iceturkee

your choice. but as long as the va clinic i used did the exams (they haven't in years), there was, at least, one clerk who worked with scheduling the exams, making sure they were entered where they were suppose to go, et cetera. that was the person who told me the clinics policy. no, i didn't ask if it was a system wide policy. but i knew our clinic's policy. so did the FOI clerk. that person told me more than once i couldn't have a copy of the exam before adjudication. i hope you get a satisfactory answer and get this resolved.

i didn't say it was for a pysch exam. i merely pointed out that the va supposedly has a strict policy on releasing mental health exam before a decision is made.

please correct me if i am wrong but what can a veteran do with his or her exam before adjudication, other than knowing what the examiner opined? they can't file a notice of disagreement or start a different appeal process beforehand. i agree it isn't fair that some veterans can get their results before others. but i strongly disagree that they should have it beforehand. i disagree with the va on many things but this isn't one of them. my 2 cents. if you don't like it so be it.

spots, maybe you were fortunate in that your RO or your local clinic disregarded policy and released those reports before they were suppose to be. in the almost 28 years i have dealt with the va, i was denied those reports until adjuication more often than not. out of 9 c&p exams, only did i get 4 reports early. in fact, my depression exam took the help of a fellow journalist to get that released to me early. my understanding is that mental health exams aren't suppose to be released until a claim has been decided to prevent the veteran from possibly doing something harmful to themself or others.

i knew about it in 1988. thats been almost 30 years ago.

the va isn't preventing you from getting copies. they don't want to release them to the veteran until a determination is made. i started going to the va in 1988 and that was the policy then.

wouldn't it be a better idea to have your ducks in a row when you submit your claim? and then continue to prepare to do the same in case of denial? if you got your exam before adjudication, you still can't file a notice of disagreement until adjudication. i'm as impatient as the next person and want to see it as soon as i can. you usually get a pretty good idea of how the va will rule from your exam results. at least, i have.

its not a new policy, this was the case when i started using the va in 1988!

let me play devils advocate for a moment. lets say you get a copy of your exam before the claim is final. lets say you strongly disagree and you call the doctor who did the exam and bitch. you don't think for a moment that the doctor wouldn't negatively complain to regional? i received my nsc a&a because the examining doctor noticed how deformed my hands were and called regional to make sure that was included in my claim. evidently, it hadn't been included although that was the reason i applied for it.

when my clinic still did the exams, veterans would call the ortho doctor and bitch about their report even before the claim was adjudicated. he got pissed and i can't say i blamed him!

its always been the policy of the vba. the exam is not part of the vha. its just been throughout the years, some regional offices adhered to the policy and others didn't.

i had a guy work for me while i was in the navy who got booted out. not sure if he got a dishonorable. think he tried to kill himself (or maybe that was his wife). i had another guy who worked for me who got booted out after i left (although he should have been gone while he worked for me). he stole government property, among other things. pretty sure he got a dishonorable. he was a pathological liar too which didn't help his defense when the skipper finally said enough was enough.

my feeling is that if a veteran believes their dishonorable is unjust they can appeal to the board of military correction. if its overturned, then thats great. that was browbeaten into my thick skull the whole entire time i was on active duty. i do believe that a lot of bad paper was unjust. but not all of it. if there is now a better option than the corrections board, then use it.

no berta, i wish i did.

there is a big discussion going on some site that the government and the va aren't being fair to veterans who received dishonorable discharges but were hurt while they served. for as long as i can remember, it is browbeaten into your head not to screw up because you won't get benefits. but here is my question, should they? should someone with a dishonorable discharge receive va benefits including disability compensation? please discuss. thank you.

did you check ebenefits to see if they show it as posted?

thats great.

thats great news navy. i'm so happy for you. god bless!! and yes, i would apply for IU post haste!!!!!!!!!!

thanks again for the information. guess we will try the custom orthotics first and see what happens.

how does it help the pain in your feet? and does it help toes at all. i have chronic inflammation of the metatarsal heads in my feet beside the high arches and the hammertoes. if you think it would be helpful, i can certainly mention to my podiatrist when i see her again in late june. thanks for the info and the picture!!

bone stimulater, may i ask what it does and how it helps? thanks for the info!

thanks bronco. i spoke with a state of florida service officer this morning while at the local clinic. he advised against it, given that i have IU that is P&T. i asked about smc for loss of useage. my main concern is not so much the abundance of foot pain, which is actually nerve pain from my back. but i have three toes, bilaterally, that have decreased sensation so that there is no feeling when you press on the back of them. the podiatrist also measured muscle strength and i graded 3/5 in both feet. getting custom foot orthotics and hoping they will help somewhat!

i have hammertoes, decreased feeling in 3 of my 5 toes, bilaterally, and high arches.

since this happened in the mid 1970's i don't honestly remember if there are other entries in my medical record. don't remember anything in the navy. beside the inserts, the army doc gave me a permanent profile to wear low quarters instead of heels.

would go back to 80 %.