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Should I do a fully developed claim

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chomperjones

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I have a question. As it stands I am currently at 80% but things have gotten so much worse for me physically. Well lets just say i just left the mental health clinic again after a two week stay. So i am considering filing to have some things service connected and recieve the other 80% i need to be at 100% 

Now it is my understanding that if i provide all of my medical records and nexus letters and other necessary items with my claim, that this can expedite the process. Is this true? 

Or is it easier/better to just let the va locate my records. In the past that normally took a year (to locate the records, schedule and attend my C&P, and receive my results). So i really wonder is it going to at help speed up the process if i were to get my records and then send all of that in with my claim??

somebody said it can take months for the nprc to mail out records, which would pretty much put me in the same situation as letting the va locate the records on their own.

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I think anyone who can ,should file  a FDC:

“What Is a Fully Developed Claim?

The Fully Developed Claims (FDC) program is an optional initiative that offers Veterans and survivors faster decisions from VA on compensation, pension, and survivor benefit claims.

Veterans and survivors simply submit all relevant records in their possession, and those records which are easily obtainable, such as private medical records, at the time they make their claim and certify that they have no further evidence to submit. VA can then review and process the claim more quickly."

http://www.benefits.va.gov/fdc/

 

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I misunderstood your statement of "if I provide my medical records......" as you already having them. It will probably be faster for you to do it, since you only have to worry about you and not 10,000 other people that also need their records. 

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File an FDC  if you can.  There seems to be no downside, if you dont meet the criteria for the FDC due to VA not having your records, they change it to a regular claim.  

Of course, best is for you to know what records VA has on you, by requesting a copy of your cfile instead of shooting in the dark, whether or not you elect to file a FDC.  Yes, I know its a pain.  However, sometimes its faster to do a job right the first time, than to do it over.  

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Submit everything you have, and get the things you don't have and/or facilitate it for the VA as much as possible for them to get your records (ie, sending in a valid 4142 for whatever records.)  This is for private records, the VA already has access to VA medical records, to include MH notes.  With the exception of Vet Center records.

The VA (or rather the contractor) is very quick to get private records, generally speaking.

As for FDC claims being processed or not, it doesn't matter if you are excluded or not.  There is not an FDC lane and a non-FDC lane.  But - certain development may take longer if you don't provide everything.  FDC is effectively completely worthless now, and is not really good for anything but generating errors for VBA employees.  There are only a tiny amount of claims left that may get a retro because of it, and the vast majority of claims are "FDC".  If everyone is priority, no one is.  And I promise you the non-FDC claims don't get pushed to the wayside so an FDC claim can be worked in its place.

 

That said, you're really not gaining anything by "unofficially" starting your claim development now by you getting your private records on your own, or "officially" by having the VA do it.  You start today to get them, but don't submit your claim for 2 weeks, great.  The VA starts today to get them, but doesn't get them for 2 weeks, same difference.  IMO at least, but your opinion counts more than mine :)

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