brokensoldier244th

That sounds 'off'. Gen meds are only done for post RAD within a year claimants, or IU because all contentions never too be treated asan "increase". Do you have a VSO? They can check the notes in your file and try to see what's up, or 1800 PEGGY.

Just request a new PW. Creating it will be an issue since it has to have several elements. I just let google generate one, then I copy and paste it somewhere in a file on my computer of running passwords.

No, you're not on a wrong track here- I dont have PTSD MH so my exam at the time and yours were probably quite different in some ways. I/we (VSRs/Raters) see the 'details' and the devil, the examiner doesn't need to probe to the hour and minute- they just need to basically verify that what you are saying to them aligns with what is in your records that we send them, and that you are a reliable narrator. They shouldn't have gotten that into it, in my layman's opinion, and it wasn't necessary. Once you started to show discomfort (and It happens in lots of these that I read) the examiner usually adds notes in there about agitation, discomfort, anger, evasiveness, etc and moves on. Since we can see the details, evasiveness on your part isn't an indication of embellishment or outright lying- we can go right in there and read the whole thing, and we send the examiners enough that they shouldn't need it, either, unless the records are REALLY thin. In the case of these types of exams some anger/evasiveness/discomfort actually can help corroborate better than asking about the details themselves because it shows that it obviously affects you. That still isn't a normal therapeutic technique in psych evals, to push for it, though. I asked two friends about it that are both psychologists that work with abused kids whose symptoms often parallel with PTSD patients. They thought it was weird to ask to that level, also.

But My non VA doctor does that too. It's not unusual. Outlier readings aren't used by any doctor/insurance company/ whatever.

Thats because anything higher than hypertension stage one is something to worry about . HTN stage one is easily surmountable by some very basic lifestyle changes and HTN stage 1 barely falls outside of outliers for normal blood pressure when normalized across ethnicity and age. I've asked about this from various family members (I have several nurses and 2 doctors across our extended family), and they all concurred.

It sound like whomever put in the exam forget to check the box on "needs to verify stressor y/n" so if it's unchecked the assumption is yes. That stressor verification isn't part of every exam I'm sorry you had to go through that. You shouldn't have. It sounds like you are BDD/IDES and have your records at the ready. You'll likely come out just fine. I've done some drone troops' exams research and prep, and one former SEAL (not 6). You guys have some interesting commonalities between your jobs. I work more MST, though, than combat PTSD. Lots in common been those too.

I understand, I'm not taking it personally at all. The VSR has access to your entire file and would have seen all that, but the examiner would not be the one looking over individual news articles about events or operations that you took part in. They are asking specific questions from the form that, for good or ill, is legally required to be used. VA and Congress decided on that, and the requirements for a PTSD exam (or any exam) are laid out as much in CFRs by Congress people as they are by VA regulations (the M21-1 that we use). Ive attached the PTSD DBQ that is in current use so you can see what information they are looking for, and why they may have asked you some of the things that they did. You can also use this to show that maybe the examiner wento of into the sticks- "hey, this stuff here that they asked me went off into the weeds and wasn't required information, I want a new exam...". T This is 1 version older than current, it didnt change very much, though- I don't have access to ANYTHING VA right now- my accounts were all disabled yesterday to today overnight. I'm transferring to another RO, so the switchover has me wondering If ill even be able to log in in Monday LOL. Consequently I don't have access to anything that isn't locally stored on my other machine. PTSD-Initial-DBQ.pdf

Did you look at the DBQ before you went? There are specific questions they are required to ask. They also aren't 'treating' in a DBQ session, or trying to build a rapport- they are trying to get specific information about stressors and relative effects. That doesn't excuse their questioning style or attitude, but the somewhat direct nature of the exam is because its not a treatment type of session. You can talk to the patient advocate at the place that you went for the exam, you can also send a 21-4138/21-10210 (either is a valid form at this point until they phase out the 4138) detailing your session, as much as you are comfortable with to be added to your file- it may not result in a new exam, but if the clinician didnt ask the right questions or get the correct information then that, plus their exam report, can often result in a deferral from a rater back to one of us to re-schedule a new exam or IMO based on the previous DBQ, with a different provider. If its an IMO rework request you don't have to go through another exam, either. VSRs, if they are doing their job, look over the exam opinion reports prior to sending to rating. If the necessary information isn't on the exam opinion report we often reschedule an exam request/rework noting the deficiencies before it goes to a rater and send it to an examiner. Takes less time since it doesn't go to a rater, get deferred, then re-set up exam request, exam, back to rater again. After a few years of doing mostly PTSD I am pretty good at sussing out if the exam report has all the right information or not on it. KIM I don't rate so I'm making judgements on what YOU say, i'm looking at what the EXAMINER says, along with looking through your STRs, personnel, 0781s, etc.

I had 3 out of 15 today in the midwest. It's not usually a whole claim, though, it's the claims that claim everything under the sun 10 yrs later that they found on web MD, including associated conditions, and then reworded variations of same, with no anything for care afterwards- no vamc, no private- just their statement, and that's one of the three elements for caluza. I don't decide that, though, in the end, the raters do. The standards for what I needed to submit for an exam are extremely low. One of them was a ground pounder so I based all elements on their MOS. Let the raters sort it out. Somewhere in there I found some contentions that had basis in their STRs though, too. Every day an adventure*¯\_(ツ)_/¯ hands written records suck. Last day for me in this office. After 3yrs I'm following my job virtually to PR. Full time remote from home not based on an Accomodation. Sounds like my new station is a fustercluck, too. Should be fun, but I get to train some people, too, so, help make change- one person at a time.

Many of them are veterans, it's not just civilians. And what better way to try to enact change, sit around on the outside and expect politicians to do it, or work from the inside?

Yeah, I know, I see that every day-Im not at all for VA denying etc etc, its just that with as many claims as I see at some point there has to be a line-because I see a lot of claims that are ultimately denied where the veteran literally has nothing - no service treatment, no post treatment, 15 yrs later they file a claim and have nothing to support it- in some cases even their private doctors records don't support any of it. But, they claim it anyway. And those claims are all mixed in with everyone elses that actually have issues that need addressed.

That wasn’t meant to come across snarky, it was supposed to be funny.

Neither- the VA isn't like "hey, you live in N. Dakota...do you know Bob?" I post in a lot of places.

You are ok with paying every vet that gets cancer, regardless of etiology? That’s why there is a cut off as arbitrary as you may think it is. Just because someone served doesn’t meant that cancer 20 yrs later is service connected any more than back pain or knee problems 20 yrs later are, unless there is a history or at least a plausible presentation of pre symptoms during the presumptive period. Otherwise every vet with an ache, pain, or disease for forever would be filing even if it has nothing to do with their service. There has to be a line somewhere.

The only thing that has changed, Cue, is the length of the list of things you continually add to this as 'proof' that you are right. Ther is no 'excuse'- I've posted the same thing in as many ways as I am going to. The only person that said VAMC's don't do comp exams anymore is you. No one has made a definitive statement like that- I certainly haven't. Yes, for whatever reason, you got scheduled not at a VAMC. Likely because that VAMC could not do the exam. Take it as you like, but the only one trying hard here is you. Ive posted the applicable regulation for requesting an exam, ive explained a bit about the process and what it looks like and why. You just don't like the answer.

The point is that you think that we (VSRs) can just schedule you at the nearest VAMC. Just because you call the VAMC and they say they are doing C&Ps doesn't mean they are that day, or for whatever condition, or that the person you talked to on the phone has any clue about scheduling. We schedule based on what the VAMCs report as their capacity for whatever type of exam. Thats it. We don't have any control over how the VAMC schedules. WE send the request to schedule it, THEY set the time and date- IF they have the capacity or an examiner to do it. I don't know how much more clear I can make it for you.

Good luck with that *smh* If they do schedule someone that just 'calls in' then they are the ones not following policy. Please feel free to report those, too. IV.i.2.A.1.c. Mandatory Use of the ERRA Tool

It’s the VAMCS that set the status. Call it BS all you like. It’s the way it is. You don’t get to invent facts.

When we request exams we are required to schedule locations based on availability and capacity. We run every exam request through a tool that checks vamcs and contractors availability. It’s built into the exam request process, it’s not an optional feature. If a VAMC 10 min away is not doing DBQ x exams I can’t schedule you there.

So do I. I don’t know what the solution is. When VAMCs only did it it took a lot longer because of volume. I remember because I was there, getting exams, just like the rest of you (2002). Without a huge increase in the number of locations and providers within VHA I don’t foresee that coming back anytime soon.

I’ve answered that repeatedly, you just blocked me so you can’t see the response. How many times have I posted here that I’m a VSR? Several. Some of those show up in the quoted material of other peoples posts, it’s not hard to find. I also really don’t care if i impress you or anyone else, I don’t need that to get through the day. I didn’t disregard your legitimate concerns, just noted that you are quick to take a situational issue and blow it up to be a systemic issue. I also don’t dislike you- that’s invented.

So your experience with one location requires a missive from you that condemns everyone in all of them nationwide? Bit much, maybe? Report the site and drive on. Request a new exam that’s not LHI. I see, and fulfill, requests like this all the time at my lowly level-if the veteran lodges a complaint before a decision is made. What did you with that long if you had problems at the site?

Well, IU is just 100% with strings attached. They may very well just make him 100%, too. Im not a rater, though, so I try not to wade too far into that murk.

Yes on the first. Depends on the second. I don’t know if they can get IU if they pass- maybe up to the deceased date if that happened. Afterwards, potentially DIC. I’ve not worked DIC and post death, though- I think thats a different group, or fiduciary, that works those.

Shhhhhh………