Appointment To See C-file

[free_spirit_etc]

I have an appointment to see my husband's c-file this month (july 27) at the Chicago Regional Office.

Yippie! At least I will be able to LOOK at his discharge physical - and hopefully request a copy of it.

(We have been requesting his c-file for over a year - and sent in specific "limited requests" for his discharge physical --as some info suggests that a limited request can be expediated --but that apparently wasn't the case).

I know several people have posted very positive experiences in viewing the c-file - and the VA advising them on what else they needed to send to make the case (specifically).

I also read jangrin's posts about how she wasn't allowed to touch the c-file - but the VA person showed them everything they asked to see.

Yikes! This one concerned me. When my husband was in the hospital - I asked to see his records - and that was the experience. The nurse sitting there saying "What do you want to know?" and then looking at it - and reading it TO me - and sometimes hesitantly letting ME read the page myself.

Recently I went back to view his record - and they let me look through it myself in their presence and take notes. THAT is what I prefer.

How in the heck do I know what specifically I need to see - until I have seen it?

Anyway - if that is the case - I know I want to see his discharge physical, their request for the medical opinion from the doctor on the cancer (to see what they specifically asked the doctor to opine about) any records of them closing the claim. --and I will think of more).

I also intend to ask for copies of a few of the documents when I am there.

On one post (about getting copies of the c-file) I noticed Berta had said:

" The C file comes from a request to the VARO and the medical record copy comes from a request to the FOIA or Records access officer at the VAMC that treats the veteran."

So - my question is - Are his medical records going to be IN the C-file?

Do I have to make a specific request to view his medical records?

And --I have requested a copy of his C-file. Do I also need to request a copy of his medical records?

I am thinking that if I get the info I need right now from VIEWING his c-file - and some limited copies - I might actually withdraw my request for the whole c-file, and then ask for a copy if the claim gets denied (to help with my appeal).

But then again, since it takes over 6 months to get it - I better get what I can now -- since appeals have to be filed in a certain amount of time.

Anyway -- If anyone would like to share their experience of viewing the c-file, or any suggestions for making the visit as productive as possible - it would sure help.

I am driving a 10 hour round trip to do this.

Thanks

Free

[Josephine]

Free,

I had to bust my way through to the R.O to see my file, as there was never a convenient time for me to see it.

I finally got upset and told the counselor to have it ready, for I was on my way down.

They were hesitant when I arrived, but I did suceed. I used my ignorance ( Not too hard to do anymore) to get what I needed.

I ask " Is there anyway that I could have a copy of this and this. Just to appease me, they offered to give me a copy of 10 sheets of anything that I wanted. I just had to come up with a good excuse for needing it.

After a few trips to the R.O I had walked out with all of my Post Medical Records that I had given to the VA in 1978.

Remember this was 30 years later and there was no way that I could possibly get my hands on those medical records from my doctors of that time period.

I never kept copies of anything back then, but I put two and two together and got them all and they never had any ideal of what I was doing.

Always,

Josephine

[Guest jangrin]

Free,

When you go to the VARO to see your husbands C-file, take your time don't let them rush you. Take a notepad and write down the things you want copied. I would even go so far as to take those little post-it arrows to mark the page you want a copy of.

I would also request a copy of the entire c-file using the FOIA. You stand a better chance of getting the copies within a resonable time frame if you do it right then while you are there.

Also when we got the copies of the c-file and were able to review it, we found that we have records that the c-file did not have. We actually have the hand written notes that the doctors wrote and they did not have them in the c-file. So my take is , start requesting copies of records from every medical office or VAMC, hospital, clinic, every place your husband was treated that you know about or that he mentioned. Request a copy of the c-file and request all medical and service records from the National records Archives. Make sure you keep the c-file records seperate from the other records so you can tell what the raters used to make the determination. That way if you find records that they did not have you will be able to make copies of the records and send it in when you file your NOD or r3econsideration and you'll be able to provide records they don't have as new evidence.

Jangrin

[free_spirit_etc]

Thanks Josephine! Sounds like you were pretty sly! :D

Free

Free,

I had to bust my way through to the R.O to see my file, as there was never a convenient time for me to see it.

I finally got upset and told the counselor to have it ready, for I was on my way down.

They were hesitant when I arrived, but I did suceed. I used my ignorance ( Not too hard to do anymore) to get what I needed.

I ask " Is there anyway that I could have a copy of this and this. Just to appease me, they offered to give me a copy of 10 sheets of anything that I wanted. I just had to come up with a good excuse for needing it.

After a few trips to the R.O I had walked out with all of my Post Medical Records that I had given to the VA in 1978.

Remember this was 30 years later and there was no way that I could possibly get my hands on those medical records from my doctors of that time period.

I never kept copies of anything back then, but I put two and two together and got them all and they never had any ideal of what I was doing.

Always,

Josephine

[free_spirit_etc]

Thanks jangrin. I am pretty excited about getting to go. My husband is buried a couple hours away from here (his home town) but just a little swing out of my way from Chicago. So I plan to stop by his grave and show him the VA finally did SOMETHING on the claim --even if it was only letting me see the c-file.

I hope they have his veteran's marker placed by then.

They said in the letter I can view it from 9 am to 10 am. I am not sure if that means I only get one hour - or I have to show up between those times. But I will show up early - and count on only getting an hour.

We also have some handwritten doctor notes that I don't think were in his file until he sent them last summer. Not sure. But they have those little cliff notes of your medical records now - and when you ask for records - that is all they sent you unless you know to specifically ASK for the doctor's notes as well, or do like my husband did - go to the records place and say "What in the heck is THIS?? You have reduced an entire surgery to a few LINES of writing???"

Hoping like heck I won't have to file a NOD or appeal -- but always thinking in that direction.

Free

Free,

When you go to the VARO to see your husbands C-file, take your time don't let them rush you. Take a notepad and write down the things you want copied. I would even go so far as to take those little post-it arrows to mark the page you want a copy of.

I would also request a copy of the entire c-file using the FOIA. You stand a better chance of getting the copies within a resonable time frame if you do it right then while you are there.

Also when we got the copies of the c-file and were able to review it, we found that we have records that the c-file did not have. We actually have the hand written notes that the doctors wrote and they did not have them in the c-file. So my take is , start requesting copies of records from every medical office or VAMC, hospital, clinic, every place your husband was treated that you know about or that he mentioned. Request a copy of the c-file and request all medical and service records from the National records Archives. Make sure you keep the c-file records seperate from the other records so you can tell what the raters used to make the determination. That way if you find records that they did not have you will be able to make copies of the records and send it in when you file your NOD or r3econsideration and you'll be able to provide records they don't have as new evidence.

Jangrin

[Josephine]

Free,

After I busted my way in, things were smooth. I had ask countless times to see my records, and it seemed that they were always in the wrong place.

Had I not went to the R. O I would have never noticed that those " Psychiatric Records" were missing.

I ask this counselor where were the records ?

I said " the doctors that I saw sure didn't think much of me, if they didn't write anything down."

He told me there wasn't any. That is when I began to get a little suspicious of them. I ask him about contacting Dr. C and again no help. He said, " He is probably retired by now". Well again, I located Dr. C.

Until then, I believed every word that they told me.

He wouldn't let me touch that file, but he would let me look at it side ways. I still have a crook in my neck from looking.

I then ask for copies. I was so shy and humble, once they got the record for me.

He said sure, " I can give you 10 copies of anything that you want.

I knew what I needed, those private medical records from 1978 to date.

I secured Dr. S from 1965 to 1979 on that date.

I came home and sat down and wrote a letter to the archives and secured all the " Military Psychiatric" records.

Then when I went back down to give the VA a copy of those with a NOD, date stamped, of course.

I ask the same question, " May I have 10 copies of my records as I remembered that Dr. S had sent me to the Psychiatrist Dr. K.

I told him that Dr. S wanted to see the records and I walked out with Dr. K's records.

Now, I have secured all of my private medical records from `1965 to date.

Free,

Be very meek and humble and I believe you will get what you need.

This is just my experience with the VA.

I admire you for everything that you are doing. I wish that the end of the story had a much different ending for you.

You have helped me so much, that I could cry, and I have so little knowledge to offer to you.

Always,

Josephine

Edited July 15, 2007 by Josephine

[spike]

does everyone know you can request to get a copy of your full c file and full smrs from the regional office so you can have a copy from the ro office.....sometimes it helps to have a copy of them, because you can then go and request that inaccuracies in your records can be fixed. I had one doctor ask me in a cp exam if it hurt to have braces off and or hurt while they are on..... I said i hurt both ways....he told me one thing and then he put in the cp exam that I refused to take them off therefore the RO tried at the time to reduce my knees. I went back and had him correct the error. Thats why I recommend people get a copy to have at home. Also if for some reason veteran passes away with regards to a service connected disability or something that happened in the military, your dependents have the files available to them for DIC claims and burial benefits. just a thought