Finally At

[Berta]

800$ rep (I know him-he doesnt make things up) said the DRO sent my claims to the rating board a few days ago-as it is ready to rate-

always a good sign- then again------????

Last month I sent an Iris email as well as a 800 # rep sent an additional internal email to the DRO and then I sent a Priority letter to the DRO- all requesting a telephonic conference with the DRO under the auspices of the DRO regs in M21-1---asking for phone call from the DRO if there was any question at all regarding my Medical evidence- which they have not opined on in 5 years.

I dont think anyone there wants to call me-

so hopefully my IMOs etc are now with the raters.

[Wings]

x

x

x

Berta,

Ready to Rate, the sound of music!

5 years is a very long time, your retro should take you to the moon ;-)

Thank you for being a true friend to veterans, for having our backs.

~Wings

[Will]

The DRO is the one who makes the final review and decision, (for an NOD that is) am I correct in this or no. Or do they just give there opinion and then send off to rating board for for back up.

[Josephine]

The DRO is the one who makes the final review and decision, (for an NOD that is) am I correct in this or no. Or do they just give there opinion and then send off to rating board for for back up.

Will,

I think I understand the DRO makes the final decision.

Betty

[Wings]

The DRO is the one who makes the final review and decision, (for an NOD that is) am I correct in this or no. Or do they just give there opinion and then send off to rating board for for back up.

Will, See M21-1MR, Part I, Chapter 5, Section C. Decision Review Officer (DRO) Review Process

Here http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:3nC0w...;cd=4&gl=us

[free_spirit_etc]

Well, well, well - You learn something new every day. I thought the DRO was the one who copied the reasons and bases for de

denial straight off your SOC, and added a few lines so that your SSOC would be longer than your SOC was - and so it would look like they really had reviewed the evidence, and then mailed you the letter.

Their job decription makes it look MUCH more complicated.

I couldn't even find the part about copying and pasting LISTED.

Free

Will, See M21-1MR, Part I, Chapter 5, Section C. Decision Review Officer (DRO) Review Process

Here http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:3nC0w...;cd=4&gl=us

[Berta]

Thanks all for the support- however- even with having probative medical evidence-that totally knocked down a VA doctor's opinion------

I never count my VA chickens before they hatch-

All of my medical evidence for 5 years has been ignored-

so I cannot anticipate what they will do when they have read it (IF they finally have read it)

I have a dilemma- I requested an IMO from an oral pathologist from Medops-in December and sent them the money for it-they called me a few weeks later and felt that either a cardiologist or endocrinologist could prepare a more comprehensive opinion-

Oral pathologists are hard to find-

I was disappointed as I had approached this AO claim from a different angle than Dr. Bash did and my evidence for this type of opinion was excellent.

Friday they called me- and need a little more information so that the IMO can be finished-

what the doctor had prepared so far based on med recs was very favorable to my claim-and I was very happy with it-but need to send them what else they wanted-the IMO doctor raised a point in the IMO that I had not considered and I have what he wanted.

Also the IMO doctor thought this was a malpractice claim but technically it isnt- the VA already admitted malpractice-this has to be clarifed to him.

In any event- I am now thinking to hold off on this IMO-

because

the VA has never opined at all or even acknowledged the IMOs I have from Dr. Bash.

I am thinking that this new IMO might have to be shaped to combat any further denials-

but then again- the VA has made no attempt to get another VA doctors opinion and I already raised the fact that this would be in violation of Mariano V. Principi if they did-

I will send Med Ops what they still need but then again- I have an additional claim (which is what I got my first legal VCAA letter on a few months ago)

and I certainly think Med Ops could give me an IMO to support that claim too.

Or instead of my AO claim.

The additional claim is what I believe the VA filed a Motion on at the BVA last year-on a CUE I had there that BVA denied.

The claim involved CUE in a decision re: denial of PTSD (SC) contributing to my husband's demise due to cardiovascular disease.

I re-opened this claim in 2004-

but the RO Motion seems to indicate that even the RO saw

something wrong with the final decision.

My evidence for this claim was the fact that Rod's SC PTSD made him eligible for VA health care- the very health care that caused his demise(FTCA)

In that way his SC PTSD contributed to his death.

But I never expanded on this claim much-my focus was on the AO claim-

the VA admitted his HBP was malpracticed on-

I think I could easily get an IMO stating that Rod's 100% SC PTSD certainly had an effect on his documented undertreated HBP,causing heart disease.(with medical evidence)

These types of claims have been won but need a very concise nexus statement.

One can never project what the VA might do-

I still have flashbacks of my POA rep who said he was sure my initial IMO would bring an award-minutes before he presented it to the DRO-2 1/2 years ago-

but he never gave it to the DRO- and it disappeared from my c file. As all further correspondence from VA itself bears out they have never received it.