r/VAClaims

Curious others experiences to filing a supplemental claim specifically for migraines secondary to ptsd. I am currently on medication for migraines which rarely work and under the care of my pcp just wanting to know what to expect.

I wanted to share my full BDD experience for anyone still in or getting close to ETS because I was stressing hard about this process and it ended up working out better than I expected. I did a little over 7 years active duty and started my BDD claim within that 90–180 day window before separation. I made sure to claim everything that was actually documented in my records, physical issues from wear and tear, as well as mental health stuff like anxiety that built up over time from deployments and the overall stress of service. I went to every C&P exam they scheduled, answered everything honestly, and didn’t try to downplay anything (which I know a lot of us tend to do). Even doing everything right, I was still anxious the entire time, checking VA.gov constantly, worrying if I forgot something, wondering if they were going to lowball my rating or delay it.

My claim was received while I was still in, and after I separated it still sat in the early stages for a bit, which had me thinking something was wrong. Then it finally moved through review and decision, and not long after that I got rated at 100% P&T. My first payment hit pretty quickly after, and it completely changed my transition. Instead of stressing about finding a job immediately or how I was going to cover bills, I had stable income right away. That allowed me to focus on school, planning my career, and taking care of personal stuff like getting married and setting up my future.

If you’re on the fence about BDD, do it. Start early, go through your medical records, claim what’s actually there, and show up to every appointment. The anxiety during the process is real, but it’s worth it. Doing BDD basically removed that gap between military pay and civilian life for me, and I can honestly say it set me up in a way I didn’t fully understand until everything finalized.

So was doing my normal va doom scrolling and i have had 2 missing DBQ, MO's and a missing PFT from LSGS for the past 30 days. This morning it finally appeared in my files section.

Am i right to think this means my claim should move from the national que to a regional office now? and does anyone have any experience with the columbia office? I live in charleston so I assume it will go to columbia regional.

My Dad is 92 about to turn 93 in June. We filed a new claim and he was service connected with hypertension and stage 4 kidney disease but at 0%. The decision came over on 3/4. I filed a supplemental claim on 3/5. This is all new to me but I filed hoping he could receive compensation since it was service connected. They have received his medical records from 2 Dr’s on 3/19. We received a call yesterday and he now has to have an exam. Which is just another appointment and I don’t think it’s needed. His bloodwork I submitted shows 4 years with his GFR number hanging around at 21 or 23. So why the exam? Will he be denied compensation?

Turning to the group for real honesty and feedback. I was recently rated at 100% P&T. I had 3 existing claims after I got my rating still pending. Just got denied back yesterday. I now only have 2 claims left. Shoulders and 1 HLR for migraines secondary to tinnitus 10% and MH 70%.

My fear is that the VA will lower my ratings for MH. Am I being overly anxious and letting anxiety rule me?

I had a c&p a few days ago for my cerebral aneurysm secondary to my putitary tumor also for a Addisons disease increase. At the end the examiner tells me it will likely get denied because they filed the aneurysm secondary to Addisons disease and there’s no way to connect that. I personally did the paperwork and had 2 VSO look over it before submitting so I KNOW IT WAS PUT IN CORRECTLY. It should have been secondary to the brain tumor. What do I do? I wrote a statement and put it on my claim but is there something else I should do? I feel like I’m going to get denied for something the Va did and not me.

How often do you see your VA provider for treatment to show continuity of care to protect your rating? Weekly, monthly, quarterly?

I’m trying to stick with the same doctor but new rotation in the mental health clinic sometimes doesn’t allow it. It’s exhausting having to start from square one with a new stranger and revisit very sensitive topics. Sometimes I just want to say f it and stick with just medication but it worries me about the false perception someone up in the rating department may assume due to lack of treatment sessions.

I submitted my notice of intent to file and requested my records. Should I wait until I receive my records and can review them to file? In other words, should I get all my ducks in a row first or just jump in?

For those of you who have put the details of your claim into AI, was AI’s prediction of the outcome/rating correct?

If not reliable, is there anyone who wouldn’t mind taking a look at my DBQ?

Hey everybody, need some guidance. I filed for sleep apnea and was diagnosed with OSA, but was denied due to service connection. I had a sleep study performed through my own pcp and diagnosed the same with a prescription for a CPAP. I submitted a supp claim with the new evidence, but denied again for lack of service connection (which is understandable). They acknowledged the outside diagnosis, but I don’t think they saw the CPAP evidence.

What should I do next?

I was originally rated almost 20 years ago, a few years after I separated (RE-1 code). I was rated 10% for lumbosacral strain, 10% for an ankle injury on active (multiple surgeries), 0% for R Knee issue (my MOS was very hard on the knees, plus had pain while in, and massive gait changes).

17 years later, my knees are getting really bad, so I post in a group on FB asking if this was something I should take to the VA, completely forgetting I had a 0% SC on it. I get a message from a guy who knows a guy, yadda yadda, I'm put in touch with REE. This is long before I knew anything about sharks/etc.

REE sends me to a local medical examiner (the type for pilots, insurance, CDL, etc). She goes through everything, measures everything, fills out the DBQ. I get it all back, review it all, it all looked good, and sent it in. I get moved to 90%.

Then, I start a MH claim (on my own, buddy statements, and two clear documented nexus in-service), go through an HLR, and come out with 70% MH, putting me to 100% P&T. At least the damage and demons I've been fighting for 20 years are getting recognized. Progress! That and now I'm heavily medicated. :/

Here's the odd part....

When I was on AD I had a tib/fib fracture in my ankle, requiring multiple surgeries to correct. I have documented complaints of knee pain in sick call. 3 years after I get out, I'm in a motorcycle accident. Same leg gets a tib/fib fracture below the knee.

I recently got my C-File, and found where my original 0% SC involved the rater reaching out to the examiner and asking "Are you sure this issue isn't from the motorcycle accident?" The examiner actually slaps the rater down and essentially says "Don't question me. It's clearly from gait changes following his tib/fib fracture, dumbass." (paraphrasing, lol) Score one for the C&P examiner!

Upon a recent review of my REE DBQ I now realize the doctor writes it up as:
"Other: Diagnosis #1: s/p fracture, proximal fibula, ICD Code S82.831A"
And then...
"2.A Describe History: 'The onset of disability occurred during military service. Pt experienced pain due to constantly working on xxx that included yyy, and zzz. The sx have progressed and continues to worsen over time.'"

I originally read the proximal fibula and thought it meant my ankle, not even thinking about my motorcycle accident part. So I didn't question this before I sent it in. The mismatch between the Diagnosis line being due to a post-service accident, and the description being due to in-service activities has me worried.

GPT tells me that this is just a coding error. That the VA cares about functionality, and that knee has already been service-connected with the rater questioning it and the examiner standing firm it was SC. Additionally, the whole file has been through an HLR (when I did the mental health).

With all the new AI talk, I'm feeling pretty confident this might be something that flags it. After my REE exam, I never got a C&P which I assume is because I had 17 years of supporting treatment at the VA as my PCP.

So my questions to all you sage VA experts...

1. How likely is this to be flagged, and if so, how likely for them to try to put a CUE or something else on it?

2. Is there anything proactive I should do, or would that be poking the bear?

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For what it's worth, I have an up-coming ortho appt in community care for that knee, as it's gotten worse again (not filing for increase, just preparing for a replacement) and recent imaging shows further degradation. So there shouldn't be any question at the VA about my knee being compromised, it's the difference between my first C&P (the 0% rating) and my last REE exam (took the knee to 40%, but coded the diagnosis to something post-service).

One last note.. my *other* non-SC knee was just replaced in my early-40's. Seriously, the service was murder on my knees. I originally assumed the 0% SC was awarded for the damage my regular MOS did, and was always confused why they rated my one knee and not the other. It wasn't until my C-File I realized the 0% was secondary to my ankle.

How screwed am I on this?

Thanks!

I just started going through my old va denial records for ptsd. I was to mentally unstable to even care that I was denied. Years later I have decided to go through my army records. I found my Behavioral health line of duty determination form and it states that I have ptsd and has a diagnosis of ptsd that happened in the line of duty. My informal physical evaluation board (peb) proceeding form also simply described my traumatic event and diagnosis of ptsd and my rating for permeant disability. I have a letter of unexcused absences plus a s3 profile. Do I need to provide this as evidence or will the va have this? Does this even matter that the army says I have ptsd and the va says I don’t ? I have history of treatment records and inpatient stays. Lots of my personal hospital treatment notes suck because they always mess up dates or take what you say wrong. I also got denied because I didn’t know I had to talk about the event. I asked if we could skip that part. I didn’t know I had to talk about all that details. This time if I do intent to file I will include my personal statement of the event. Anyone else have similar experiences or advice ?

Hey yall. i’m not hugely familiar with reddit, but i figured this was the place to let my mind wander on this subject.

i recently separated honorably. i applied for VA compensation and filed for things i had chronically throughout my military service. i’ve been on step 3 since october 7th, 2025. this is now week 4 going in for still being on step three, with no appointments, no updates, or anything of that nature. i feel like im just stuck at this point. i know the process will pick up eventually, im not even sure why im posting this, as i know nothing can really be done. i’m just starting to feel a little hopeless and felt not prioritized by the VA. Any thoughts?

I had a claim closed yesterday, and since yesterday it said that a letter had been generated and would be mailed out, but I can’t see it in the app or on the website yet. It chose all previous letters, but not this one for the clothes claim. Is there a reason I’m not seeing it yet or does it take a while for the letter to generate within the website or app?

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