CLL Benefits

Question:

I am a Vietnam vet with CLL. I have been in treatment since 2019 and am now in remission. The VA just scheduled me to an independent test/evaluation. My Oncologist tells me a cure for CLL is questionable. I am concerned that the VA will end my benefits because of the remission. My understanding is that CLL cannot be cured and will reappear…..

 

Jim's Reply:

The laws, rules and regulations require VA to provide your benefits to match the disease you have at a given time. Any time we have a service connected cancer we are awarded a temporary 100% rating that lasts while we're having treatment. Once the treatment is done, we no longer have the cancer and can't be rated at 100%.
 

Whether or not your disease may reappear doesn't mean that you aren't currently in remission and you don't show any trace of the disease and that means you can't be rated at 100% for a cancer. If the cancer should reappear, your rating will return to 100% as soon as you do the paperwork.
 

I don't think the system is fair in that this doesn't account for the suffering you've gone though and the toll all this takes on your mental health. If you find that all this has caused you anxiety, depression, sleep loss and such, you can file for those conditions and any other that are left from your therapy. If you have scarring from any surgery or any other conditions, be sure to tell the examiner.
 

Good luck sir.