Jim,

Your name has been forwarded to me by an old friend who I believe has worked with you. On November 11 (an appropriate day for a veteran), I had quintuple by-pass surgery. The VA had determined the day before that this was a necessity as opposed to a heart attack.

The reason for this letter is that I am currently 40% disabled as a diabetic (Vietnam and Agent Orange). Both the VA and my civilian surgeon "suggested" the heart disease might be tied to my diabetes. If that should be the case I feel compelled to push for additional disability (both a matter of principle and also to help cover medical costs).

Perhaps you can suggest how to work on this in the most expeditious manner.

Reply:

I may be able to steer you in the right direction.

You should file a claim for Ischemic Heart Disease. That is now an Agent Orange condition and you will be rated for it.

Filing could not be any easier. Write a simple letter to tell your Regional Office that you are filing to claim IHD. Send it via certified mail, return receipt requested. Please only use certified,
RRR as no other way provides evidence of mailing.

You will get the receipt back and then VA should soon contact you to verify that your claim is in process.

Please proceed to do that. VA will ask for records and so on later.

If you would, please tell me why you had a civilian surgeon. getting VA to pay for that will be tricky unless you had advance approval.