VET2VET – Details, episodes & analysis

STDs can be an embarrassing topic, especially if you contracted the sexually transmitted disease while you were in the service. But if that’s when you got it, you may be eligible for VA disability compensation.

In 2018, 4.7 million veterans, or about 25% of all veterans, received compensation due to a service-connected disability. The majority of these vets are from the post 9/11 generation. There are 833 conditions related to service that allow vets to claim disability. While it is controversial, STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, are among those on the list.

VA presumes that certain disabilities were caused by military service. This is because of the unique circumstances of a specific Veteran’s military service. If a presumed condition is diagnosed in a Veteran within a certain group, they can be awarded disability compensation.

National area supervisor for West Cost Region.

Veterans Services Officers assist local veterans or their dependents in securing all benefits to which they may be entitled.

County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO), employed by their respective states, are knowledgeable individuals who know their way around the VA system. They can assist veterans and their families in a number of ways. County Services Offices can help you with compensation/pensions, medical care, military records, grave markers and veteran home loans. Some counties may also have dedicated funds to assist you with temporary shelter/utilities, food/health supplies, medical/dental, job placement, counseling, and transportation.

Benefit of the Doubt Rule When it comes to the Benefit of the Doubt doctrine, the statute is 38 USC § 5107(b). That statute says: “The [VA] shall consider all information and lay and medical evidence of record in a case before the [VA] with respect to benefits under laws administered by the [VA].  When there is anapproximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding any issue material to the determination of a matter, the [VA] shall give the benefit of the doubt to the claimant.”

Veterans Assistance Act

Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA), is a law which was passed in 2000 to improve the manner in which the VA assists veterans claiming benefits, and which also set out some basic notice requirements for the VA.

The VA's interpretation of the "benefit of the doubt" regulation:

They "Doubt" the Veteran is going to get any "benefits".

A prominent condition affecting Gulf War Veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems.

VA refers to these illnesses as "chronic multisymptom illness" and "undiagnosed illnesses." We prefer not to use the term “Gulf War Syndrome” when referring to medically unexplained symptoms reported by Gulf War Veterans. Why? Because symptoms vary widely.

DEADLINE

Under long-standing VA rules, any undiagnosed illnesses used to establish eligibility for VA benefits by veterans of the Persian Gulf War must have become apparent by Dec. 31, 2011. The new deadline adds five years, extending it to Dec. 31, 2016.

For most veterans, having to deal with hearing loss and tinnitus is quite common. Nearly 933,000 veterans were being compensated for hearing loss and almost 1.3 million veterans were compensated for tinnitus.  A veteran with either of these two conditions may be wondering what is needed to establish service connection for hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

All claims for VA benefits begin with an application. Unless there are very unusual circumstances, a claimant should use the form that the VA specifies for the benefit desired. As with all VA forms, you should read the Form  instructions carefully and get help if you are unsure of what is required.

A Primary Family Caregiver stipend is monetary compensation paid to a Primary Family Caregiver for providing personal care services to an eligible Veteran enrolled in the Caregiver Support Program. The stipend benefit is not intended to replace career earnings, and receipt of the stipend payments does not create an employment relationship between VA and the Primary Family Caregiver.

There are eight distinct steps that most claims for disability compensation follow. These phases may vary in time depending on the complexity of the claim, the amount of evidence that must be gathered to support the claims, and the type of evidence. You are strongly encouraged to submit as much evidence as possible with your claim to help minimize processing time. There are eight steps of claims processing .So without further ado, let's get into it.