diabetes Imo Help!

[Guest terrysturgis]

This is what I came up with to help my private MD get me an IMO. If anyone has any suggestions, please help.

November __, 2005

RE: Terry Sturgis, CLAIM XX-XXX-XXX

Dear Chris _____ DAV SO,

Terry has been diagnosed wuth Diabetes Mellitus for four years. He has been Service Connected for the DMII and lower body bilaterial Peripheral Neuropathy for three years.

Patient has now developed upper body bilaterial Peripheral Neuropathy.

His muscle power and tone are reduced in both hands (as diagnosed by Veterans Administration Doctor Mohammed Mohiuddin, MD during an Agent Orange physical performed on 07/13/2005). Copy enclosed.

Having treated many Diabetics for ____ years I conclude that this patient has developed bilaterial upper body Peripheral Neuropathy as a secondary condition to DMII.

Respectfully,

Ken _____, MD

HADIT FOLKS, is this letter OK and am I missing anything. THANKS, Terry Sturgis

[mssoup1]

My husband had a claim in for his eye problems, directly related to his skin conditions. Not only was he being seem by doctors at the VAMC for his eye problems, but had been seeing an independent doctor for quite some time because of his eyes. After many tries, including surgery and every med available, at trying to resolve my husbands eye problems, his independent doctor wrote in a letter that it was of his opinion that my husbands eye problems were directly related to his service connected skin condition. The VARO denied his claim based on the fact that they wanted to know where the doctor got his opinion from. Duh! When we showed his doctor the letter of denial, he was floored. Needless to say, this was one claim that went on to the BVA and we won an instant approval on it.

I think showing some experiences that others have had can, in the end, help some others when they feel they are having to fight for their claim to be approved. I hope some of my experiences will be of help to someone else.

mssoup1

[stevedenesha]

MSSOUP

I really got a laugh when I saw the statement you got an instant approval from BVA!

Now that's a good one!

Steve

[Guest jangrin]

Pete53, Berta and Mssoup1,

Thanks a bunch, that helps. We have hired Dr. Bash to help my husband with both his SSDI claim and his VA claim. (two birds with one stone kind of thing). VA may put equal weight to an IME and IMO, but after speaking with Dr. Bash he feels when you deal with the SSA they put much more emphasis on an actual face to face examination. Although, Dr. Bash lives back east, evidently he grew up out in our neck of the woods and he is currently about an hour from were we live. He has agreed to do an examination the end of this week. It is expensive and if we were only dealing with the VA we might just have the IMO, but with all this going on at once and the VA not documenting all the physical and mental problems in the medical records when my husband goes to the VAMC, we felt that we really needed a private exam and strong report and documentation on my husbands side. So we will know alot more in about 1 week following Dr. Bash's exam and then 2 days later SSA doctors exam. Dr. Bash told my husband to give the SSA doctor a copy of his report when my husband goes to that exam next week. Wish us luck, I'm sure we'll need it.

Thanks for the imput.

Jangrin :)

Edited July 24, 2006 by jangrin

[Pete53]

It makes sense but I think that Dr Bash is correct in that SS will be more concerned with what their experts thinks/ My suggestion is that if you have an opinion from Dr Bash give whoever SS sends your husband a copy. Most Docs are not willing to contradict each other.

Good Luck on your claim. I think Dr Bash is expensive but that he delivers something that should be helpful.

[mssoup1]

When I applied for my SSD, SS never sent me to a doctor but accepted the information and opinions from my own doctors. The same for my husband. I am not sure I have ever heard of SS using their own doctors for an examination, especially if you have your own evidence from your doctors. But then again, there are so many reasons for appling for SS and the evidence available to SS. I just have never heard of anyone having to do this.

stevedenesha,

Why did you get a laugh when I stated my husband got an instant approval from the BVA? In fact, he received instant approvals on two of his claims at the same time from them. I guess that during the meeting they saw and heard the evidence we had and along with the evidence and giving him the benefit of the doubt, they decided to instantly approve these two claims. They remanded the others which were also eventually approved.

mssoup1

[stevedenesha]

What I meant is any decision by the BVA can't be instant! How long did this instant approval take - 1-2 years?

Steve