brokensoldier244th

quite a bit of time, lately, actually. *sigh*

It will be faster if you have the private ones, but the military ones have to be certified from National Records or the Service (NG, ARNG, whatever) that they are complete so we have to request those anyway- its a legal requirement under Duty to Assist. YOu can't certify that your military (personnel and medical) are complete- we have to have a DD 2963 in order to stop pursuing them. As for you submitting vs your VSO and what you read on the internet- it doesn't matter. Either way can be fast or slow, there is no magic formula. For sure if you have nexus letters, private DBQs whatever, submit them, but you'll still probably get referred for a VA exam If you can't trust your VSO with your records, to request them, etc, why are you working with them? *confused* Your MH records for VA treatment we have access to anyway- we just log onto the VAMC and pull them- Duty to Assist, again. Private MH Records? If you don't submit them then you don't, but if your claim is denied and whatever you needed was in those then you delayed your claim. There is nothing in your records that I don't see every day, every week, every month, from hundreds of other veterans. Psychotic breaks? Got 'em. MST, male or female? Yup. Drinking/Gambling/Drugs/failure to show up for formation, whatever? Uh huh. Adjudicative actions under UCMJ? See them all the time. Civilain marital issues, homelessness, suicide attempts in the past. Yes. Other than when im working on your claims I don't commit it to memory. I have my own SC issues, MH and otherwise. I don't want to carry yours around, too. Thats part of what makes this job difficult for a lot of people. They, in a small way, deal with the same issues you have and many others, day in and day out, multiple times a day. Because we have to read through it all and mark it so the raters can find it in order to move your claim forward.

One of your issues is that you have multiple disabilities listed under the same systems I.e. mental health, for example. That’s going to take someone some time to Wade through and consolidate some of those so an exam can be drafted with the proper forms to the vendors. deferrals aren’t closing out an issue they just mean that more work is needed on those contentions. your people heart should be a presumptive for ptsd/combat. that’s my really quick glance over while getting the kids ready for school...

You’d have to call the organization. VSOs don’t work for VA.

Be aware that sleep disturbance is not the same as sleep apnea. Most likely you’r your disturbances are already covered in your ptsd rating. It’s also not attributable directly to your back and knees unless you want to go the long somewhat painful route of osa by way of obesity, caused by pain and inactivity. Obesity itself is not service connectable but it can be caused by certain combinations of disabilities that then manifest as things like osa. that’s how my claim was constructed. It still took an appeal, though that may have been my fault for jumping the gun and not having enough anecdotal and medical evidence when I filed the first time. however, if you aren’t obese then that horse might not fly. Your bruxism might also already be accounted for in your ptsd rating as well.

Its got nothing to do with 'free rent" or whatever. A private POA that isn't co-located in a VAMC or RO can access the same stuff- so if you have an attorney,etc they can see your file, too. They just may not always know what they are looking at unless they are experienced with vet claims.

Claim should, but ebenefits is not a direct portal to your file. It just scrapes some data. We certainly don’t use it. If VES did your c and p you’ll need to request it from them or your vso. It won’t show up in blue button cause that’s only for Vamc records or personal stuff if you share records with your private doctor.

Get it now, because at 100 percent you are almost insurance proof, unless you can still work in some capacity.

They more than likely would have scheduled a C&P anyway. You are in the same boat as everyone else- every clinic or vender location is backed up for months- or not open at all. Not sure what you'd like them to do. They aren't going to rate you based just on your PMR's paperwork.

Congratulations! Well, sort of.

Im off for the day, now, and when I logged out a few minutes ago it was still down. If VBMS is down, we can't see claim files, add evidence, anything. Its all in VBMS. Sorry guys- I tried.

No, if they filed an 0995 they can submit new and relevant evidence, even that which was not part of the original claim. We have 0995 claims all the time with records that weren't included in the original evidence

https://www.archives.gov/frc/temporary-closure-faq Here is a link that you can use to see the status of the NARA (national archives) centers open/closed status.

Keep in mind that an opinion letter with rationale needs to be more than "I, Dr. X, think that A is a result or indirect result of B, because I think so." The letter best needs to be separate from the notes- not just typed into them (makes it easier to find), clearly labeled when you send it in, and it will help if your doctor can refer to someone/something besides his/her/they own opinion of why the two are tied together. Make sense? "I, Dr. X, think that A is a result or indirect result of B, because I think so." - Not so strong "I, Dr. X, think that A is a result or indirect result of B, because I think so, and because the Journal of Orthodontia on P 40X, Volume 20, Dated Yadda Yadda shows a clear relationship demonstrated between bruxism and PTSD in patients diagnosed with long term PTSD and other severe recurring mental conditions. (they can do into some more detail here from the article, whatever) ." - Much Stronger Same with your Psych. Keep in mind that if you have a doctor that prolifically updates/adds to your notes, if they slip an opinion in there its just as valid, just harder to find. Its much easier for us if they at least lift out that part and whatever else is relevant and do it up separate, or you make a reference to it on your app or a 4138, highlight it (w/LIGHT highlighter, please) or underline it or something. It doesn't have to be a book. 1 pg, well written, dbl spaced 12pt font is fine- we don't need entire copies of medical journals and stuff attached. Excerpts are fine, or even references/cites to. Me, as a VSR, and RVSRs cant easily read 100 pages of a medical journal for 1 article (I see this- really- the veteran sends in the whole scanned issue), and if YOU are sending in journal excerpts make sure they A. apply to you/your condition more than just a vague passing mention, and B. that your doctor at least puts in your notes that you brought it in once and discussed it with them. That way its not just you downloading WEB MD and sending it with your claim (Ive seen this, too).

Why wouldn’t you want your doctor wrong the letter/rationale rather than having yet another doctor who’s never seen you or treated you reinvent the wheel? as for whose evidence to submit, just send both. I just saw one of there yesterday. They had psych and dentistry notes of their own and then a c and p. They were given favorable findings by the c and p doctor.

20-0995 if its at the local level. Don't know if its higher up- I'm not part of the appeals crew that works with BVA.

I suppose you could do that, but if you are seeing a dermatologist this stuff should already be documented, or, if you tell them, they can look at your scalp to corroborate it as objective evidence vs a subjective concern. Then it would be in your VAMC notes (if you are seeing VAMC dermatology). If you are seeing a private dermatologist then same, it should already be in your notes unless you haven't told them.

You can have regular claims pending while an appeal is going, as long as you aren't claiming conditions related to the appeal . You can do them yourself through VA.gov and upload whatever records you have, or list where youve been treated (private and VAMC so we know where to look) and we can pull the records. Its faster if you submit what you have, but at least if you give us a facility and state (VAMC) or an address and name of provider (Private) It makes looking easier.

Heey, Boo Booo We're a gonna go find the ranger and steal us some pick a nick basKETS ! Grape ape.....grape ape.......

Yeah, mine did that, too. The important thing is that she doesn't even have to have the records in her possession. When we pull her OMPF and STRs it will be in there, along with any counseling actions, etc. as a result of it. I was medboarded during Basic for a sort of similar situation (obstacle failed during our final FTX, and I fell 8 feet to the ground while carrying a SINGCARS. Landed in a seated L position, fractured two vertebrae, ruptured 1 disc, severely bulged another). I completed the iteration, the next day, and the road march back to Company. It wasn't until a month later after I went to AIT that I finally had been on profile enough that my Senior D pulled me aside and gave me the speech about malingering. My dad was a Recon Marine, so salty was my jam and I was used to it. I weathered his teardown, and when he freed me to speak I explained what happened. He went back to Company and got hold of my 201 with the LOD in it and then he was PISSED. I was a good troop other than some physical limitation and having to recover a lot during smoking sessions and PT-now he knew WHY. He ORDERED me to the post medical rather than sick call the next day. After a few weeks of steroids and ibuprofen (you know the drill) they finally sent me to Portsmouth Naval for xrays, that turned into MRIs, that turned into HOLY SHIT- He really BROKEN!! The medboard started soon after than, and I was given a pass basically to be permanent party within the battalion area, and assigned a job in Company or Battalion as needed daily since I was older, already college educated, and had computer skills. At this point it had been like 2 months since my injury and I hadn't felt my toes from midfoot down for most of it. I was boarded (about 6 months), counseled by my XO and CC, got a wonderful reference letter from my Senior D, and a few upper cadre, and then in the darkness of night about 3 am I got on a plane and went home. It was a blur, most of it. Optempo was nuts- I was in AIT when Sept 11th happened, for example, so I got to see a base go from 'peacetime' to 'WTF' overnight. But since I had a pass to move about the battalion, that included the PX so I spent a LOT of money in the internet cafe, reading and printing things. My Senor D and CO both gave me the 180 days line and said since id hit it Id be fine once I got out, but I knew that I was covered anyway because I had an LOD and I had saved all the slips from all the profiles and sick calls.

That’s where sick call or LOD comes into play. Even if she wasn’t boarded (which I would think she was, based on the short time active, unless it was an admin or some other ELS type thing) if she has an LOD or strs with the injury she could at least get into va medical. In svc event would be covered. Hopefully she’s been getting it treated somewhere to establish that there is a current dx of a disability or issue.

Any service connected disability is covered by VA health Care, with NSC stuff covered with Co pays and priority levels until 50% rated, then NSC stuff is covered full as well. An injury in training qualified for benefits when if 180 isn't hit but she'll have to show off have proof that it happened as a direct result of service. SO, LOD, Sick call, in patient, outpatient records, stuff like that. Was she discharged because of it? If so then that's already done. So she'll have too get it SC too qualify for medical care butt if she med boarded because of this then that will be ready. Her TAP or med board coordinator should have told her this while she was still in, but I remember when I was medboarded in 2002-much of the process was a blur to me, too, until I spent several hours in the px internet cafe looking this stuff up. Then I was able to better ask questions of my command and the coordinator people's about what too expect.

https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center

Yup, you're right. I checked the NPRC page. The 7 year thing is only for civilian records. My apologies.

Those records are probably gone. Legally medical records that are dormant only need to be kept 7 yrs before they can be destroyed.