scooter318

Hi Everyone I had a C&P on Thursday February the 27th and they I logged into the VA.gov website on Monday and it said my completion date was between April 14th-17th. So l logged in again yesterday and now the date has been bumped up to March the 5th-9th. Tomorrow is the 5th so I wanted to know is this common practice to move the dates like this. Also can someone tell me what does RFE mean, they have RFE right after the condition that I"m trying to get an increase on, I've also attached a screen shot.

Hi Pete992 I was thinking along the same lines as you and I'll make sure to ask them when I go in on the 18th.

Hi 63Charlie Yes the new exam is solely for my back, I work in IT so I do sit down most of the day and my job just purchased me an ergonomic chair and a vera desk to accommodate my situation. Also my job allows me to work from home every Friday to help with my condition, they didn't know how bad my back was until I tried to get up one day and my back locked up.

Thank you for replying vetquest, I don't know why the VA does this to vets, I filed my claim for an increase back in December of 2018 and they denied it. So I went and got the law firm that initially helped me to file the NOD, and then I got an IMO along with statements from my wife and my sister about the condition of my back. Then the VA sent me to get a C&P at the VA in Fort Worth and the nurse practitioner that did it said yep your back is pretty messed up. Just to make sure he had in my record what he told me in the exam I went and got a copy of my C&P and he stated that my back has gotten worse. So with all this evidence the VA for some reason closes my case, and I had to have the law firm that is helping me find out why. The VA says that they made a mistake and that they have all the info they need and that I should have a decision in 90 days. My 90 day mark is this month but I check my email yesterday and now I have to have another exam go figure.

Thank you for the quick reply and I'm definitely going to attend the exam and I'll make sure I tell them about my worse day because my back honestly is really bad.

Hi Everyone I wanted to know has anyone ever had a QTC exam, I just received an email yesterday from them stating that I need this exam so that they can finish processing my claim. The reason I ask about this exam is because I had a C&P at the VA back in August and I thought that was good enough. Is a QTC exam another version of a C&P because my last exam coincided with what my IMO stated so I thought that the VA would be making a decision soon. So any info about what the exam in tells would be greatly appreciated and thank you all for the help over the years. Eric

I recently posted about my case being closed by the VA incorrectly, the law firm representing me called and the VA saw that they made an error. They sent me out letter stating that they were in error and my case has been reopened and they sent it to the correct department. I've uploaded a screenshot and I wanted to know can someone tell me where is the (DROC) and how long do they usually take to make a decision on a case.

Thank you all for the quick response to my question, so at this point I'll just wait and contact them once a month.

Hi Everyone I wanted to know has anyone seen a situation like this before, I have an appeal with the VA to have my benefits increased. I submitted all the required paperwork from my past doctor's visits the lay statements the C&P and the IMO that I had done as well,I have a law firm also representing me.I checked on that status of the appeal and it was closed on August 1st. I thought that the VA was going to make a decision and that's why it was closed. So another person who I know who submitted his claim a month after me just got his results back on Monday. So I called the VA and they told me that my case was closed because I didn't file out form 21-526E. So I called the law firm that was representing me and they told me not to file out that form because that's for a new claim and I already have a claim in the system. Below is what the paralegal from the law firm sent me when she looked into my case. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated because I don't know what to do now. Per my review of your file on the VBMS website, it shows our NOD was filed and received by the VA on 3/20/19 but, your electronic file is still showing your appeal is closed. I sent a letter to the VA attaching our NOD and proof the document was received by the VA. I will check your electronic file again in 30 days to make sure the VA acknowledged our NOD and is working your appeal.

Hi Everyone I recently submitted an IMO for my supplemental claim and the VA came back and wanted me to do another C&P. Which I did on the 2nd of August and today I checked on E benefits and it said that my case was closed on August the 1st. So does this mean that they VA isn't going to use the 2nd C&P or will they just take the nurse practitioners notes into consideration as well. One more question, I thought that when they say that the case is closed they already have a decision but why does it say " Issues on Review" if the case if closed.

Gotcha Thanks for the reply

Hi Richard I'm currently rated for my neck and my back, So the law firm is discrediting the VA initial C&P that's why they're doing another one, I had no Idea that how that works.

Hi Everyone I recently filed a claim back in January for an increase because my back has gotten really bad and it's effecting my work. I went to the first C&P exam and they sent me back an denial letter telling me that I wouldn't get an increase. So I had an IMO done by Dr. Ellis in Oklahoma and the exam was sent to the law firm that is representing me. They forwarded everything to the VA and now the VA wants to do a second C&P on August the 2nd and I wanted to know is this common. Just a little history back in 2013 I filed for compensation and the VA gave me a rating of 10% so I had Dr. Ellis give me an IMO and the same law firm represented me then as well. The took 1 year and they increased my rating from 10% to 70% without a second C&P being performed, so why would they want a second exam now.

Hi Everyone I want to first off thank everyone here on hadit that have helped me along my Journey. I was initially given a 10% rating for an appendectomy scare and they denied me for my back. But after getting an outside exam and forwarding the information to my lawyer a year later the VA increased my rating from 10% to 70%. If it wasn't for this board I wouldn't have that today and for that I want to give everyone a big Bravo Zulu. But I also wanted to know where can I look on the E-Benefits website to find out if my rating is permanent or temporary. Eric

Berta You are correct in your assumption that it has not been challenged by the VA. Eric

Thanks a milliion Jbasser, that is a really good show you guys have and the info is top notch. Eric

John999 I don't have my medical records the lawyer that I'm working with told me that they will get that, the only thing that I have right now is a copy of my C&P exam and the decision that the VA gave when when they awarded me the 10%. Eric

Hi Jbasser I don't know, I'm going to find out tomorrow when I call them, the lawyer that I'm working with just wants me to find someone that can do it and they told me that they would take it from there. Eric

Thanks John999 I have another question, I just googled doctors who can give IME and IMO and I found 2 of them off of VAWatchdog.com and they both seem really credible and I was going to give one of them call tomorrow. But what I wanted to know is can a doctor give you an IME or IMO if they aren't in the same state as you. http://www.vawatchdog.org/IME_-_IMO.html Eric

Hi Everyone I spoke to a lawyer about helping me with my case where the VA denied me for my back claim since I didn't follow up after the accident when I was on active duty back in 2001. The lawyer told me to find a doctor who would be willing to do an IME or an IMO to link my back pains to my military accident. I found a doctor in Fort Worth where I live and I mentioned to the doctor that I was seeing a chiropractor and he told me that he wouldn't be able to make me an appointment to see him until I faxed him over a copy of the treatement record from the chiropractor and then he would make me an appointment to see him.What I wanted to know is this normal for doctors to want to see paperwork from another doctor and if not can anyone recommend a docotor in the DFW area if anyone knows of one who knows how to do a IME or a IMO Eric

Phillip Thanks for replying and I will have all the statements notarized and I'll work on getting that IMO Eric

Carlie I never went to the doctor because shortly after I got out the jobs I had didn't offer medical insurance and I didn't start going to the VA until 2 years ago because the pain had gotten so bad. I didn't want to seem like a cry baby that's the reason it took me so long to actually go. I had to work from home about 2 months ago for 3 days because of my back. My wife loaded me up with tiger balm and heating pads and it did get better but I have read other articles stating that you should get a IME in cases like this. Eric

Berta I never thought about a police report, I will see if I can get that because that would help a lot Eric

Carlie Below is what you were asking for Your service treatment records show that you were involved in a motor vehicle accident in February 2001. It was noted that you were discharged from a civilian emergency room with thoracic back pain. You were noted to have slight resistance to lateral range of motion and were prescribed motrin. There is no evidence in your record of any follow up treatment or of a chronic condition related to your lumbar spine. While your service treatment records reflect complaints, treatment, or a diagnosis similar to that claimed, the medical evidence supports the conclusion that a persistent disability was not present in service. We did not find a link between your medical condition and military service and the VA medical opinion found no link between your diagnosed medical condition and military service.Although you have been diagnosed with anterior subluxation of the sacrum with residuals of low back to include radiculopathy, the VA examiner has stated that this condition is not at least as likely as not connected to military service.

Carlie Thanks for the link that's a lot of good information and the reason they denied me was because they said that it wasn't service connected but I know it was so at this point I just have to move forward with these buddy statements and letters from my wife and daughter. Eric