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

[free_spirit_etc]

Thanks Cowgirl.

My husband got a discharge physical. He actually does have a note in his chronological record of care that one was done and the form was completed. But the actual physical and form is missing.

The dental care link is also interesting. My husband filed for his one time treatment - for dental CARE - at the time he retired.

The RO denied. Said he had no dental injuries.

My husband appealed - said he wasn't applying for compensation - he was applying for TREATMENT.

Waited and waited. His claim finally got to the BVA - but his file was missing the DD-214. So the BVA remanded - Didn't consider his claim until the RO put the DD214 in his file.

Went back to the BVA - the BVA said - he isn't asking for compensation - he is asking for TREATMENT - so they remanded it again.

The RO had a dental exam done - said they referred him for dental treatment - and sends back to BVA.

BVA decided it looked like he might have an INJURY - so remanded back to the RO to see if he has a compensable claim.

Meanwhile - he gets a letter from whomever the RO passed the buck to on the dental treatment - that tells him he is not eligible for it because he has no compensable dental condition.

The letter was just from a dental clinic or something - NO "decision" was made by RO or BVA (except the RO's denials).

Gets BACK to the BVA -- (by now it was 2004 - SIX YEARS past his retirement). The BVA denies the compensation that my husband never applied for - and said their decision does NOT bar him from treatment - Yet they STILL didn't make a DECISION to grant or deny treatment.

With 28 years in the military - most of his conditions either started or worsened in the military.

He retired in 1998 - applied for his one time dental treatment on retirement. He died in 2007 and a decision had still NOT been made as to whether he got the treatment or not - though his claim for it bounced back and forth between the RO and BVA for YEARS.

Free

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!)

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