Question:

Hi Jim, last we spoke about my VA Primary Care Dr. stopping my pain meds. I wrote a letter to him with my hospital report that contained an explanation. Lo and behold, he reinstated my pain meds. He is a very compassionate doctor. My new  question is...I need a walk in tub because my balance is very bad. I filled out a grant form 26-4555. Where is the best place in VA to send this form? Of course I will send it certified mail. Hope you are doing OK. Thanks.

Jim's Reply:

It's good to hear from you! That makes me very happy...it's been a long while since we tackled your challenging RVN claim. Your service was the kind of stuff Ian Fleming would have loved.
 

You're fortunate to have a compassionate primary care provider. Far too many won't even talk about opiate pain therapy these days. The overreaction and full pendulum swing in response to the opioid crisis has hurt a lot of people. As usual in our history, treating substance use and abuse issues as revolving door criminal proceedings rather than a health care problem solves nothing and the drug crisis in America is at a new peak...or low. Some physicians seem to be returning to their senses about chronic opioid pain management and I'm glad you found one.
 

Your VA has managed to mismanage incoming documents to an absurd point. The form tells us, "This application should be submitted to the VA regional office where your claim file is located or this form can be completed online by visiting www.ebenefits.va.gov", and that doesn't seem correct. Other VA broadcasts tell us that all paper must come through Janesville to be scanned and uploaded to the system. If you mail routine claims related stuff to your RO it's sent to Janesville to be scanned.
 

If it were me, I'd go to eBenefits and complete the form on line. The eBenefits site presents its own unique set of challenges but the fact is that if you can get that done, your form is instantly in the system and ready to get started on.
 

Feeling just a bit stressed and not sure about this? Mail a copy via certified mail...​

V A Claims Intake Center
PO BOX 4444
JANESVILLE, WI
53547- 4444

And fax  a copy...
Toll Free Fax:
844-531-7818

And if you have the address of your regional office handy, mail them a copy too. Yes. The Shotgun Approach is alive and well. Sometimes only old school works.
 

What happens next?
 

Your papers will find their way to a desk and someone will process it all and then in the distant future I'll read another obscure VAOIG report about how veterans abuse the system by sending in repetitive and redundant copies of paperwork.
 

Yes, really. VA never fails to entertain.
 

Good luck sir.