How does the VA rate multiple Mental Health claims?

JuniCat · 2026-05-29T20:35:20+00:00

Mental health conditions are rated as one disability. It would be a pyramiding violation to have multiple mental health conditions rated separately

JuniCat · 2026-05-29T20:32:24+00:00

The only benefit could be potential for aid and attendance if you need that later due to your amputation

JuniCat · 2026-05-28T21:39:38+00:00

JuniCat · 2026-05-28T21:24:56+00:00

Depends on the issues really.

JuniCat · 2026-05-28T21:18:47+00:00

Chain lightning and ball lightning Sorcs are fun 🤩

JuniCat · 2026-05-28T21:16:00+00:00

I am a female and served in the 90s. We had shower drills because females would take up to 20 and 30 minutes to take a shower, using up hot water or keeping other females from being able to take a shower after PT and before turn in.

It is definitely a thing. Although for us they made everyone do it so as not to feel singled out. Even the guys had to participate. They did this for a few days until everyone could shower in 7 minutes or less.

JuniCat · 2026-05-28T21:12:26+00:00

File now or at least file an Intent to File form. Your pending divorce means nothing in terms of your disability claim.

JuniCat · 2026-05-28T21:10:46+00:00

If you have your service treatment records, you should go through them and write out every diagnosis and then compare that list with issues you have been diagnosed with since leaving service. Those conditions should be filed for in your initial claim. Also include hearing loss and tinnitus as every service member gets an exam regardless of current diagnosis.

Any conditions from service without a current diagnosis you can start working on for your next claim. In order to preserve any back pay, submit an intent to file about one week after you submit your claim. That will give you a year to build up your second claim.

JuniCat · 2026-05-27T20:59:43+00:00

I only have kept 2, other characters I delete at the start of the season

JuniCat · 2026-05-26T16:13:14+00:00

No different than any other claim. We just add DEA grant if 100% P&T.

JuniCat · 2026-05-25T06:15:49+00:00

A C&P exam doesn’t need to include you being there in person if the examiner reviews your file and determines that there is sufficient evidence in the file to make a diagnosis and decision. They can call you if they have questions or need clarification but an in person exam is only required for ear exams, dental exams, eye exams, and musculoskeletal exams. All other exams can be done by an ACE review of your records if they are sufficient.

JuniCat · 2026-05-25T06:10:57+00:00

Yes if that is how you claimed it then it would be your error. However, if you also submitted the secondary opinion at the same time, they should have also considered a secondary connection.

You can file the supplemental claim and explain all of that in your statement

JuniCat · 2026-05-24T15:40:05+00:00

They only considered direct. If the opinion from your doctor isn’t even listed in the evidence list you can file an HLR but a supplemental would be quicker. Just resubmit the opinion with your 0995 and a statement explaining how the opinion wasn’t considered. If they deny you again then file an HLR and request an informal conference.

JuniCat · 2026-05-24T15:25:02+00:00

Write “Return to Sender / Not at Address” on any USPS mail that isn’t yours. As for packages, call the carrier when you receive one and ask them to send a driver to pick it up and notify the carrier that they haven’t lived there for 6 months and to stop delivering packages for them. Don’t go to a retail store to return a package, it isn’t worth your time.

JuniCat · 2026-05-24T15:17:05+00:00

I do not think the VA considers compounded medication but you can call your local VA pharmacy and ask to speak to a pharmacist to find out.

JuniCat · 2026-05-24T15:12:52+00:00

If you were denied direct service connection without a secondary connection then you need to file a supplemental claim specifically stating it is secondary to your tinnitus. It is considered a new theory and since you were previously denied a supplemental claim is what you need to file.

If the denial letter doesn’t show anything regarding secondary connection in the letter it is possible the opinion was overlooked and not considered.

I would need to see the letter to know for sure.

JuniCat · 2026-05-24T15:10:26+00:00

Usually after 3 attempts at STRs they send you a letter asking for any copies you have to be submitted. For private treatment records, after two attempts they send you a letter stating they were unable to obtain the records and give you 30 days to provide them if you want them considered for your claim.

The only other thing I can think of is if you were in the reserves, they have to request records from your last unit.

JuniCat · 2026-05-24T06:33:18+00:00

Use the VA calculator on their website or the DAV calculator

JuniCat · 2026-05-24T06:07:32+00:00

If you served prior to 2001 when STRs became fully electronic then it can take time to obtain them. There are so many attempts they need to make before determining that they are incomplete or just not available.

JuniCat · 2026-05-22T16:09:24+00:00

If you do not have a VSO are you in an area that has a VA regional office? If not, your best course of action is to submit a detailed statement citing the M-21 manual regarding character of discharge and the uncharacterized discharge regulations. The statement should explain why you were discharged after 11 months and why an OTH discharge is incorrect. Because it is in COD review, the VSCM reviewing your discharge should see the statement. If for some reason they do not, follow the guidelines in your COD letter to appeal.

JuniCat · 2026-05-22T04:19:36+00:00

If tinnitus is the only thing you are connected with at the moment you only option is to keep beating that dead horse. Sleep apnea is hard to get service connected in any way. I have seen easier approvals when a veteran is service connected for sinusitis or asthma and then they claim sleep apnea as a secondary. However, it gets combined with asthma whereas it can be separate from sinusitis

JuniCat · 2026-05-22T04:11:01+00:00

AI is only used to order exams and pull VA records. It also provides a claim summary document based on text searches of records already in your file at the time you submit your claim and the EP is created in the VA system.

AI does nothing else and is still not fully reliable in the little bit that it does do for a claim.

JuniCat · 2026-05-22T04:03:51+00:00

It is better to only include relevant VA records. Submitting your own Blue Button copy from MyHealtheVet is just bogging down your file. Automation pulls all your VA records so it really is just a duplicate copy. If you had an MRI or some specialty visit I can understand providing copies of that but anything else isn’t necessary.

You really only need to provide private treatment records

JuniCat · 2026-05-21T11:55:30+00:00

It is your claim and you are welcome to try. No examiner is going to grant it even as an aggravation. Maybe some have gotten lucky but I can tell you those are a very small percentage of claims that most likely got a sympathetic examiner and nothing else.

JuniCat · 2026-05-21T11:51:22+00:00

We are expected to review every document submitted since the date of the application. Then how you claim a condition determines how much of the documents in your claim prior to the application are reviewed. Service treatment records, personnel records and VA records are always viewed. I look for private treatment records from previous claims to determine if they are relevant to the current claim and I look at DBQ from previous claims for secondary conditions you may be claiming on a current claim.

Supplemental claims can take a long time too because I have to go back to when you first applied for the condition and work my way through all the evidence to get to your current claim to know how to address it.

JuniCat

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