Re-evaluation

[usnhmret]

I am 90% SC which was rated about two years now. A month and a half ago I was informed that I was to have an appointment with the mental health department. It was a different date than my usual appointment and with a psychologist and not my usual psychiatrist. It ended up being a C&P exam. At the end of the appointment the Doc said that he determined that I was worse off than I was previously rated.

That wasn't a surprise to me since my appointments that I have every six months usually last only 5 minutes and consist of the doc either rewriting my script or trying to add some med based on little or no input from me. (the med was commonly used for patients with schizophrenia, I don't have, but once mentioned that my youngest brother suffers from) I went home and read about the med and decided that I didn't want to sit around the house drooling. On my next visit told the doc this and he removed it from my meds. I realize that the shrinks are probably overwhelmed with returning vets, but for me the care in this department has been sub-par to the rest of the care I get from the VA.

the good thing to come out of the re-eval was the doc gave me several ideas on how to pursue my recovery in mental health. I have an appointment this week and will be a little more pro-active.

Sorry it took so long for my question. With the C&P doc saying that I am worse off, do I have to file for an increased rating? The reason I ask is by the charts I'm at 92% and an increase would put me at 100%. The dental care alone would be worth putting in any paperwork I need to. Or should I bother my VSO rep who did my initial claim? Thanks guys.

BTW, does anyone have any recommendations for a VSO in the Seattle area? A friend just retired and is letting the VA do his claim for him. I tried looking up the AMVet rep in that area but I can't find one.

[Berta]

Are you still working? Have they ever considered you for TDIU?

http://www1.va.gov/vso/- there might a vet rep org on this list close to you

[carlie]

usn,

Have you gotten a copy of your C&P report ?

That's your first step to see if you should file for

an increase in a current rating.

With a SC rating of 92% - I would think it would be

easier to file for IU.

The difference in these two would be:

1) at 100% schedular you are still allowed to be employed and

have an income, (as long as the whole 100% SC isn't only MH ).

2)With IU (paid at 100 %), you an not have employment income.

jmho,

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie

[usnhmret]

Are you still working? Have they ever considered you for TDIU?

http://www1.va.gov/vso/- there might a vet rep org on this list close to you

The claim for TDIU was done automatically by the VA. They denied TDIU, luckily, a while back. I'm not really wanting to close the door on working. I'd like the chance of voc rehabbing and starting a new career at some point. Maybe I'm being greedy by wanting to get rated 100% and still work, but I don't do well with situations where I'm told I CAN'T do something. I'd like to have the control in my life that would allow me to figure out what I'm capable of doing in terms of eking out a living.

My main concern now is with this re-evaluation ordered by the VA. I can guess had the Doc said that I was better today than when I was first rated my rating would be reduced pretty quickly, but is the opposite true? Does the VA increase my rating without any effort on my part?