C-file Organization - If You Have Gone To The Va To Look At Your C-file

[tssnave]

For those of you have who gone to the VA office and looked at your VA C-file, or for those of you who have been service reps and actually seen a working C-file, how does the VA organize a C-file?

When you send in a packet of information that has treatment reports, buddy statements, and medical narratives (or whatever) do they keep the packet together as you sent it in or do they tear it apart and put it in different places in the C-file?

Thanks,

TS

Edited August 17, 2007 by tssnave

[Pete53]

I don't know exactly how they organize it but they are supposed to have a system. Many Veterans have found other Veterans Records in their files and the VA is infamous for missing records. That is even more reason to review your "C" File

[free_spirit_etc]

It seemed like it was all together in chronological order. So if you send in a packet today - that will be placed in the file how you sent it -- and a letter they send to you next week will be next in the file.

At least that is the way it looked like it was organized. I didn't look through much of the file as I was digging through SMR's and they were TOTALLY unorganized (upside down, right side up, not in any chronological order.)

My husband bound the last packet he sent - and that was all together still bound.

The veteran benefit manual suggests that you do bind your material like THEY do --but I can't remember what that is. I think they holes in the top - with the little slide clip - so they can easily put it in the file they same way the papers they generate are attached.

And they recommend a cover sheet for your packet - which briefly lists the evidence you are sending - and the order.

Free

For those of you have who gone to the VA office and looked at your VA C-file, or for those of you who have been service reps and actually seen a working C-file, how does the VA organize a C-file?

When you send in a packet of information that has treatment reports, buddy statements, and medical narratives (or whatever) do they keep the packet together as you sent it in or do they tear it apart and put it in different places in the C-file?

Thanks,

TS

[tssnave]

Free,

Thanks for the suggestion. My copy they sent of the C-file was pretty much in chronological order but I didn't know if that was how they kept it in the actual files because the paperwork that went forward to the C&P examiner had my medical records tabbed, which is not something I'd done since they were submitted over the course of 3 years since I had to submit new records as I was treated during the long wait for VA to rate my claim. The tabbed medical records made me think that perhaps they pulled them and had the med recs in one spot and other documentation in another.

Hadn't thought about the double hole punch at the top but that makes sense. The copy marks on my copy of my C-file clearly show the double top holes. Again, thanks for the suggestion.

Pete - I know what you mean. When I got my copy of my C-file I was surprised to see that there were no personnel records in there whatsoever but there were a couple sheets of paper about my using my GI bill to go to college. Plus, there was actually one report where I went on sick call while I was on active duty and the doc requested a pysch eval that the VA completely ignored and was never listed as evidence nor was it one of the tabbed records the C&P examiner looked at (the report to her from the DRO said there were no relevant military medical records - go figure).

On the good side, there were numerous times that they did request my psych records from St Louis so at least I know they tried to get my psych records. Of course, reading the development notes was annoying - I wrote that I had NOT been see while I was in the Nat'l Guard and on their development paperwork it says "veteran claims to have been treated while in the NG" which is NOT what I wrote but they went on a wild goose chase for my NG records anyway. Makes you want to scream.

I agree with all the others that have said you need to get a copy of your C-file. At least you know what you're up against.

Thanks,

TS