C&P Exam Through VA Contractor QTC Medical Services

[Rocket]

Hello,

I'm currently rated 30% for  major  depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. I recently filed a claim to request an increase. I had my regular C&P physical exam on 10/23/17 and my psych exam on 11/20/17 through a VA contracted company called "QTC Medical Services".

I just received my decision letter and am angry, frustrated, and confused. The VA increased my major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder to 100% as of 10/23/17 (date of my exam). They then knocked it back down to 30% as of 11/20/17 (the date of my psych exam). WTF??

The way I interpret this is that the regular VA doctor who conducted my regular C&P health exam on 10/23/17 felt that my disability was so severe to warrant a 100% rating. Then 4 weeks later on 11/20/17, the person who conducted my psych exam (through QTC Medical Services) decided that I was miraculously cured and recommended my rating be reduced from 100% back down to 30%. Seriously????

The psych exam I received through QTC was an absolute joke! It only lasted about 15 - 20 minutes. The guy was rude, condescending, and acted like I was wasting his time. Has anybody else out there dealt with this company??

How on earth is it possible for an examiner from an outside contracted company spend 15-20 minutes interviewing me...have the authority to trump and override the decision and recommendations of the VA doctor who did my initial C&P health exam and my personal therapist who I've been seeing for 7 years now???!

If anyone out there can explain this to me...I would very much appreciate it. Thanks!

 

 

[broncovet]

 

Im assuming you "have the envelope" which states as you posted, if you are "guessing" based on ebenefits, then all bets are off.  

However, if you have 2 decisions, which are as you posted, then the VA improperly reduced your rating.  They have to give 60 days notice in the event of a proposed reduction.  

Did you get 2 decisions in a 2 month period?  If so, you might post these.   

[broncovet]

It sounds like you should appeal the reduction.  

[Vync]

It might be helpful if we knew the breakdown of your %'s before the increase, after the October exam, and after the November exam. Don't need to know specifically what each disability is, but rather each individual % like 10%, 20%, and 20%, etc...

From what I can gather, you indicated starting with a single 30% MH rating, then was increased to a combined 100% after a regular C&P exam, and then reduced back to 30% after a MH C&P exam.

Based on that, it does sound like something is not right. In most cases, a MH C&P exam should have no bearing on non-MH disability ratings and vice versa.

 

[Buck52]

As broncovet pointed out  they can't make  reduction that soon  with in 30 days?  First they need to send you a proposal to reduce and tell you why and give you information on what to do and how much time you have to Appeal this decision.  if they did not do that they are in error.

Just off the top of my head and from my experienced with a reduction..and of course they maybe other things for you to consider as for as Appeals.

  just make sure you disagree with this decision  or send in a timely NOD usually within 1 year  but a proposal to reduce  you only have 60 days to rebut this decision other wise it becomes final and you will probably be reduced back to 30%...but I am thinking they can't do that.

As for as I understand they rated you the 100% from what a VA Doc mention in his/her report on 10 '23 2017  that your disability is servere to the 100% rate and they gave you the 100% rating...

And  then 30 days later  on 11-20-2017  4 weeks later They sent you to a MH C&P  QTC Examiner and the examiner wrote in his 15/20 minute exam that ON 10 23-2017 that you were not 100% and should be reduced back to 30%??? and they went with the QTC Examiner.

This should be an easy fix  simply take your pertaint medical records to a private specialist and ask him to examine you and give his /her opinion on your disability    it has least likely as not worsen and you should be rated according to this disability to the highest rating allowed by law..or look up your disability and check the rating chart for this. 

is this 100% Rating for MH ?

was the QTC Examiner Quailfyed to render his opinion to a mental Health status? what was his medical credentials? you need to find out these things.

Take both Dr's Exam notes or copys of both of these exams to the specialist.

what this is called is  how two different Dr's have different medical opinions and  it is called '' Retaliative Equipoise ''  and usually  will take a specialist in this field of medicine with  his credentials to solve.  with an Independent medical opinion  ( IMO )

 

Relative equipoise definition

An equivalence in evidence - the evidence is a 50/50 tie with favor going to the Veteran.

Example: If one negative medical opinion is a matter of record it would be the Veteran's responsibility to obtain a separate medical opinion supporting the service-connected claim to create equality in the evidence.

Do you have a VSR/VSO Helping you?

Here  a quote from you

''The way I interpret this is that the regular VA doctor who conducted my regular C&P health exam on 10/23/17 felt that my disability was so severe to warrant a 100% rating. Then 4 weeks later on 11/20/17, the person who conducted my psych exam (through QTC Medical Services) decided that I was miraculously cured and recommended my rating be reduced from 100% back down to 30%. Seriously????''

''The psych exam I received through QTC was an absolute joke! It only lasted about 15 - 20 minutes. The guy was rude, condescending, and acted like I was wasting his time. Has anybody else out there dealt with this company??''

I have had a forensic PTSD MH  C&P Exam from QTC but never had this type problem.

Edited December 28, 2017 by Buck52

[Buck52]

Rocket

You may want to call in to the hadit posdcast radio show live tonight (12-28-2017)

at 7:00 pm eastern  6:00 pm central time  &  ask any questions you need.

They will have Member Asknod on as their guest, he is a certified accredited VSR AND HE KNOWS WHAT HE TALKS ABOUT  WITH VA LAW and the CFR'S  He can help you out on this.

 call in the # to call is 347-237-4819 after you call  then just hit #1  JBasser or Jerald will be right with you to  take your call/

  This is all free valuable information.

you will be glad you made this call.

[Berta]

Something seems  definitely wrong here but we need to see the decisions and the results of those C & P exams.

Was the doctor who did the  "regular C&P health exam on 10/23/17" and " felt that my disability was so severe to warrant a 100% rating, " a VA MH professional?

"my personal therapist who I've been seeing for 7 years now???!"  Did the VA have those medical records?

All above asked very good questions. But it is the actual  documented words of the VA , their rationale and the evidence list they used, that hold the key to what you can do next.

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by Berta