Our VA Disability Journey

My husband served in the Marines during the Viet Nam era and after he got out, we had great private insurance. We never considered applying for Veteran’s Administration (VA) medical benefits, even when he was diagnosed with diabetes and a rare virus that emaciated his leg muscles—until our family doctor retired. Then, my husband finally connected with the Tampa VA during his search for the specialists he needed.

Initially, it was an easy transition. My husband brought in his DD214 form and was assigned a primary care physician. That's when things got crazy. To our surprise, his new doctor ordered repeat labs immediately. Less than 2 hours later he was whisked away to the Intensive Care Unit with a potassium level of 7.4! Our journey with CKD had begun. Fortunately, we were still several years away from actual dialysis so we had some time to prepare.

Navigating a Complex System

At the time, we weren't so lucky with the VA. My husband decided to apply for disability connected to his diabetes along with a few other things like hearing loss and sleep apnea. He based some of his claim on his exposure to Agent Orange. We filled in the online application, sent his outside medical records and waited…and waited…and waited. Eventually we were told that no records were received. This was our biggest mistake: we’d sent the originals and had no copies. We learned to always keep copies of everything!

In those days the diabetes connection to Agent Orange had to be proven through medical records. Today, the rules allow you to show that you served in the area where toxins were present to qualify. Later we were able to use Presumptive Evidence to establish his CKD claim.

We decided to seek assistance of a VSO (Veterans Service Organization) to file the claim again. Their assistance allowed our claim to be processed, and he eventually was able to receive disability payments dated from the first date we had applied. But, when he first received disability payments, not all of his claims were approved. We consulted a VA-approved attorney. He helped us find evidence that supported the denied claims.

NOTE: Many companies claim they can process your claims, but the VA only recognizes VA-approved attorneys. Attorney fees are limited to 20% of your first payment, including back pay. And, it's illegal for them to ask for payment up front. Our attorney did a great job. He recommended that we apply for Aid and Attendance and compensation for being housebound, benefits we had never heard of. Everything was approved. Then, my husband started dialysis and his claim for 100% disability due to exposure to Agent Orange was approved.

100% Service-related Disability

Once my husband was rated 100%, we were entitled to many additional benefits besides the monthly benefit check. (If he had been receiving Veteran’s retirement and/or Social Security Disability, he would have been able to collect them all.) Some of the benefits include:

• Healthcare, including prescriptions without co-pays

• Dental care

• Housing adaptation grants—we got $60k to adapt our home for a wheelchair

• A power wheelchair

• A lift for our car for the chair

• His student loan was forgiven

• In Florida, we are exempt from property taxes

• A Life Insurance policy

VA Caregiver Program

I received Champs VA Healthcare plan; a stand-alone policy that can be combined with a private policy. In addition to these many benefits, I have qualified as a VA caregiver. As a Level 1 caregiver I receive $1653.07 a month that is tax-free. In addition, I also receive 14 hours per week of respite care. This is not skilled care, so I continue to administer dialysis since my husband is not physically capable.

The caregiver program requires a separate application. It requires me to assist with a number of activities of daily living (ADL's). They also cover assisting to assure physical safety. Interestingly dialysis does not qualify as an ADL for VA purposes.

It's true that the VA, probably due to the large population it services, can drive me crazy at times, but our quality of life has been greatly enhanced through the tremendous support we have received from the VA.