Imo Question

[bulldogpete]

I recently submitted my claim for the first time and I already have two letters from my doctors linking my current injuries to my accident in the military. I tend to worry about things, and I am already forming a game plan just in case they deny my claim the first time.

I am looking to get more letters completed by doctors. My current letters are written by doctors that currently treat me, I was wondering how you go about finding other doctors to review your medical file and write a letter.

Would I just research doctors in my areas that specialize in my medical conditions and then call up their office and ask if they can review my file/write a leter, or do only certain doctors give IMO's.

Any help is appreciated. I am wanting to stay on the defensive and I all the waiting around makes me feel like I am not doing anything to help my claim.

[Berta]

Do your IMos contain the key wording and fulfill the IMO criteria here at hadit?

I would think just googling for specialists in the field of your disability would bring up links but you might try instead googling for forensic medical experts as they often provide IMOs.

My IMO from a forensic cardio expert (I didnt need it) cost less than the ones I had from Dr. Bash.

[bulldogpete]

Yes the two letters do list what is needed. Also, I was reviewing some of my medical records and found in the narrative portion, other doctors referred to my accident that occurred in the military and refer to the cervical fracture and other spinal injuries I sustained. They also stated I have been having problems since the accident. I hope this will be almost as good as a letter.

We will see, I am going to research some doctor's next week and continue debating on spending more money on nexus letters (money is tight)

[carlie]

I recently submitted my claim for the first time and I already have two letters from my doctors linking my current injuries to my accident in the military.

bulldog,

Can you post exactly what the two letters from the doctors state to link your "current

injuries to my accident in the military".

[john999]

If you have two good letters you might just wait until you get a decision before getting more IMO's. If for some reason you don't get everything you want you can get the new IMO's to rebutt the VA's decision line by line. That is what I did over the period of a rating and two appeals. The VA is great at giving a partial grant of your disabilites. That is when getting new evidence really helps. The hard part is waiting.

[bulldogpete]

When I do decide to get another IMO, what is the best way to go about it. Do I just call them and ask if they will review my records and write an IMO?

[Berta]

I would suggest only considering another IMO if the VA fails to award on the ones you already sent to them.

You might consider a different doctor for this- someone whose expertise outweighs the doc who did the most recent C & P-

And by then you will have the SOC decision as well as hopefully you have gotten a copy of the actual C & P.

My 2 IMOs from Dr. Bash directly referred to medical statements in 2 SOCs I got. The second IMO he did started out with 'the recent SSOC dated XXXXX is "medically inaccurate." and then he gave a full medical rationale for his statement.

I had pointed out these medically inaccuracies myself to the VA with highlighted parts of the veteran's clinical VA med recs and treatises from expert sources yet they ignored what I said until a real doctor said the same thing.

If you need a third IMO, the SOC or SSOC and C & P results are invaluable as part of the clinical record that any IMO doctor would need and should have.

I hope I mentioned that in the IMO topics here-will check there later-

My 2 IM0s cost $2,000 each and were both different yet same doctor, same claim.I also had a freeby from a former VA Neuro who treated my husband and then left the VA.It was a brief statement in his email response to me.It took me 8 months to find him.

But I jumped the gun when my claim went to the BVA and was remanded for an opinion from a VA cardiologist.My IMO doc was a NeuroRAd.

I believe a claimant should do all they can to satisfy a remand-themselves---why not try to do what the BVA has ordered VA to do?

I found out quickly that a PA was doing the VA opinion so I immediately contacted a forensic medical group and got an IMO cardiologist.

I had to then prepare the medical evidence and my cover letter differently from what Dr. Bash had gotten.

I also had to copy the entire clinical record again.I didn't need the SMRs for the claim.

This opinion cost me $1,750.

As I awaited for the new IMO ,I called about 2 weeks later and found the doc had just gotten to it,but had not begun to prepare it.The same day I thought a brown envelope from the BVA in my mail was an error as I had gotten 2 decisions that belonged to veterans in the past,sent to me erroneously, and I called the POA on the decision and got that fixed.

I knew the BVA had recently received the PA's opinion.My request for a copy of it had not been fulfilled yet.

The envelope contained my award.My immediate reaction was SO SOON! it had only been 6 years so far Ha Ha.

The BVA had disregarded the PA opinion as too speculative and had awarded based on the 3 IMOs they had (giving the freeby same weight as other 2) and considered all of my additional evidence.

I was surprised and I called the forensic group to hold off on the cardio IMO, that they first said there was no refund due to- which I understood and accepted as this was part of agreement I signed.and then I found a check for 900 bucks in the mail from them a few weeks later.

If I do need an IMO for my current claim I will contact them right away.They had called me before I was awarded complimenting me on the way my cover letter and Exhibit list had been prepared and how I had presented the claim.

That surprised me as this was a forensic IMO service used primarily by civil and criminal lawyers and forsenic medical experts.

It just goes to show- we must be clear about what we ask for from the VA and then prepare the evidence in a way that gives them no way out to award.

An IMO doctor needs Everything but I have also enclosed specific records separately, and highlighted as to how they were significant to my claims and then I tabbed them with a Exhibit list number ,keeping them in orderm within the entire packet of years of med recs.

I almost want to jump the gun again on my AO IHD claim and get an IMO now .But this is not being handled in my AOJ so maybe I have better chance that a RO rater will actually read what I sent this time.

These IMos are often expensive but they are investments and, if a vet or widow has complete confidence in how an IMO will help them, hopefully they will be able to get one if needed.The cost is easily absorbed by a few future comp checks they might never get without an IMO.