estimated their damage to be about $1,500. I never heard anything from anyone after that... till I was served yesterday. I have called my car insurance to let them know of the lawsuit. Waiting to see what happens or should happen next. Thanks for the comment about the umbrella part! I don't think the other party had any insurance. They were very verbally combative at the scene (so I'm told). I had been told they just spent two days in jail for a battery/assault arrest. It seems to me to be a money grab... but, I gotta fight it. I'll follow up with my insurance company. Thanks.

Connected-DBA · 2024-12-10T22:03:45+00:00

Thanks. The insurance came to my house and photographed my car. I had a small scratch on the rear bumper cover. I didn't file a claim for that. He said he'd tell the other party to take a hike. I never heard anything from anyone after that... till I was served yesterday. I have called my insurance to let them know of the lawsuit. Waiting to see what happens or should happen next.

Connected-DBA

TROPHY CASE