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Depression IMO from MD?

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JWMN89

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I was wondering what people thought of getting an IMO for depression from an MD like Dr Bash or Dr Anaise.  Would the VA give weight to a well written mental health IMO that doesn't come from a Psychiatrist?  I have an "basic" nexus letter from my board certified psychiatrist but it's thin on rationale and I'm afraid it won't be good enough.   I'm considering spending the money on a professional letter from an expert in what the VA wants.  Opinions?

Thanks.

JW in MN

 

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Getting a top notch IMO for a psychiatric disorder is not difficult per se. The problem is finding an attorney or agent to represent you. Most IMO/nexus letter outfits like MedConnect or Mednick Associates, as well as all the SSA attorney shrinks I've worked with will only deal with an attorney or agent. They refuse to work directly for the Veteran for fear of being scammed or worse- getting stiffed for the bill. The worst that could and does happen is getting sued because they find you do not have a MMD. As a Veteran, you cannot sue a VA attorney or agent. Many Vets with psychiatric disorders try to. I don't know why but that's the way it happens.

I've reluctantly done a few  PTSD and bipolar disorder claims for my friends or neighbors and they are no more difficult than any other. They just require a psychiatrist/psychologist. Doctors Bash and Anaise are both medical doctors in addition to having  juris doctorates. The JD permits them to practice law. However, being MDs, they cannot diagnose mental disorders and their opinions would be thrown out. The Court of Veterans Appeals recently denied an appeal by a Veteran represented by Dr. Anaise. It was over a sleep apnea claim as secondary to a psychiatric disorder. I attach it below.

This will give you an idea of what can happen. Drs. Bash and Anaise typically charge in the neighborhood of $6,000 or more for their services. Mednick charges $2,000 and splits it into two categories. If they can't write it for you, they only charge $1,000 for the review. If they can, they only charge the second $1,000 upon completion. I generally go over the final product to fine tune it with the Psychologists. Remember, you want a perfect product, not one that is skinny on details or inaccurate on the facts.  To date, I've never had an IMO request turned down for an inability to write it. 

 

HarveyJ_16-1515.pdf

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