I have been out of the service for a few years now. I didn't bother harassing the VA at the time but is it too late now?

Actually no, all you need to do is start the process. Mind you, these claims takes time, and time is on the side of the administration.

Call the VA and request a claim form.

Fill out and submit the claim form direct to the VA, along with any required documents.

Let the VA find the information necessary through requesting from your medical organizations and military.

Let them research your records and get back to you.


The POSITIVE side to this option is:

You do not have to do very much work yourself.
You fill out the form, sign consent forms for records, submit necessary documents requested (if any), then sit back and wait for the VA to do something.


The NEGATIVE side of this, however, could be very discouraging.

It takes a lot of time for the claim to get to an adjudicator at the VA.
The adjudicator has to then mail out request forms to all the medical organizations requesting your records and then wait for them to send said records to them.
These medical organizations can sometimes be very slow to respond.
All paperwork is logged in and then has to be filed in the correct vet's claim folder, again time spent.
Time is then allotted, along with other vet claims, to process these records.
How many claims being processed will decide how much research is actually done into your records. The more claims, probably the less time taken as more claims need to be worked. Thus documentation is missed. This can affect your claim tremendously.
An appeal is probably going to be required.

You could also call your closest Vets organization and they will have the info and offer assistance or point you to the correct people.

My ex-wife cared for a paraplegic vet suffering from PTSD from service in Vietnam. He had never filed for a claim until she helped him do it on 2007. His claim was eventually approved.

So....I guess the answer is there is no time limit.

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/index.htm

Try this site.