Military veterans.

[sadiemae]

TxRR, you need to have your service officer call Bpaytons service officer.

 

[ncollins]

I put in an inquiry to the VA (https://iris.va.gov) to find out if they now recognized PLS as service connected. I got an answer back today that said they did not. But if Billy is getting through maybe the system is cracking in our favor?

I have now asked the VA how many veterans in the VA system have a diagnosis of PLS. It is a rare disease, but if there are quite a few more cases percentage-wise than in the general population, it might help us make a case to Congress.

I saw Harry Reid (our local Senator & majority leader of the Senate) a few weeks ago & gave him the data I posted above. He promised to look in to it. I plan to follow up with his office if I don't hear anything back soon. It is a good bipartisan issue, I think they could get the votes to issue a directive to the VA.

 

[TxRR]

TxRR, you need to have your service officer call Bpaytons service officer.

Great idea. Bpayton, can you pm me you service officer's name and telephone number. Thanks.

 

[sadiemae]

Sent you a PM, I thought you were from Nevada, but I see now it is Texas.

 

[TxRR]

Got it. Thank you.

 

[ncollins]

Can you let us know what you find out TxRR?

 

[TxRR]

Can you let us know what you find out TxRR?

Sure will.

I tried making the comparison between ALS/PLS when I originally filed my claim. I even attached all of the quotes that someone posted above. In the end my denial letter read as follows:

"There are differences in the two disabilities, and the two diagnoses are not interchangeable".

I'm sceptical that a letter from my doctor stating PLS is a rare form of ALS would have made much difference.

 

[PncAndy]

I'm getting into this discussion late but would like add my experience to it. I submitted a VA claim in Feb. 2010 and received the denial in May. They stated that PLS is not ALS and there being no proof the disease was a result of active duty it was denied.

I’d be very interested in knowing how many VA patients are diagnosed with PLS.

 

[Zaphoon]

While PLS is not ALS, it is a motor neuron disease. My question to the VA would be why is one motor neuron disease considered service connected and another not.

 

[PncAndy]

Personally......... I feel it is due to life expectancies. A diagnosis of ALS is about 6-10 years where as PLS is an average of over 20 years.

 

[Zaphoon]

I guess my thinking is that the reason the V.A. considers an illness to be service related is that the root cause of the illness is/was believed to be due to something encountered during military service. I'm very glad that ALS now has an automatic service related assumption. In my mind, this means the V.A. assumes the cause of the illness was due or at least could be due to something encountered while in the military that acted as the trigger. So, they take responsibility.

While it is recognized that PLS has longer longevity attached to it, it is also recognized that the diagnosis often changes to ALS if LMN involvement ensues.

What one could logically conclude is that the V.A. takes responsibility for motor neuron disease only if it involves both upper and lower motor neurons but not if it only involves upper or lower alone. If life expectancy is the answer, so be it but that does not explain "assumption" for service connection (well, at least not in my mind).

If the V.A. is going to assume that military service is responsible for one motor neuron disease, why not assume it is for every motor neuron disease? This is my question.

I need to ask this directly to the V.A.

 

[PncAndy]

My wife has stated that there are so very few cases of PLS world wide, the numbers that might come under VA have to be even smaller, why doesn't VA just accept them.

Good luck talking to VA and, please, keep us informed.

 

[Beach Bum]

I filed Appox six weeks ago,I had copys of my dd214,also at the DUKE UNIV ALS CLINIC last week the ALS social worker e-mailed me she had talked with the VA and sent all the info from the clinic,about a week ago,got a letter from the VA they said they had all the info they needed from me.that they had many claims and it would take a while.At the ALS support group meeting I was told by a Vet with ALS Sc had one of the best helper with the VA and he was sure I would get it soon.I will keep you posted or feel free to ask me,say a month from now;
GOOD LUCK

 

[maryhahnward]

ALS claims at the VA are expedited due to the unrelenting, progressive nature of the disease. My husband's PVA filed on July 1 and he was awarded his claim by August 23. He is a patient at Duke's ALS Center. I hope things go quickly for you.

 

[sadiemae]

We filed on 9-22-09, approved 10-14-09.