ThomasGray

First off, hello and thank you in advance for any help that can be provided. Also, I apologize if something is not clear, trying my best to keep things concise. On Friday, May 15, I received letter from the VA, dated May 11, proposing a rating reduction from 100% to 70% for PTSD. The only evidence for the change listed is Rating Decision - Narrative(17SEP18) and DBQ PSYCH PTSD Review(06MAY20), whereas on my initial decision letter there was an abundance of evidence used. The major takeaway appears that my medical records(both prior to and after the initial rating, also from VA facilities) were not considered in this proposal. Is this normal? I have yet to obtain the most recent C&P as I just received the proposal letter, but intend to attempt on Monday, May 18. Looking at the proposal letter though it seems that examiner didn't check a few specific boxes that were checked on my previous C&P. Other than that the differences appear to be minor. The two lists are as follows: Original C&P Gross impairment in communication Suspiciousness Depressed mood Suicidal ideation Near-continuous depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately, and effectively Disturbances of motivation and mood Chronic sleep impairment Near-continuous panic affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately, and effectively Difficulty in understanding complex commands Total occupational and social impairment Panic attacks (weekly) Difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances Neglect of personal appearance and hygiene Difficulty in adapting to work Inability to establish and maintain effective relationships Flattened effect Panic attacks (less than weekly) Intermittent inability to perform maintenance of minimal personal hygiene Difficulty in adapting to a worklike setting Anxiety Difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships Intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living Gross impairment in thought processes New C&P Forgetting names Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgement, thinking, and mood Depressed mood Suicidal Ideation Near-continuous depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately, and effectively Disturbances of motivation and mood Mild memory loss Forgetting recent events Chronic sleep impairment Near-continuous panic affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately, and effectively Difficulty in understanding complex commands Panic attacks more than once a week Difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances Neglect of personal appearance and hygiene Difficulty in adapting to work Inability to establish and maintain effective relationships Impairment of short- and long-term memory Flattened effect Difficulty in adapting to a worklike setting Anxiety Difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships Forgetting directions I bolded the important items not that were not checked on the new c&p which led to the reduction proposal. It seems strange to me that new symptoms were added, however the very specific ones that would've caused the rating to remain the same all disappeared in just 1.5 years even though there is no noted improvement in my actual medical records. What exactly is my next step? I have written a few statements of disagreement contesting the proposed reduction and pulled my VA medical records and will be getting a copy of the new C&P shortly. I have no idea were send the items as it is unclear in the packet. It says I have 30 days for one option and 60 days for the other. I don't think I need a notice of disagreement or start the appeal process as the final decision hasn't been made(this is a poorly worded question)? Can I also request that they consider TDIU if the rating reduction is finalized or will I have to start a new claim for that? Should i send TDIU forms with my statements of disagreement and records? I have been avoiding poking the bear and not filing claims for other conditions, some of which are caused by the various medications they have me taking, should I start filing claims for those as well? And finally, if I do have to file for TDIU separately, should I start the claim now so that the date is saved? Do I submit the claim before or after I receive the final decision on the proposal? Sorry for the long post. I'm lost as to what to do next. It took me over 5 years of being denied before they would actually service connect anything and now this. Thanks again for any help, it is appreciated.

Update: The VA finally finished with my claim and I was awarded 100% scheduler for PTSD, however not P&T(I assume this is because I'm 36) and said I would be re-evaluated in 2020. I just want to say thanks to everyone who contributes here, the answers to my own questions and the answers to questions others have asked helped me quite a bit. Thanks, Thomas

Thanks for the response, some followups 1. Q. Is there a way to obtain the medical records that are missing from my file so that I am able to claim the bursitis and joint issues? Yes, there are several. Ask the VAMC's where you were treated, ask your home VAMC (they may havE BEEN TRANSFERRED THERE), let the VA find them (ask for a copy of your cfile), or contact the JPRS to clarify the medical records I want to obtain are from when I was in service and they were not in my records(only thing in those was the medical exam from MEPS) that I requested from St.Louis, so not VA. I have been out of the military over 10 years and the Unit I was with has relocated to a new post(Fort Hood to Fort Carson). I don't even know where to start looking at this point. 2. Check ebenefits for your C and P exams, too. My C&P were done through a contractor (QTC) and are not available through ebenefits, myhealthevet, or anywhere that I know of as far as I understand. Is there a way to get them that I am unaware of? Thanks Again, T

Hello all, Let me start by saying thank you in advance for any help or information provided. Quick backstory: The first time I filed was in May of 2012(I lived in El Paso, Tx at the time), it was for PTSD, bursitis in hips, carpal tunnel, and a slew of other joint problems, however life happened and I missed a C&P exam that I was unaware of and the claim was denied at the beginning of 2013. I understand that this is my fault, but I did learn that the VA found nothing in my army records to justify a claim for any of the physical problems. The second time I filed was in Feb of 2015(I lived in Tacoma, Wa at the time), it was for PTSD. I had a C&P thru QTC at the beginning of APR 2015 and attended, however during the C&P the doc diagnosed me with major depression and anxiety rather than PTSD. Also during that C&P I was made aware that the dates for one of my deployments was incorrect and did not match the stressors I had listed and thus he did not recommend a service connection and I was denied at the end of APR 2015. It should also be noted that I received no diagnosis or treatment prior to during the claim process(I still had no idea how the VA worked and was under the impression that I needed to be service connected.) Of note on this claim I attempted to use a VSO thru DAV, however when I went to the office I was given booklet titled "Federal Benefits for Veterans Dependents and Survivors" and the representative highlighted the address of the vet center near me and the ebenefits website instructing me that I needed to file the claim there. In JAN 2018 after a low point I finally went to the American Lake VA office to see what treatment was available to me. This is when I discovered I qualified for no copay visits and partial copay of medication. I went through the intake exam at the behavioral health clinic there and have been in individual counseling sessions almost weekly as well as attending a few of the group counseling programs offered. I have also been put on various medications to combat the anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Since starting the sessions I have been diagnosed with chronic severe PTSD, chronic severe MDD, chronic severe anxiety, and chronic severe insomnia. My third and current claim I put in on 02/27/2018(I live on Joint Base Lewis-McChoord, WA). It is for PTSD, MDD, anxiety, insomnia, as well as an application for TDIU. I listed the MDD, anxiety, and insomnia as secondary to the PTSD. I included my DoD service records and my DoD payment records to show that the dates of the deployment on my DD214 were incorrect. I uploaded my medical records from the VA American Lake office just in case there was going to be any issues for them to obtain them, they were reviewed and accepted on 04/04/2018. I had the C&P in MAR 2018, while there the doc said he was recommending all issues be service connected. I filled out the 21-4192 Request for Employment Info on 04/25/2018 the best that I was able and added an attachment to it explaining that my last employment was over 8 years ago and the reasons why I haven't been employed. On 05/03/2018 I submitted a 5103 Claim Decision Request. Other Info: In FEB 2018 I requested my military medical records, when I received them the only document there was the medical exam from MEPS, the one you do prior to joining. However while in service I was treated for bursitis over a period of two years(physical therapy and medication) I had the occasional trip to sick call, and at one point had an in grown toenail removed. I filed my current claim as a new claim, however they reopened my 2015 claim instead. My ETS was in FEB 2007 after being extended 7 months due to deployment. I spent my entire time in the military at Fort Hood, TX as part of the 4th Infantry Division(the division has since relocated to Fort Carson, CO) Questions: Q. Is there a way to obtain the medical records that are missing from my file so that I am able to claim the bursitis and joint issues? Q. I am planning to move from JBLM, WA to somewhere in Iowa(Wife's decision) at the end of AUG 2018. This will change my regional office. Will it effect my claim and what do I need to do to ensure my claim doesn't disappear? Q. Will them reopening my older claim instead of accepting a new one have any effect, beneficial or not? Q. Should I request my C-File now or wait until the claim is complete? Q. Does contacting the 800 number or using IRIS to check claim status affect my claim in any way? (I'm curious where it's at because it has passed the estimated date, and the last date it seems anything was done is 04/04/2018 when they reviewed medical records.) Thanks you again for any info or suggestions able to be given. T