Lu 12,
One example of this is, The VBA and the VAH is two different houses, however the VAH does send the VBA inpatient reports of patients that stay there over a certain number of days. When the VBA receives the report, they have a responsibility to “infer” and “adjudicate” a claim if they can relate the medical condition to an already service connected condition or the veteran’s service medical file. This VBA intervention could prove to be invaluable to persons who are diagnosed with a terminal illness as well as there spouse if that person was to expire.
Also the report could be harmful to persons on pension because an extended hospital stay will reduce their benefits, so they look at that too.
I recommend that if anyone is in the hospital for more than 10 days, they should request a copy of their treatment records since admission and review them for possible disability claims of increases. If they are unable to do it by themselves, they should find someone knowledgeable to assist them with the review of the medial records and there VBA file.
In the same case if a veteran goes to a C&P Exam, the report of results do end up in their C-File. If the doctor during the C&P Exam for a right knee increase states that the persons recent fall, that injured his left elbow was more than likely due to his right knee condition, the VBA should "infer" and "adjudicate" a claim for a left elbow condition to be claimed as secondary to the persons serivce connected right knee condition without the need for the vetran to file the calim themselves.
Veteran Advocate