I’ll try and clarify that 10/55 rule with some research and contacts.
The “periodic re-examinations” went out the window years ago, I think. I’ve never been subject to those in the past 15 years. Like I said, none of my ratings will ever get better. Whether through physical therapy or even surgery. I’m not worried about downgrades.
I am retired, and don’t know how disability claims work for those Vets who were in a few a years, and discharged with medical claims.
I have a friend who was a Vietnam-era sailor that completely screwed up his back forever getting tossed off a gun-deck on a detstroyer backwards in high seas. He was medicaled-out and denied disability then. Through encouragement of friends, and with DAV support, he finally filed for disability a few years ago and got some. Maybe 20%, no back-dating.
Another friend was a Marine cop in VN and just got 100% last year after being 70% or so for decades. His breathing is not so well after burn pits and agent orange, decades later. Full time oxygen.
In my experience, the VA under republican presidents is much more streamlined than under democrats. It’s a difference between months and years for adjudication. (same thing with ATF, but that’s another story).
I love Trump!
Many ratings need not be concerned. They won’t get better. But I may not have been clear.
Some injuries can be re-evaluated under current guidelines. Those guidelines might not be the guidelines that originally declared the XX%. If a guideline changes, then an injury might no longer qualify.
There are videos on youtubes by guys trying to sell their expertise to vets. The good ones of these paste the paragraph number of whatever document that explains these things.
I noted tinnitus above as proposed (and maybe approved by now) for a guideline change. There are other obstacles to loss, like the reg that says something can’t reduce under 10%. But it gets more and more complicated.
The original poster . . . his healthcare apparently only got approved for use via a 10% tinnitus claim. It would be unwise to chase after another 10% somewhere and risk that original tinnitus 10% because it gets re-evaluated.