I Just Discovered A Form To Use To Get A Medical Opinion

[LarryJ]

Ya'll may know about this form, but I didn't. It's a form that you give your VA health care provider for them to fill out in support of your claim.

I had to scan it, so it might not come out very clear.

[free_spirit_etc]

Yep! It is definately a start. You can always get more later. And a doctor would be more willing to support an opinion he had already given.

We scared off a doctor by asking for too much too soon. It is the pulmonologist who first told my husband his cancer began in the service.

We asked for a letter and he informed us that he would write it. And then when I told him the way it would have to be written, he balked. He called back and said the base attorney said they are not "allowed" to issue opinions. (He was a base doctor).

It is probably better to get them to write ANYTHING. And then suck the rest out of them later.

The oncologist USED to work on base. He was also unwilling to write a letter. At first he said he couldn't because they are not "allowed" to state opinions - JUST FACTS.

My husband finally wrote a letter that told the doubling rate of his type of cancer. He signed that without balking much - but it wasn't enough. It can be used to SUPPORT other evidence.

We have bits and pieces from several places - but they won't connect the dots.

All we need is someone to say "The average doubling time of this type of cancer is 180 days. His tumor was 3.1 cm when detected 2 years post retirement. Based on the average doubling time, it would take a tumor of that time 12 - 15 years to reach 3.1 cm. It is more likely than not that his cancer did not grow to the size in 2 years that normally takes 12 - 15 years to develop).

We have it all. Just not someone that says it ALL in ONE place.

The oncologist says it doesn't matter what he writes because they will use their own doctors and make their own decisions.

Every snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty. ~ Unknown

I guess that the "illness, injury or event in service" is where the doc relates the current diagnosis to the "illness, injury or event".

I just thought that if the VA came up with the form, that they would be more familiar with it, and the docs would not be afraid of filling in the blanks. Anyway, it is a good way, I think, of approaching the VA docs, that way they don't have to sit down and type up a bunch of stuff, all they got to do is fill in the blanks so they would probably do this when they wouldn't want to spend their time writing out the whole schmear.

[Christopher]

That is just what the doctor ordered! Thank You!

[cowgirl]

Wow thats a good form, but I wonder about the statements FreeSpirit referred to. Basically, dont any of these 3 statements 'connect' 'nexus' the conditions in question?

Can someone explain what freespirit is saying a bit differently? I am interested in getting it right the first time if at all possible, thanks so very much Freespirit and all who discussed this form! Best to y'all, cg

That is just what the doctor ordered! Thank You!

[Ricky]

Excellent find Larry. I think it was originally meant for C&P examiners. Just a guess though.

[Berta]

This is a VA form as the lower right hand corner says-

for VA doctors-

I think it could be used as a good example but a private doctor should not use this actual form.

[vth]

Hi I am new here,

I was told that the Va doctors could not give an opinion per VA Directive 2007-024 (eff. Sep 07). Is this true?