1st Time Claim Filing Tips, And/Or Suggestions; For Filing A Service Connection, VA Compensation/Benefits Claim !
Beginning, 1st suggested step: If you are planning on filing a 1st time claim for service connection benefits/Compensation: Suggestions are as follows: If you have not been seen for any reasons, at a VA Hospital, or VA Medical Clinic anywhere, and you have not put in for a VA Medical ID Card, and you have not been included in the VA Health Care System; it is most important that you get your, VA Medical ID Card, So that you can be included in the VA Health Care Systems !
Go to your nearest VA Hospital: after arriving, go to admission, and apply for your VA Medical ID Card . After applying for your Medical ID Card, apply at the same place , then, ask to get as soon as possible, a doctor appointment, for whatever health condition that you are planning on filling your VA Claim for benefits . Note: All a Veteran need is to have proof of any kind of honorable, or under any kind of honorable condition discharge, from any US Military Services, to get a VA Medical ID Card ! After you have done the above, see claim tips !
Suggested Claim tips ! If you have been seen, or treated at any VA Medical Facility, for your stated service connected medical and/or mental health conditions and/ or problems, or disabilities, etc.; go to any VA Hospital, then go to the, Medical Records Department, request copies of any and all of your VA Medical Records . At any VA Hospital, Medical Records Department, first time you can get copies free . Your VA Medical Records, are of utmost important, with in, being very helpful, and/or greatly beneficial in helping you to show supportive medical documents, about you and/or your condition, in which will help to substantiate your VA Claim for Benefits/ and/or compensation !
Listed below are some suggestions and/or claim tips that you may find very helpful, when filing your 1st time claim for benefits . The suggestions, and/or claim tips that are listed below, does not necessary have to be used in the order listed, nor do you necessarily need to use all of the tips, and it is up to you, if you decide not to use any of the tips . You be the judge, on your decision, to use all of the tips, or some of the tips when putting in your claim, you may find using the tips helpful!
Page 1 Of 3 Pages Claim Tips, see page 2 continued from Page 1 !
Page 2 of 3 Pages, Claim tips/suggestions, for 1st service connection claim !
After you have retrieved copies of your VA Medical Records, go through your records, and find any and all, the places in your medical records, that concur, refer or reflect, to your service connection claim for compensation, and/or benefit ! After you have found in your records, medical documents, pertaining to your claim: Then you highlight the places that are in your records, pertaining to the, treatment, therapy, medical comments, medical consultations, medical future recommendations, any temporary or permanent – disabilities or incapacitations, etc., as well as medication prescribed for your stated service connection medical conditions, and/or problems !
Special Note: You might find it very helpful and beneficial, that after you have highlighted copies of the aforementioned of your VA Medical Records, to attach copies, and send/or carry the copies along with the filing of your 1st time VA Claim Document ! Doing that, it can possibly help speed up your claim, as well as, it might help you get a higher/or fairer compensation percentage rating, and/or the benefit that you are seeking to get . Note: If you have filed your VA Claim before you have pulled your medical records, you might find it very beneficial to pull your medical record, highlight them, and mail/or carry the records in to your Regional VA Office ! Also attach your narrative story > see tell your story menu selection, on this web site for suggestions, and/or tips.
Special Note: You might find it very beneficial, that any time you mail any thing, to the VA and/or any Governmental Agency, by mailing whatever you are mailing, sending it Certified Priority Mail and get your certification slip, keep the slip, put it up in a safe place, because this will show proof that you mailed, whatever you sent, to whoever you sent it to, as well as to validate the date you sent the mail !
Never, send multiple copies of anything you are sending to the VA stapled together . At the top of each page, put date, your full name, full social security number, and if you have a VA File Number, also put the file number up top . If you are sending or caring multiple copies, put the page numbers up top, Example: page 1 of 6 pages, page 2 of 6 pages, page 3 of 6 pages, continue until all pages are accounted for .
Claim tips: see page 3 Continued from page 2 .
Page 3 of 3 Pages, Claim tips/suggestions, for 1st service connection claim .
Never send any of your original copies of documents, and/or any original materials to the VA . Send duplicates/photo copies, that you have copied/reproduced from your originals . File everything you carry, send, or receive from the VA, that is very important, just in case you need your files for future use for the VA, other purposes/use .
File your VA Benefit Claim, right away, or at any time, even if you don’t have any copies of nothing, after you have filed your claim, you can always get what you need as your claim proceed along in the VA Benefit System ! Don’t hesitate, don’t procrastinate, because the longer it takes you to file your claim, the longer it will take you to get what you are trying to get ! Don’t quit, Keep on pushing, Never give up ! Good Luck ! Best Wishes ! Please see web site, and select your choices, for help !
Tell Your What Happened, In The Military Story !
Claim Tips for : 1st Time Service Connection VA Claim Filing, For Compensation, and/or, Benefits!
You might find it very helpful, and/or, beneficial to your VA claim for compensation, and/or benefits, by doing a concise brief narrative about what happen to you, and why you are filing your claim !
If you should decide to do, about what happened to you story/narrative to help strengthen your claim, below are as follows: Some suggestions, and/or tips that you might find very helpful, an/or beneficial to help you get your VA claim approved, and/or for an appropriate higher service connection %percentage disability rating, along with greater benefits !
Helpful Tips: that you might want to use, telling your, about what happened devastating to you, while serving in the military ! Before you begin telling your story, put these suggestions at the top of your 1st page: ( center your title ) Narrative Of What Happened To Me, While Serving In The U . S . Military ! Date and page number, Page 1 of how many pages, thereafter, continue pages number sequences, until all of your pages add up !
Drop down one typing space, begin on the left hand margin, see below:
Start with your full name that you used in the military — name of the branch of service, you served in — put your military service number and or social security number – date you entered, and the date and rank at discharge ! Type of discharge you received .
When you begin telling your story: use as many words that are dynamic, and that kind of paint a picture about what you are saying ! Use the journalistic style of: Who – that would be you, What – start telling what happened to you, Where – where were you serving at, during the time of what happen to you, When – year, around what date, and time, did what happen to you happen, Why – why did, and how did, what happened to you happen ! State if there were any witness, if so name them and their rank ! State if you were treated by any medical personal, if so tell when – date, where – location, treated by what type of medical personal ! Be sure that your story will be, as accurate as possible, honest, to the best of your knowledge and recollection .
Impact on you from military problems ! Service Connection,‘Impact Statement’ ! Tell your story .
Now: after you have finished telling your story of your service connection, episode/saga: Begin to tell what devastating impact this caused you, and/or family !
Suggestions of examples of Impact causes: Heed the suggestions of impact, some of the suggestions, may or might not, and none at all will reflect the impact that you, and/or your family, endured !
You be the judge ! Put only the recollection, and/or knowledge the impact that you, and/or family has endured, because most likely you will have to justify your impact statement !
Types Of Suggested Impacts: any types of pain and suffering, any medical illness or problems: such as, hypertension, heart problems, any major organ problems, constant head aches, loss of any hearing, and/or sight, have you suffered/ and still suffering any back, foot, head/neck, or other parts of your body with pain and suffering, any respiratory breathing problems, loss of any limbs, and/or any parts of your body, etc. ? ! Suffering from military traumatic experiences, very important .
Have you suffered, and/or still suffering from any mental illness:
Such as, fear, depression, continued sadness, Alcohol/ Drug problems, family problems, domestic violence, nightmares, insomnia, lack of appetite, memory loss, hostile impulses, paranoia, anxiety, hyper vigilant, some things overwhelming to/or for you, social inhibited, feel loss, hopeless, and/or helpless, any type of mental problems that effects you, any thoughts of harming yourself, and or anyone, etc.? !
Remember you be the judge of what pertains to you, put whatever you feel and know about your impact condition! Current condition, as a part of telling your story !
Impact Statement .
Impact Statement ! Your Story/ Service Connection, ‘My Current Condition’ ! Impact Statement
Start telling what your current status condition is of now: Suggestions of conditions . Remember, only put your current conditions down, and not the suggestions, unless some of the suggestions, befits your current conditions !
Suggested current conditions as of now: State what service connection conditions that you are enduring !
Example, such as to any pain and suffering, whether it be medical or mental health conditions, state, if you have any loss of limbs, if so how this is effecting you .
Have any doctors rendered you as being disable or, incapacitated, and unemployable, are you undergoing any service connected medical or mental health treatment, and/ or physical therapy, and/or mental health group therapy, at any VA hospitals, or their VA facilities, or if you are being outsourced for treatment, and or therapy . Are you on any prescribed medications by the VA, that makes it difficult to hold gainful study employment !
State how destitution is effecting you, and/or your family ! State what your current living conditions are, because of inadequate monetary income in your household ! State whatever is effecting you and/or your family living conditions, and how the VA can help you .
Get letters of testimonials, from any family members, friends, long time knowing you neighbors, a minister, anyone who knew you before you went into the military, that’s willing to state that they have notice that you have drastically changed ! Put those testimonials along with your story !
If you are seeking an approval for service connection compensation/ and or benefits, let the VA know that, and possibly ask the VA to as soon as possible, award your VA claim, fairly and what you deserve ! Please see this entire website for other information and guidance for resources, and help !
Tell every Vet you know about, www.vetsguide.net
Good Luck ! Best Wishes ! Thank You For Serving !