EP. 154 Quando un video non va.

[MUSIC] >> Hey guys, it's Leah B here from Receesh Veteran Medical Consulting. I am a US Army Veteran Physician Assistant and Former Compensation and Pension Examiner. Welcome back to my channel and today we're going to talk about Anemia and BA Disability Benefits. Anemia is not as talked about as things like PTSD or sleepabia but is actually more common than you think. It can seriously impact your health and your BA clean. Let's break down what Anemia is, how the A breaks it and what you need to know to avoid some pitfalls that can happen to veterans who get denied. What is Anemia? Anemia happens when your body doesn't have enough healthy bread, blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Without that oxygen, you can end up feeling weak, tired, short of breath, or dizzy. There are several different types of Anemia and some of them are things like iron deficiency and Anemia. Usually this happens when there's blood loss or poor absorption of iron. Vitamin deficiency and Anemia caused by lack of B12 or folate. Hemalitic Anemia where your body destroys red blood cells faster than it makes them. A plastic Anemia is a type of Anemia that occurs when your bone marrow doesn't produce enough new cells. Cyclecell Anemia is a genetic type where cells are misshaped. This isn't just about being tired. Anemia can affect your heart, your brain, and your overall health. Let's talk about Anemia and Veterans. Why is Anemia so common in prevalent and veterans? Anemia shows up very often due to things like medications. Long-term use of p-meds, anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs can cause bleeding in the stomach or the intestines. That's like your motrin and naproxen, things like that. Gastrointestinal problems like gourd, ulcers, or Crohn's disease can cause blood loss or poor absorption. Chronic illnesses like kidney disease, cancer, or autoimmune conditions can reduce blood production. Exposures to chemicals, radiation, or even burn pits may contribute to later blood disorders. VA healthcare data has shown that veterans, especially those with multiple service-connected conditions, have higher rates of Anemia than civilians. So let's talk about, I always like to go over literature because this can sometimes be helpful to you in your claims process. So literature about Anemia and Veterans. It's definitely backed up by research. So a 2021 VA study found that when veterans developed Anemia, many of them didn't get the proper follow-up test like iron or B12 checks. Another study showed that nearly 60% of older veterans admitted to VA hospitals already had Anemia at admission. A 2024 JAMA network study looked at over 71,000 veterans with iron deficiency Anemia and it found that taking iron two or more times a day improved hemoglobin faster than just one today. So the bottom line is that Anemia is very common amongst veterans often overlooked and it requires careful treatment. So how does VA rate Anemia? So ratings are not necessarily my specialty. I'm not a legal professional, but I know this is important to you guys. So I try to get this data so you guys can go and look it up. So VA uses the 38-code of federal regulation, 4.117, and that's the schedule of rating for thematic and lymphatic systems to evaluate Anemia. Each type of Anemia has its own diagnosis code. So sickle cell Anemia, which again was that genetic disorder with mischake cells that block blood flow, A plastic Anemia is that bone marrow doesn't make enough new cells, iron deficiency Anemia, often tied to chronic blood loss or poor absorption, that pernicious Anemia or B12 deficiency under CO7722 is the body can't absorb B12, causing nerve and blood problems. Required hemolytic Anemia is when the body destroys red blood cells faster than it can replace them. Each of these can be rated anywhere from 0 to 100%, usually in 10% increments. The VA looks at your hemoglobin levels on your blood tests and also your symptoms, things like fatigue, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, or needing transfusions. The worst your labs are and the worst your symptoms are, the higher rating you may qualify for. So let's talk about primary versus secondary service connection for Anemia. So when it comes to service connection for Anemia, there are these two main categories. So primary service connection, this applies if the Anemia was documented while you were in service or occur while you were in service. For example, your service medical records might show low hemoglobin, repeated fatigue or hospitalizations for blood loss while you were in active duty. Secondary service connection is going to refer to the Anemia being related to another service connected disability. And this is usually going to be more common. It means that anemia developed because of another condition like gastrointestinal bleeding from gourd or ulcers, chronic kidney disease, things like cancer treatments, for example chemotherapy or radiation can cause anemia, side effects of medications for PTSD or chronic pain, autoimmune conditions such as lupus, and the list just goes on and on. So either way, you need to show that medical connection between your service and your anemia. So common reasons anemia, anemia, VA claims get denied. So why does VA deny so many anemia claims? Here are some typical reasons that you could consider. You don't have a current diagnosis. You need lab work for proving that you have low hemoglobin, just symptoms alone is not going to cut it. Okay? So no service connection. Even with a diagnosis, the VA is not going to just grant benefits without a link to your service or another rated condition. So a lot of veterans get this confused. They think just because the diagnosis them with a condition, that means it should be, they should be compensated for it. No, they're just providing you health care. You still have to show how that's related to your service. So weak or missing nexus. So a doctor, whether that's the CMP examiner or your private doctor or another medical professional that you're seeing, must state that your anemia is at least as likely as not related to your service or another service connected condition so that adjudicators can review that and link it to your service if the evidence aligns. So CMP exam issues sometimes to be examiner, blames anemia on diet lifestyle aging instead of recognizing the service related cause. Again, the CMP examiner does not, I've said this before in multiple videos. The CMP examiner doesn't make the decision. They just give a medical opinion and then be adjudicators whether it's the radar or whoever the judge, radar makes that determination based on the totality of evidence. So poor symptom documentation is another reason if your fatigue, fainting or shirtless of breath aren't clearly documented. You might get underrated or you could have your claim denied. So how do veterans support their claim? If you're filing an appeal or if you're just filing a new claim, there are lots of great resources out there for you. VA.gov has a lot of health documents that can help you with the filing process. You can talk with a VSO. You can talk within a credit acclaims agent or an accredited VA attorney. They can also help you with it. So recent blood work or rep medical records showing your current hemoglobin levels and your diagnosis. You can ask your own treating doctor for an excess opinion if they're willing to provide you one, linking it to your service. That's not required, but you can do that. Maybe they will help you. You can document your symptoms and medical visits. You can write a journal and keep a journal. You can get buddy statements from your family or friends who have observed how that enneemia affects your daily life. You can, you know, again, you can ask your doctor and if they're willing, that's great. But if they're not, you know, that CMP examiner certainly can provide a positive opinion for you. So the stronger and clearer your evidence is, you know, you would hope the more more likely your chances of approval are. So the wrap up enneemia is a real health issue for veterans and the VA does recognize it under several different diagnostic codes, but claims are often denied because of missing lab work, week nexus statements or poor documentation. The good news is you can fix those gaps with the right evidence. Enneemia claims can be won. So if you found this video helpful, make sure to hit that like button, subscribe and share it with another veteran who might be dealing with enneemia and the VA system. And let me know in the comments. Have you, if you dealt with this before, what challenges did you base, what rate experiences did you have? Maybe some of you had great experiences with your CMP exams and getting it connected. So until the next time, take care of yourself and, as always, thank you for your service and thank you for watching. All right, bye guys.