autumn

i wouldn't have believe it about C&Ps had i not have witnessed it first hand and researched websites such as this. look how common it is, just by reading posts here and this is just (one) website for veterans, that we veterans get a C&P finally scheduled only to have to get a follow up C&P due to the first one was a (bait-n-switch for lack of proper descriptive). i couldn't believe my first MS C&P, i mean really, just didn't make any sense. the doctor ( i assume was instructed to do it that way) did everything he could to steer it away from disabilities, that MS is so hard to quantify, that they don't get many MS patients in this state, and tried to belittle the IME i had, etc. i had to contact a Congressional office to get the "correct C&P". and that exam was like night and day. i've mentioned that before, but what i'm trying to get to is, the 9 month wait for the first C&P exam that took a few letters from VSO, then another 6 months to get the correct one, another year to the psych exam eval as this VA and/or VARO argued continuously that psych/cog issues weren't warranted for me and my MS. hello! no sense going into MS and cog issues here, one can google MS and find that. that all goes along with what you replied and that is someone ( i say legal types ) at VA must be indirectly or directly training these folks to be this way. thats why i say it borders on VA being very close to doing things illegal to veterans in this regard. that is to say, i was aghast that we now a days have to file for a C&P just to get a diagnosis. and that being the case, no wonder C&P's are such a sham and stressor. they saw to it their doctors do not have to diagnose & to have C&Ps on average be shoddy exams, thus, veteran will be denied or give up and too, get sicker usually. i say sicker becuase years are passing along during this time for the veteran. look at that scenario -- is is designed so there is zero accountability in reality for the VA or its employee's, zero. it all falls back on the veteran in reality. now on paper, sure it looks like the VA has accountability, or via statements from Congress, but down on the street level with the veteran, nope, i don't see the accountability. we all have been manipulated into becoming psuedo-para-legals or the like just to protect ourselves against this machine. and this after Congress suppossedly passes laws to protect the veteran. i'm almost monetary bankrupt from having to get outside medical diagnosis. i'll have medicare soon so that will help. yet, the VA has ways to penalize the veteran when seeking non-VA medical help. that's where strong accurate reliable IME's are such great tools. i'm in awe at how veterans have pulled together via the internet and help each other at such sites as this, but from another perspective, look at how the VA has manipulated us into having to be this way -- that is the sheer effort it takes financially and legal too fight this machine. so yes, i'm so grateful for your post that you concur with this. we can't be the only veterans that see/sense this. it is extremely political and money based in Washington with the VA. i don't even want to speculate how much influence the legal profession and big pharm on the VA. what a testbed of unknowing test subjects/samples they have with the veteran population. why there arnen't more VA whisleblower's is beyond me. look how many veterans work there. you can't tell me they don't see much of this. it having a Cabinet post, well, and we street level veterans have a chance against that and all the corruption in Washington? LOL thank you

berta & carlie, i will call him. i text'd and emailed awhile back, no reply. yes, i thought putting it all in nice tabbed, notated folder would help it go a bit faster. i'll call them. thanks

i get SSD and from a mailing is how i found out medcare would be avail later this year to me. happy for that as i will then be able to see a real MS specialist who isn't under the legal thumb of the VA to ration health care/benefits at any cost. thanks for the help

yes, i just read about this. i don't want the VA ever cutting on me. from my MS journey with them, to posts on hadit and vawatchdog and conversations with other veterans and even federal employees, i wouldn't let them cut on me. i already get tweaked just going to appointments at VAs. i'm telling ya, an i know people think i'm off base saying this, but VA is close to a criminal entity and no accountability. so no, no cutting. i think i read they will auto deduct from monthly check the 99.99 for Plan B. i'll keep that. from what i read they will penalize one anyway if one doesn't sign up or something like that

just wondering what the general time frame is for an IME from Dr Bash & his assistant Mr Brown. I'm sure they are swamped these days. I did as Berta suggested and wrote a nice precise cover leter and spent months putting a chronological medical document folder together and sent it off almost 6 months ago.

your posts are always so informative and insightful, we all appreciate that. it is indeed psychological warfare, no question. and the VA has how many legal depts across the country doing one thing, "how to beat the veteran", and they inform the local VA medical personnel in indirect ways on how to conduct their business. most of all the good helpful PCP at our local VA opted not to return when their contract ran out. i mean these doctors really were helpful and time giving. the ones that stayed have told me how they were promised this and that only to find out once they started that wasn't true. were they telling me the truth or just humoring me? i have no way of knowing. i mention this to go along with Berta's "psych-ops" statement. many of us have hired lawyers only to see many of us end up doing most of the work, and see we could just have easily sent in pertinent letters with correct wording. they get 25% and for what? i wouldn't be so jaded about that if i honestly saw them 'fight' the VA and actually get things moving along. in my cases i never saw that. and VSO's have left me in the fallen cracks. i had to file a complaint to VSO National headquarters just to get something normal moving along. you honestly think they will address the issues? i doubt it. they are well versed in the art of humoring me. i have every intention of having a lawyer write the forthcoming complaint. this "psych-op warfare" you mention seems to be fought with legal expertise. and as you mention, what a crying shame it has to come to that when we veterans aren't skilled in the are of legal warfare nor did we commit a crime, civil or otherwise. so, with such a formidable legal dept backed by Lord knows what else in Washington, we the lil ol veteran, can do what, in reality that will move a mountain? i can't speak or verbally express myself as well as i could some years back -- though no one at VA listened -- i've never actually seen a change due to any letters i've written. changes for veterans in general, not just me. i'm on a team here, it isn't just about me. what a lonely place that is up against the VA, to be alone. been there. we all have to stick together. i for one appreciate this website and vawatchdog.ord for keeping me educated. i'd given up long ago thinking it was all me and my mistake for whatever, as the VA tried for years to get me to think. either that or they are terribly incompetent. build another website as a veterans weapon against the VA. there has to be something that can be built, that can go viral, and wake up Washington. they love their votes don't they? writing letters to Congress is old technology and old news

as far as "taking some real action...", i just don't know where or what more veterans can do, young and old. Gordon Erspamer, the attorney for the veterans rights group, in this case: http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/federal-court-reverses-order-to-overhaul-va-treatment-system-1.176603 said it as best as one could as far as calling/writing/ Congress about this. Nothing has changed. now the Congressman's office i deal with, their vet advocate, tells me how understaffed the VA is, how the VA wants to do the right thing, that now due to the economy veterans are coming out of the woodwork filing claims, the two new wars are winding down, he'd prefer to give faster treatment to combat veterans as priority versus i guess someone like me that was on active duty when there wasn't a war to get ordered to, they are under budget, this state cant attract good doctors, etc etc. i honestly think it is way past time to just write a note or call congress. correct me if i am wrong? its more time to "occupy" or whatever one does when writing Congress for years by thousands of veterans does nothing and the situation seems to get worse. like you mention about many of of veterans that have to get outside medical diagnosis and/or medical opinions because no medical doctor at the VA will diagnosis correctly -- and why not ?? -- i can only think it is to deny rightful compensation and deny any wrong doing from earlier mis-diagnosis. correct me if i am wrong? some of us have had to spend thousands of our own savings just to get a correct diagnosis and even then have VA doctors ignore it. there is ZERO accountability at VA and VARO, ZERO. how many CSPAN segments, youtube, websites, national media, local media have been done on this issue? many, many many. what changed? take a look at this website and vawatchdog.org and draw your own conclusions as far as what has changed. maybe veterans that are working should have a national peaceful strike day to draw attention to the country about this issue. not just claims, but the shoddy C&P's we've all had and have to wait another year or so for the "real" C&P, the tens of thousands of letters sent to VA and Congress that do nothing as far as real results. we get the typical response like i mention above. show the world most veterans are not a bunch of whiners just wanting something for nothing. my head is hurting now, so i stop. but i really hope veterans can find a way to bring notice to this deplorable situation. it has gone on for years, years. if Congress and VA has really listened and really done anything about it we wouldn't be having this conversation.

i'll ditto this for Pappa. My MS, like yours and others stuff, progresses onwards, while VA does their thing, whatever that is.

if/when? my MS secondary issues get rated i may be able to afford the 100.00 for part B that you mention. i would surely get it. the VA has its good & bad points but in my particluar experience the place makes my nerves tweak due to the years of falling through the craccks. i hope i can do the 100.00 a month some day, quality of life means something to me. thank you for your reply. helps my education with this

ok, thanks. i'll bring it when i get it. if they ask i'll show them. thats the only insurance i'll have once that kicks in.

ps: sorry for delay getting back here. i guess i forgot to tick "email me posts". i didn't know that about medicare. i know so little about medicare i'm doing some homework before so i know a little something. thanks for the reply

now sure where to post this so i'll start here. i'll be getting my medicare starting the end of this year. VA always asks if one has medical insurance so do i tell them when i start on medicare? i ask, due to some years ago when i was able to work i told the VA i had medical insurance. The VA then proceeded to send bills to the insurance carrier for appts and stuff i was SC'd for which didn't make any sense to me. thanks

they do the same to veterans that used to drink. though, there is no known medical scientific evidence drinking causes MS and its issues (my case). i didn't know you had to go through that with your husband. gee, felt alone there for awhile. good post and informative. i hope other veterans read your post as the VA does this to the living too. there is zero accountability at VA, nada. its very important, more so now with the recent federal court reversal to overhaul VA treatment system

yep, thats what i'm looking for. it may or may not be important to current claim(s) regarding reason via med evidence but i would like to see it

yes, something like that, but also, all the denied claims & decision + reason this gives me something to go on and ask about. thanks

really? they don't have database that lists claims filed to VA under a veterans ID? that doesn't make any sense to me. but not much does these days. may be i will call the VSO and ask him about it and to head them off if they thought i was submitting new evidence. it was plain to me thanks as usual

gee, now my heart is racing as if i need anything else to hold them up what already is now 2 years. that was the form i thought i was told to use. i just emailed iris, and explicitly told them it was not new supportive evidence. i just want a listing of claims filed over the years. like this: claim #1 date filed by veteran or SO decision evidence list we used claim #2 date filed by veteran or SO decision evidence list we used

maybe i should send them a note saying i don't want a support pending claim thing?

no, not my c-file. and i may have been given the wrong form but no one at local VARO informed of that. anyways, all that was asked on the form was a listing of claims, the decsion for each and what evidence used. like the couple page letter we get with each. thats all i was aksing. heck, i probably used the wrong form, and now they'll say i'm holding em up again or some such non-sense. no, i didn't want my c-file. thanks. maybe i should have written just a simple letter. IRIS reports they got it, and i've asked twice about it so its recorded they got it a couple months ago

i filed two 21-4138's to VARO requesting all VA claims filed, who filed, and decision also asked about a particular claim filed over twenty years ago that i had forgotten i even filed for. i didn't even remember the the c&p's from then until recently seeing a document stating i had them. i've moved about over the years and have forgotten some claims filed. is this another type VARO request that will take a few years for them to print out and send me?

they've never advocated for me. that is, things mentioned in that information you posted one would think VSOs would advocate for the veteran to get proper exams etc, so proper information is gathered for veteran(s). thanks, i'll casually ask him about it

seems more norm than not RO going with the least qualified medical opinions. i know now why the VA neuros all these years were so vague and would never diagnose. and i thought tampa held promise. guess not. good luck with it john. those medical issues you mention can be quite troubling at times.

fantastic helpful information. let me ask, should i send these two paragraphs you posted to my VSO to see he is aware of this? that is, i have a claim in for spinal injury and for secondary spinal/neuro disease. the VA could spend years trying to say what disease and/or injury is ticking of many of my neuro symptoms. if i'm reading this correctly if the VA cannot totally distinguish which is which in these cases they *are supposed* to assign SC? appreciate the education

many of us who are injured and/or with illness are losing that fight in us. with age, years of fighting, the physical/psych stress from it, the crazy lies from the VA/VARO, etc.... we'll have to pick each other up a bit to carry on. aren't they're any whistle blower's in VA and VARO?? surely there are some there that can see and smell the sh!t there. i'm talking of the bad ones not lumping in the few good ones.

would it be a stretch to think that some of these service orgs have lost their way and are just a bit too "conflicted of interest" with the VA? expose & depose so the younger veterans do not have to go through years of what some of us have/are going through.