Clearly, we are living through an extraordinary period in human history. The rampant spread of Covid-19 has upended societies and economies. Its short-term effects have been dramatic and, in the medium-term and long-term, the virus may have profound consequences for all of us.

Most veterans are in the dark about how the VA actually determines a rating for PTSD. If a veteran is granted a service-connected disability for PTSD the VA will assign a rating based on the current severity of the symptoms (not on the severity of the stressful event). The VA actually has published regulations on how it is supposed to rate PTSD claims. The problem is that it’s just one set of regulations buried within thousands of VA regulations. Below are the specific regulations on how the VA is supposed to rate PTSD claims based upon the level of social and occupational impairment as determined by various symptoms. These ratings range from 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, and 100%.

A condition in which the tissue connecting muscle to bone becomes inflamed.  This inflammation can cause pain and limitation of motion.

The joints in your body are the connecting force that gives you the ability to move without discomfort. But when you suffer from tendonitis, the joints can’t function properly.

The VA awards disability compensation for each Skin condition that is service-connected. The DoD will also rate service-connected Skin conditions as long as they also make the service member Unfit for Duty. For Reservists, the Skin condition must have occurred in or resulted from an injury in the Line of Duty to qualify.

An extraschedular VA disability rating is one that grants you a higher rating than the one you would receive based on the standard rating schedule used by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In situations where the VA’s schedule of ratings does not adequately reflect your degree of disability, you and your attorney can make a case for an extraschedular rating.

A bulging disc can occur due to the natural degeneration of a spinal disc or from physical injury. Because the deformation in the disc can protrude into the spinal canal, it can press on nerves. The resulting pain, numbness, discomfort, and weakness can provide a basis for obtaining a VA disability rating for a bulging disc.

Please, check related podcast(s):

#SE2E10 The Spine. Arthritis.

#SE4E14 Spinal Stenosis (part 2)

Generally speaking, a VA sworn declaration form (i.e., VA Form 21-4138, “Statement in Support of Claim”), is a letter in support of a veteran’s claim.  It is usually written by a layperson or someone without medical expertise.  Importantly, this person can be a relative, spouse, friend, co-worker, or fellow servicemember.  The overall purpose is for the veteran to find someone who knows them well and can speak to the impact of their claimed condition.  Specifically, the individual should be able to adequately describe the onset and progression of the veteran’s condition and how it has negatively affected their social and occupational functioning.  Importantly, veterans can also submit a VA sworn declaration form on their own behalf and certify that their testimony is both truthful and accurate.

When congress signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act,100% service connected disabled Veterans became eligible for Space Available Travel. Better known as ‘Space-A’ or military hops, Air Mobility Command (AMC) maintains an extensive network of flights throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. Supplementing this network, several Air National Guard and Naval Aviation Units have flights available.

A hemorrhoid is an irritated clump of swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum, similar to varicose veins.  There are two main types of hemorrhoids: internal and external.  Internal hemorrhoids lie inside the rectum and rarely cause discomfort as they usually cannot be seen or felt.  However, straining or irritation when passing stool can damage a hemorrhoid’s surface and cause it to bleed.  External hemorrhoids are those under the skin around the anus.  When irritated, external hemorrhoids can itch or bleed.  Hemorrhoids are very common, affecting nearly three out of four adults on occasion.

One issue relating to access to care is difficulty in proving an injury’s connection to service.

PTSD can take many years to manifest

The many hurdles—bureaucracy, rules, regulations, procedures, and paperwork—can be overwhelming. A veteran claiming disability must file a lot of administrative forms. The District Court for the Northern District of California noted that “because of the limited formal education of the majority of recent veterans, many had difficulty applying for and ultimately receiving the benefits to which they were legally entitled.” To be more specific, “[eighty-two percent] of the Army personnel deployed have a high school diploma or less, [and eighty- nine percent] of the Marines deployed have a high school diploma or less.”