No Luck On Getting A Copy Of The Discharge Physical

[free_spirit_etc]

IRIS REQUEST:

My husband requested copies of his C-file last year, and made a limited request for a copy of his discharge physical - relying on information that he might be able to get a copy of his discharge physical quicker than he would be able to get the rest of the C-file.

I also requested both after his death.

I understand it takes quite some time to process these requests. However, I would like to see if a copy of his discharge physical can be located and sent to me as soon as possible.

I had an appointment at the VA Friday, July 2007 at 9 am to view my husband's C-file. I had assumed I would be able to at least see and read his dicharge physical on that appointment.

However, we could not locate the discharge physical in his C-file. The Service Medical Records didn't seem to be in any kind of chronological order. I couldn't figure out what kind of order they were in - but I made sure to leave them in the same order as they were in the file. But I looked all through the SMRs and was not able to locate the discharge physical. XXX also helped me look - but could not find it.

I know there was one in his file at some point because a couple of his C&P exam reports reference the discharge physical.

It was pretty disappointing not being able to even see the report that we have been requesting for a year, after driving a 10 hour round trip to do so.

As that was the only paper in the file I was specifically trying to locate, and we could not find it in the SMR's - could someone please locate my husband's discharge physical and send me a copy when they do?

Thank you,

XXX

IRIS RESPONSE:

Dear xxx:

At the time of your visit and review of the claims folder any and all information was in the c file at that time. We have no way of locating a discharge physical for your husband. If he did not submit a discharge physical to us at the time he initially applied for benefits we would not have this information.

You reviewed the entire folder. The document you speak of wasn't there. There is nothing else that we can do. We will send you an application that you may contact the military and they may still have a copy of his discharge physical. But no veteran is required to bring a copy of such or file a discharge physical with the VA upon their discharge from the military.

Thank you for using our website.

Sincerely yours,

xxxx

IRIS REQUEST

Thank you for your response to my inquiry.

My husband went to the base he retired from and got a copy of all of his post service medical records last year. They informed him that his discharge physical would be part of his Service Medical Records, which he had to request from the National Record Center. He submitted a request to the National Record Center last Spring and recieved a reply that they do not have the records as the records are in the possession of the VA. So he sent a request for a copy to the VA.

If the discharge physical is part of his Service Medical Records - and his Service Medical Records are in the possession of the VA, it has been somewhat difficult for him to submit the discharge physical to you, as he has been unable to get a copy of it from you.

The discharge physical must have been in his C-file at one point because a couple of the C&P exams make specific references to something that was said in his discharge physical. My husband recieved his post service medical care from the Military Treatment Center at xxx AFB, not from the VA. So it would seem that the only way the VA C&P physicians would have access to his discharge physical to discuss it in their exams would be if a copy of it would have been in his C-file.

And as the discharge physical is part of my husband's Service Medical Records - which are all supposed to be in the possession of the VA because the VA became the keeper of those records once my husband filed his VA claim, I fail to understand how it was my husband's responsibility to send his discharge physical to the VA in order for them to have it in his file.

I did not have time to go through the entire C-file at the time of my appointment.xxx, who assisted me in viewing the file, showed me where the discharge physical SHOULD have been located in his file. However,it was not in the file where it should have been. Again, the SMRS were not in any particular order in the file. They all appeared to be together, but they were not in any chronological order, some were upside down, some rightside up, etc. which made trying to find something take longer - and I only had one hour to view the file.

xx even checked his dental record file to see if his discharge physical had accidentally been put with them.

It is my understanding that the Separation Discharge Physical my husband recieved upon his retirement from the Air Force would have been part of his Service Medical Records.

It is my understanding that the VA has in its possession all my husband's official Service Medical Records, which means we are now unable to get them from another source as the Va has the original documents.

It is my belief that the VA C&P examiners would have had to have read his discharge physical in order to reference it in their reports.

I find the fact that my husband's discharge physical cannot be located, and nothing can be done about it pretty disturbing.

Thank you,

xxxx

Ms xxx:

We have responded to your inquiry. We have reviewed the claims folder. There is no other information at this time that we can give you. You have reveiwed the claims folder as you requested. The information you want was not there. There is nothing else we can tell you regarding the physical examination report that you want. We can send you a form as indicated and you can send off for the record from the military.

Thank you for using our website.

Sincerely yours,

xxxx

[stillhere]

Free, Have you tried to get your congress person involved in this? This is disgraceful at the least.

Good luck, sorry to hear about your husband.

Stillhere

[free_spirit_etc]

That's interesting. My husband's lung cancer was found (slow growing tumor - 3.1 cm) a little less than 2 years post retirement.

The only TWO things I really needed from his C-file were his discharge physical and the copy of the medical opinion. There is no discharge physical - and only 1/2 the medical opinion.

Geez.

It also didn't make sense to me that his neck claim and his right shoulder claim were denied - back when he first filed. The SMRs showed cervical injury - but the VA couldn't find anything significantly wrong with his neck on the x-rays. The x-rays on the appeal showed a slight problem - but they didn't give him zero percent -they denied SC on the basis he didn't have a current disability.

But then when they evaluated him for headaches - the C&P doctor gave the headaches two causes.

1. Chronic sinutitis - which the doctor indicated had been diagnosed in service - both through recurrent treatment and x-rays.

2. Cervical problem - which the doctor indicated he was treated for the strain in his smr's - and the doctor took x-rays - which showed significant problems in the SAME disks that had shown a slight problem (therefore not a current disability - according to the VA) as before.

To me it was clear that the x-rays finally showed the pain he kept reporting.

The VA denied the claim as his headaches were not an undiagnosed illness.

And I couldn't understand the shoulder claim. He filled out the claim BEFORE retirement. So I would imagine as he was claiming for his shoulder - he would make sure it was addressed in the discharge physical.

But the VA said there was NOTHING in his SMR's - and though they admitted his shoulder was injured - they said it couldn't be determined when it happened - like tons of time had passed or something.

No - he claimed it AT discharge. If he spent over 28 years in the service and he claimed his shoulder hurt AT discharge - to both the VA - and I would assume on the discharge physical - where do they THINK he hurt his shoulder?

I am not sure the cancer would have been detected at discharge.

But those missing discharge physicals let them deny lots of claims.

Free

Greetings all:

I have a bit of a theory on discharge physicals. When I left the service in 1988 they gave me two sets of chest x-rays and sent me to an additional doctor to clear me for discharge. Fast forward to 2007, VA says they do not have my discharge physical and the smr's they sent me seem to be complete except for the discharge physical that is missing. When I requested a complete copy of SMR's from St. Louis I recieved a copy of a document indicating that Detroit VARO signed for my smr's and discharge physical direct from Fort Bliss Texas (filed for back on discharge in 1988). I suspect that the US Army identified I had an enlarged heart at that time, discharged me, and 86ed the physical. They sent the smr's to VA and indicated the separation physical was included. I doubt that VA inventories or ever inventoried the contents of files transferred to them. The Army hides the fact they separated someone for non-medical reasons when they identified a serious medical condition, and when someone squaks about the missing physical they have "evidence" that it was sent to another agency.

VA is so disorganized and loses so much other stuff that they make the perfect scapegoat. I am trying to find out if the transition point is required to keep medical records of exams they conduct? I am trying to get copies of the x-rays (should be part of the facilities files).

Yes I am getting paranoid, and would like to remind people that the best conspiracies are never detected or identified.

Best regards,

Tyler

[free_spirit_etc]

No. Not yet. But I think I will need to - especially since I kept asking for an extension to send evidence - and they never denied or granted it - just said they would check their regulations - and so I sent what I had ON TIME - and now they have no idea why I sent evidence - as they say my claim is not pending.

Trying to get Social Security tamed a bit first - and then will have the 67 hours a day it takes to keep up with the VA.

--Oh..and thanks Wings - for the link -- gonna read up on that.

Free

Free, Have you tried to get your congress person involved in this? This is disgraceful at the least.

Good luck, sorry to hear about your husband.

Stillhere

[free_spirit_etc]

I have several vets records in my husband's C-file. If I run across any discharge physicals from 1988 with an enlarged heart - I will let you know.

I IRISed the RO and asked them what I should do with the medical records of OTHER vets that were in my husband's C-file.

They didn't respond to that question.

Free

Greetings all:

I have a bit of a theory on discharge physicals. When I left the service in 1988 they gave me two sets of chest x-rays and sent me to an additional doctor to clear me for discharge. Fast forward to 2007, VA says they do not have my discharge physical and the smr's they sent me seem to be complete except for the discharge physical that is missing. When I requested a complete copy of SMR's from St. Louis I recieved a copy of a document indicating that Detroit VARO signed for my smr's and discharge physical direct from Fort Bliss Texas (filed for back on discharge in 1988). I suspect that the US Army identified I had an enlarged heart at that time, discharged me, and 86ed the physical. They sent the smr's to VA and indicated the separation physical was included. I doubt that VA inventories or ever inventoried the contents of files transferred to them. The Army hides the fact they separated someone for non-medical reasons when they identified a serious medical condition, and when someone squaks about the missing physical they have "evidence" that it was sent to another agency.

VA is so disorganized and loses so much other stuff that they make the perfect scapegoat. I am trying to find out if the transition point is required to keep medical records of exams they conduct? I am trying to get copies of the x-rays (should be part of the facilities files).

Yes I am getting paranoid, and would like to remind people that the best conspiracies are never detected or identified.

Best regards,

Tyler

[71M10]

I have several vets records in my husband's C-file. If I run across any discharge physicals from 1988 with an enlarged heart - I will let you know.

I IRISed the RO and asked them what I should do with the medical records of OTHER vets that were in my husband's C-file.

They didn't respond to that question.

Free

That would be appreciated :-)

[cowgirl]

Free, each military person has to have had an ENTRY medical screening, shows fully fit for service. It may be an idea – not sure if this is the Entry Medical Form, but maybe close.

DD FORM 2807-2, MEDICAL PRESCREEN OF MEDICAL HISTORY REPORT

Some discussion I found interesting to read; (Don’t recall where I got this tho!)

Pre-separation Examination and Service Medical Records Unfortunately, a substantial number of separating service members waive pre-separation physical and psychological examinations in order to speed up the separation process. This can be a mistake of cosmic proportions.

Do not, repeat, do not even consider not having a pre-separation examination. As a general rule, one of the requirements for eligibility for post-service VA disability compensation benefits and health care is that there be a record of complaints, symptoms, treatment or diagnosis of disease, injury, disorder or disability during active military service. If you develop a service-related disability after your separation, but have nothing in your service medical records concerning that disability, and there is no pre-separation examination to confirm the presence of that disability or any indication, symptom, etc., that could serve as the basis for a medical professional’s opinion that a current disability was related to military service, it will be highly unlikely that the VA will award you disability compensation. Since a service-connected disability is often the gateway to VA health care as well, not having a pre-separation examination could have adverse health consequences, not merely financial.

When you undergo your pre-separation examination, be sure to report any medical or psychological problem that you have experienced during your entire period of active service. Although disclosing some conditions, especially psychiatric conditions, might be considered embarrassing, it is worth reporting them, rather than jeopardize you right to VA benefits and health care.

Once you have undergone your pre-separation examination, be sure that you obtain complete copies of your service medical records (including both entrance (induction) and separation examinations, interim examinations, hospital admission records and outpatient treatment records). It is also a good idea to get copies of your service administrative/personnel file as well. These documents can be certified as true copies of your records by military records custodians. Your transition assistance officer can help you request these important records.

Reviewed 3 other articles, maybe something will strike a bell or not apply to everyone - does have form numbers and such…

AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 48-123, VOLUME 1

5 JUNE 2006 Aerospace Medicine

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND STANDARDS

VOLUME 1—GENERAL PROVISIONS http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFI48-123v1.pdf

October 1992 DEFENSEHEALTH

CARE Physical Exams and Dental Care Following the Persian Gulf War

http://archive.gao.gov/d35t11/147732.pdf

SUBJECT: Policy Memorandum – DoD/VA Separation Physical Examinations DD Form 2697, "Report of Medical Assessment".28 September 1998

http://www.tricare.mil/policy/ha99pol/clin9901.html

best to ya,

cg