Maintaining Evidence And Health During VA Injury Wait Time
It's no secret that the Veterans Affairs claim system can be slow. From systemic issues to the sheer number of veterans needing targeted attention for their claims and appeals, it's not uncommon for veterans to wait an entire year for a decision for a single claim. If you've complained as much as you can and haven't seen any changes in speed, it's important to get a legal professional on your side while building on your claim in case of denials or requests for additional information. Here are a few things you can do as you wait for a response from Veterans Affairs.
Set All The Appointments Possible
Your Veterans Affairs (VA) injury claim or appeal is all about delivering the right kind of evidence showing that your injury is related to military service (service-connected) and that you're still suffering from the problem.
One issue with initial claims and some appeals is that they lack enough information. It makes sense that veterans fresh from the service might not know how the VA works; unless you worked in a legal department, your job had nothing to do with the complex VA disability system and filing claims are fairly intensive. Veterans may simply think that showing their wounds or symptoms are enough, since after all, they did serve honorably.
Unfortunately, the VA has to battle against fraudulent claims, which means you'll need an up-to-date record of your problem. As you wait, you can set appointments at VA clinics and hospitals to examine the problems that you're complaining about.
The VA healthcare system has issues with backlogs, but it's free. On the other hand, you can get examinations from non-VA healthcare providers and pay out of pocket. If your claim is accepted--even after multiple denials--you just need to turn your invoices for related medical care in to the VA for reimbursement.
One big issue is knowing whether your medical professional is good enough. You can take a shortcut in the search by contacting a personal injury lawyer, who may have more medical professional connections suited to your needs. Although many doctors are skilled at their profession, specialists who have dealt with claim systems have a set of reporting and organization skills that centered around convincing claim systems.
Medication And Therapy To Maintain Your Health
VA disability provides many benefits, such as monetary compensation and more advanced medical treatment. Before being approved for benefits, you can stabilize your condition or at least get some assistance that can make survival a lot cheaper.
If you need pain medication or prescription refills, visit the VA ahead of time. There's no need to pay for many form of pain medication, allergy relief or physical therapy assistance if you go to the VA before your prescription is empty or before the situation becomes dire.
Although the VA is reducing its abused system of high-potency medication with a simple visit, if you really need a prescription, a VA clinic or hospital visit with a doctor can get what you actually need. You can then use the My Healthy Vet website to refill prescriptions, and you'll only need to visit the clinic again if you need to be evaluated for another solution or continued refills.
For more information, contact Walz Law Office or a similar firm.