Thoughts on VA rating

TheChip

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Hey folks. I'm nearing the end of my MEB and was wondering what sort of rating you'd think the VA might consider based on their exam. I didn't receive an electronic version, so I took a picture of the last page of the exam form, which I believe is what they go on for ratings?

IMG_20180915_221249776_HDR.jpg
 
It has been posted on here many, many, many, many times...

The search function of the site is your friend...

The VA will rate you based upon the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:

  • Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication, persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name = 100%

  • Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships = 70%

  • Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships = 50%


  • Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) = 30%

  • Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by continuous medication = 10%

  • A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication = 0%

The VA will get the rating criteria from the disability benefits questionnaire (DBQ) which can be found here: https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-0960P-3-ARE.pdf

Page II, section IV has the block which pertains to occupational and social impairment. The upper most check box is 0%, the bottom check box is 100%. Look at your DBQ and match it up. If the summary is given to you in a narrative form, look to see what the statement is that matches up with the DBQ.
 
I've read it. I guess more specifically do you guys think it will be 70 or 50. I have a few 70 ratings in there but is that enough to kick in the clause where they select the higher ratjng?
 
If I had to guess, I would say 50%. If you had suicidal thoughts or ideation it would rate you 70% or higher.
 
Thanks, I was wondering about that since I have a few of the items listed in 70 and the rating guide states when it could be either it should be the higher of the two, but it seems a bit ambiguous.
 
You are missing the answer to like the 4th question on the C&P exam that covers social and occupational impairment without that I can't give you a solid answer.
 
Question 4 was answered with: Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity
 
The PTSD DBQ is different but the concept is the same a block check of occupational and social impairment statement that will directly correlate to the mental health criteria that gsfowler posted above.
 
I say 50%
 
Question 4 was answered with: Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity


That means you’ll be rated at 50%. I. Order to increase to 70, submit a VARR that talks about the items that warrrant a 70% rating. There are examples of VaRRs that have worked posted on this site.
 
Great, thank you! I was just wondering since that second page lists things in the 70% category.

I guess we'll see when I get my results back from the MEB
 
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