Getting a 70% PTSD disability VA rating is a hard nut to crack. One mistake or error is all it takes to lose your compensation and additional benefits, which may otherwise go a long way in supporting your treatment.
Your PTSD disability rating ranges from 0% to 100%, wherein you are not eligible for any compensation in case of 0% disability. On the other hand, getting a 100% disability approved by the VA is a rarity. It requires you to be impaired, preventing you from social interactions or employment.
If your PTSD is severe, you may get a 50% or a 70% disability rating from the VA if proven with appropriate clinical evidence and supporting testimonies to support your claim.
How do you get approval from the VA without any hiccups, and what to say to get a 70% PTSD disability rating? We will cover all the details in this article. Read on!
What are the Different Types of VA Ratings?
In this section, we will discuss the VA ratings allocated to PTSD patients and the conditions required to achieve those ratings.
The VA rating assigned to you depends on the following factors:
- The intensity or severity of your PTSD
- The extent of the seriousness of your triggers and symptoms – episodes of delusions and hallucinations are considered major mental impairments.
- Physical inabilities or hurdles impacting your daily life and work
- Highly compromised capabilities in social settings
What Makes You Eligible for a 70% PTSD Disability Rating?
Before we discuss what to say to get a 70% rating, let’s quickly understand the signs and symptoms you need to look for to be able to apply for getting compensatory benefits aligned with the 70% PTSD disability rating by the VA.
- Constantly disoriented and confused.
- Difficulty in making new relationships or maintaining the existing relationships
- Extreme anger and irritability
- Depression and panic attacks
- Reckless behavior and lack of care for health
- Messed up daily routine and work
- Problem focusing on work or studies
- Constant anxiety affecting productivity and reliability
- Problems adjusting to new environments
- Having irrational thoughts that are hard to control or for anyone to believe.
- Unusually mindful or extra-cautious of dangers, keeping doors and windows open accidentally
- Suicidal tendencies
Tips to Get a 70% PTSD Rating by the VA
This section discusses the most effective ways to make a persuasive case for a 70% PTSD disability rating by the VA. Read on to learn more.
1. Getting a DBQ Form from Your Healthcare Provider
It may help you bypass the C&P evaluation, but it is completely at the discretion of the Department of Veteran Affairs.
DBQ is the Disability Benefits Questionnaire that helps your doctor review your PTSD symptoms and their severity. Your provider fills it out, and it’s crucial evidence for the VA to substantiate your claim or appeal.
The VA may or may not make the C&P test mandatory if the proof of your worsening condition is convincing enough.
2. Excel in Your C&P Exam
It’s generally the first step, and it’s very important to honestly explain all your major symptoms in your C&P exam. This evaluation could be done by a mental health provider appointed by the VA or your private mental healthcare practitioner.
All the combat triggers and the details of traumatic experiences during your military service that contributed to your PTSD will be required for this test.
It’s to ensure the VA recognizes your PTSD symptoms are associated with combat-related triggers, also known as military service-connected disability.
So, please do not leave out any information, no matter how trivial or irrelevant it may appear to you. Some of these indirect incidents may make your case stronger.
3. Keep a Well-Written Medical Nexus Letter Ready
A Medical Nexus Letter links your PTSD to your combat service or military incidents triggering your symptoms. It’s for the VA to get key insights into your situation so they know the major causes of your condition and what can further worsen it.
Let’s say your C&P exam results are not in your favor, or the severity of your PTSD symptoms is not accepted. Your Medical Nexus Letter will come in handy in such cases and may tip the scales in your favor, helping you get a higher VA rating.
4. Collect Enough Lay or Buddy Statements
Your official records from the military are not the only piece of strong proof. A genuine remark or review about your condition from the people you know may be just as convincing as your medical and combat service records.
These are called buddy or lay statements because they are first-hand narratives supporting your PTSD claim from trustworthy people you may know or have worked with.
They can provide a complete picture of the after-effects of combat duty on you since these people have known you way before you joined the military.
So, buddy comments, although not compulsory, can fill in the gaps by shedding light on your everyday routine has affected. And might even end up lending credence to the conclusion derived by your mental healthcare expert.
The VA may use it to back up any assertions you make and help achieve a disability rating north of 50%.
What to Say for a 70% Disability Rating?
In this section of the article, we will cover what to say and avoid to ensure your verbal statements adequately leverage and support your claim.
A PTSD disability VA rating of 70% indicates difficulties in multiple areas or aspects of daily functioning, including but not limited to employment issues, studies, family relationships, etc. Sometimes you may experience suicidal thoughts or become violent toward others around you.
Therefore, to get a 70% VA rating, your claim must emphasize that these symptoms worsen with time. You will need supporting documents, medical proof, and testimonies to back it up.
It would help if you did not hesitate to mention what is getting in the way of your daily life, such as your reckless, impulsive behavior, your confusion and panic attacks, your anxiety while making decisions, your trouble handling stress or social interactions, and your erratic meaningless babbling at times.
It’s advisable to be upfront and speak up about everything that is taking a toll on your mental and physical health.
In the case of buddy letters, make sure you ask your buddy to mention their name, their relationship with you, a thorough description of the triggers, specifics of the traumatic memories, and a meticulous account keeping in mind the chronological order of events.
There are many sample buddy letters on the internet. Look it up before you request a testimonial from your friends, colleagues, or family members, so you know what your buddy letter should look like.
What Not to Say or Do?
Honesty is the best policy for getting PTSD disability benefits under a higher rating approved by the VA. You cannot fool the government by trying to support your claim with fake, exaggerated accounts and made-up evidence.
Also, don’t say things like you can “manage” or “handle” the symptoms, especially when your symptoms and mindless self-dialogue (a peculiar sign of 70% disability) don’t allow you to function normally. It will make it harder for you to get a 70% PTSD disability rating.
Make sure your speech inefficiencies due to PTSD are not hidden but demonstrated for the VA to decide. Don’t fear your symptoms and insecurities showing through because they can get you a higher rating. So, neither exaggeration nor downplaying of symptoms will help.
Conclusion
Suppose you fail to get a 70% rating but were discharged from active duty due to a mental condition. In that case, you can be given at least a 50% disability rating by the VA. In such a case, your combat abilities must be severely impaired by the symptoms, and they should be the only reason for your early discharge from the military.
A 70% PTSD disability rating is a lot of work. The finer details, comprehensive proof documents, and proper diagnosis by your doctor are key to ensuring your claim or appeal to increase the rating is approved by the VA.
For added convenience, you can also consult a disability lawyer or attorney and send most of the complex paperwork their way. Just make sure everything you mention to your lawyer and the VA is 100% true because doctored evidence and fake testimonials will only make things harder for you. So, be honest and do not give up!
She is an experienced Clinical Psychologist and Mental Health Writer with a decade of expertise in psychology. Skilled in assessment, therapy, and patient care. Committed to helping individuals through clinical practice and mental health writing at Therapyjourney.co. Passionate about promoting mental well-being and awareness. Open to aligned opportunities.