Is T.E.R.A. Worth It? VA Disability Experts Weigh In

[@JuliusCrawley]

I got 100% P&T for exposure to lead base paints in the Navy

[@kaybee9909]

How, I was a BT. I'm looking for information and How to apply it.

[@JuliusCrawley]

@ first file a letter ob intent to file and then go from there and if you have a good VSO officer he can help was approved for all that I haas been denied before and BT are on the list

[@kaybee9909]

@@JuliusCrawley Thanks for the HELP!

[@JuliusCrawley]

@ would my fellow vet anytime my brother that enlisted me was a BTCM

[@JuliusCrawley]

That’s old school Navy

[@kevinstevens6985]

I just wanted to say that we appreciate all that you guys do for veterans. I'm one of those Desert Storm veterans that keeps getting denied for everything and anything. I've come to expect the denials. But to know that there are people like you guys out there fighting the fight, trust and believe you are appreciated. THANK YOU!

[@RobertBeedle]

Get some more help from combag Craig and Dwayne Kimble.

[@fragmented_cultures]

Filed a few things under the Pact Act and when I went to the C&P exams, the examiners asked what I was exposed to while deployed to Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. Initially, I stated that I wasn’t sure because the government didn’t divulge the exact toxins. Then I stated, quickly, “everything.” Before I left state side, “we” were given numerous vaccines and those were not in my medical records when I later looked for them. Then, while “in theater”, I, we, were exposed to ??? besides what was obvious…black thick smoke, sand storms, deet pesticides, generators blowing unfiltered heat into our “clam shells”, jet engine fuel etc etc etc…could not drink the water, but allowed to shower and brush your teeth with it. I’ve researched and researched to find what I was potentially exposed to, but no exact specific names or scientific names of toxins. Btw, Air Force logistics support for the F-15 squadron I was assigned to. I’ve since been diagnosed with bibasilar scarring of the lungs, breast cancer (double mastectomy)..just got service connected at 60%. I have a diagnosis of MS and ME/CFS which I can’t seem to get connected to my deployment during Desert Storm. I’m so sick all of the time and having to battle the VA for a service connection is absolutely frustrating. I’m by myself and getting anyone to help with the VA claims process is futile. Most VSO’s, DAV etc. don’t give a shit, at least none of the 20 or more that I’ve met. The VSO that I filed my ITF with April 2024 told me that breast cancer wasn’t part of the Pact Act.🤬 I wanted to smack the living shit out of him. Obviously I had another VSO file my claim, but had to tell them how I wanted to file, and what I wanted to file under the Pact Act. They didn’t do anything but file my forms from their laptop. I could have done it, but because I’m sick all the time, I couldn’t do it myself. I barely get my teeth brushed every day. It took me an hour just to type this comment, but thought it was important. There are veterans that need assistance filing their claims. Some are too sick to accomplish basic tasks. Ugh! I digress. I am grateful for the 60% but it took me 33 years to receive anything. I’m currently working on obtaining evidence for CFS which is now referred to as ME/CFS but because I’m also diagnosed with MS, it’s going to be a battle! Wish me luck and prayers ❤🇺🇸🙏 VBA AND THE GOVERNMENT NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF TAKING CARE OF THEIR VETERANS.

[@almikelipscomb]

May I suggest VACI. It is a education based service that does charge you but only if you win. I used their medical doctor that I had to pay up front for a medical opinion "more likely than not" for mental health. You can find You Tube videos from them. You will do the filing, get your records, etc. They will assign you a coach to help. I like it. Some people feel they charge too much, (6X the monthly amount). But only if you win. I feel it worth it. Good luck and I'll be praying for you.

[@kennethmckinney6578]

Apply for a pro bono veterns lawyer...!!

[@dlawso23]

I have two claims connected to TERA process now. I had to show the VA that I was deployed to Kuwait/Iraq (OIF). They did not look at the DD214 to see I was in a qualifying area and my ILER was missing from my file when I did my C&P exam Tuesday. I am on the Burn Pit registry also. I was at FOB Speicher and saw the burning oil wells right outside the base.

[@randyr365]

we soaked in TCE

[@GAvet4lyfe]

I suggest vets do research themselves and upload articles and as much information as they can...it can only help, and its not going to slow down or make the process any faster...in my opinion

[@nataliekinney9309]

I was granted 70% PTSD, 10% bruxism, denied migraines ( med records documented + correlation.)...all different examiners. + findings TERA exposure because I was an xray tech. Charlotte is having a 3 day 'VA in the community '...I will be the first in line to file a HLR.

[@sharripeck5373]

Not to mention migraines a secondary to PTSD

[@davemarhx2874]

What about those of us who worked in ammo dumps as part of our MOS? Ammo Techs and EODs. Camp Schwab Okinawa is not listed in Pact act but its well known that Agent Orange was stored there all the way till 1991. There have been documentaries about it because of the Okinawa Government complaints.

[@barbiejean1179]

Bizarre system!

[@cachua9773]

Very informative guys thanks!

[@meltdownman1]

I was a Machinist Mate on both a destroyer and on a nuclear submarine. I was exposed to welding, grinding dust, lead-based paint, solvents, oils, and cleaning agents, nuclear missile propellants, etc. while onboard and in the shipyard. I would constantly be blowing my nose which always had black and gray particulate in the tissue paper. In addition, while serving onboard the submarine we circulated air while underwater for 70 days at a time. We had electrostatic precipitators which were to take out the particulate in the air. The electricians' job was to clean the electrostatic precipitators. When I stopped by to see the process, the plates from the precipitators were always black. I asked them what all that shit was, and they said not only the dust in the air but the cigarette smoke! Furthermore, we had ozone generators on top of our oil sumps that were used to remove the oil vapors from the sumps. Ozone in high concentrations is hazardous. Finally, I worked on the reactor side of things, thus exposing me to radiation. Currently, I am rated 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) for asthma combined with sleep apnea. In addition, I have ratings for mental health at 70% (note: I paid to have 2 psychologists to examine me and write the NEXUS letters) and 60% for eczema, along with many smaller health issues. I currently have 9 additional claims still in process, with the most concerning being tremors. I have close to 30 medications that I am taking. I received information from fellow submariners that they collected MSDS files on the subs. In addition, I have meticulously kept and organized my medical records over the past 30 years. This saved the P&T examiner a lot of time and effort. It more than likely overwhelmed the folks granting me the higher ratings. I believe this was critical in the VA's decision to grant the TERA. I recommend that EVERYONE obtain the old MSDS files that list the exposure at each individual location they served at and organize their medical files and label them by condition. BRING THEM WITH YOU TO YOUR EXAM IN ORGANIZED FOLDERS. It makes the claims process go easier and shows that you have gathered extensive evidence to support your claim. NOTE: not all of the records submitted my first time were labled by condition, which makes it difficult for an examiner to review. IN ADDITION, SOME OF MY FILES WERE NOT ELECTRONICALLY AVAILIBLE TO THE P&T EXAMINER. DURING MY SECOND EXAM I HAD EVERYTHING PHYSICALLY WITH ME AND ORGANIZED. AND SURE ENOUGH SOME ELECTRONIC RECORDS WERE AGAIN MISSING BUT I WAS READY THAT TIME AROUND. With regards to mental health, I only get 4-5 hours of sleep a night, and I am pretty much a recluse. The paid psychologists were very much worth the price of 3,500 dollars and the question-and-answer sessions were professional and thorough. It was to say the least, exhausting and emotional. As a result, the P&T examiner who had to review these two write-ups had a relatively easy time determining my mental health rating. One note: I have been having migraines and kept a record using the app "Migraine Buddy" documenting my attacks. I even logged the fact that I had to lay down multiple times a month when the attacks occurred. However, the "having to lay down while attacks are in progress" is essential for higher ratings. However, apparently, he either missed the documentation from "MIGRAINE BUDDY" or misinterpreted my logs. As a result, I only received a 0% rating (but acknowledged sleep apnea was the cause). I am reluctant to go back and ask for an additional review with the "having to lay down while attacks are in progress" since I have P&T at 100%. What concerns me in your presentation here tonight is that the TERA seems so subjective and whether or not my case would have the possibility of a review and downgrade by the VA. According to the 6-step process (flow chart) in determining claims, it appears there is a final VA review by someone other than or higher after the P&T examiner submits their ratings. I would like to know if the award letter that I received could be reversed or is the letter I received from the VA final with no further review of my current awards?

[@OGMagnum]

for example, if you were in the Navy and you were in deck department and you were chipping and painting in the 1970s using red lead primer and lead based paints you have a TERA exposure. Likewise, if you were in deck department and your ship went into dry dock and you were ripping out insulation in the 1970s, you were exposed to asbestos. That would also be a TERA. if you were in any kind of trouble and had to do cleaning details down in the bilge of the ship, the cleaning solvent and all the exposures to the fluids expelled by the machinery down below you have a TERA.

[@jamesmanuel9938]

Been there done that on the USS Ranger back up in Bremerton Wash dry dock for over a year. All kinds of different paints, primers, grinding dust, Asbestos, all the welding and cutting. Not even what I was exposed to being a jet engine mech in AIMD (JP fuels, TEK, MEK, Freon, Jet engine oils, Hydraulic fluids, Naphtha and name a few. But the VA denied my hearing loss. It is insanity, so direct work on a running jet engine on a test cell that rattles your bones does not cause hearing loss. Even my rate as an AD stated it is a HIGH probably of hearing loss. Plus, it has been shown that JP can lead to hearing loss. The VA did approve me an additional 20% for my diabetes (TERA related). All that did was get me to a true 90%. I also got 10% for Tinnitus at 10%. Saw a study today that the Navy did that showed it is caused my nerve damage. I heard a lawyer say yesterday from Hill and Ponton that if a Vet is at a true 90% the Vet has some major issues going on with their bodies and thus should be rated at 100%. Let the VA games continue.

[@OGMagnum]

I was on board to USS Saratoga CV 70 and the USS Cleveland LPD seven. I was in first division on both of those ships. Todd’s shipyards that’s where I remember spending quite a bit of time. Also remember the 95% rule they round up so all you really need to do is get to 95% in order to get the 100% rating. I am literally having to go back 40 years. It has been an interesting process one that has brought back a lot of memories. Many of those memories were how bad and dirty and disgusting it really was.

[@rdking8001]

i asked about 20 different people from VHA to VBA and DAV as to who filled out my TERA form since it was all wrong, no one could give me an answer! i have a job that linked to toxic exposure, and i went on several deployments to south and central America which were bare base 20:56 camps where there were burn pits for trash and we burnt our latrine waist but they do not count that?

[@Yolandafrugeadams]

H&P the VA has conceded that I was exposed to various toxins (including PFAS & JP4) at Sheppard AFB in Wichita TX when there for technical school (communications) for six months in 1982.

[@sharripeck5373]

I don’t understand how exposure to herbicides, toxins, and yes burn pits which were in Vietnam aren’t recognizing chronic bronchitis but acknowledge lung cancer. Doesn’t make sense to me.

[@edtomorrow]

I could have sworn that I had an OSHA form that listed many if not all the chemicals dangers of exposure in our personnel file. Or that at the very least the shop or work place had an OSHA binder that had all the HAZMAT information and emergency actions some where in that work place. Wouldn’t a search with the department of OSHA and or DoD show this data?

[@MrBluespyz]

Great video and well needed! Veterans are definitely getting denied based on TERA alone! When the claim isn’t even related to a TERA designation..🤷🏽‍♂️ it seems to be a bit of a “shell game” with the VA and largely what examiner and rater you pull.. I thought the VA had a duty to draw all possible connections to service connection.

[@furtrapper11]

Tera is a tool to delay claims?

[@AkoayFI_noy-pk6xs]

Denied tinnitus, TERA said I only spent 5 days in port Bahrain and opined not enough time to be exposed… shaking my head…

[@thomasc9756]

Did the same to me, said I was in Afghanistan 2 weeks!

[@naedinehall5806]

So a civilian ENT recently diagnosed my spouse with chronic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis so why is there a C&P exam scheduled now to be seen by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse? All the evidence was submitted by the VSO from specialist doctors and this person is not an ENT specialist nor are they in the field of ENT. Honestly, it’s a set up for denial I believe. This is very sad to be put through this nonsense when they know and the DD214 shows where you served. The VA has to do better by our veterans.

[@lisaripple5963]

It does not matter about your doctors. Go to everyone of your C&P exams. If you miss any of them you will be denied.

[@dr.mathamagic3157]

Benzene is a bad example. Military grade chemicals are dangerous.

[@wmschriver]

Good till u get to the c& p. Then your done

[@vicentemunoz2157]

Wow

[@wmschriver]

tera My favorable findings even listed the exposure that I was exposed to we're still denied for kidney cancer service connection mainly do To a bad CNP

[@wmschriver]

By the way they also stated that I do have Stage 3 chronic kidney disease

[@sharripeck5373]

I would definitely be requesting another C&P exam 4138 explaining why inadequate that’s unacceptable.

[@wmschriver]

@@sharripeck5373 I have contacted the firm. Hopefully they can take a look at it and come up with a game plan

[@zackiinu7194]

2.6 x 10 to the power of 8 = 0.000000026. It’s actually 26 billionths. Everybodyknowdat.