Dr. Bash

[Scott D]

Has anyone used Dr. Bash for an IME? If so do you feel as though he did a good job it transcribing medical lingo into something the RO could understand. I know he charges on a case by case basis, but what would I expect to pay for this service, maybe a range of fees?

Thank you

Scott

[vaf]

Dr. Bash helped my husband, as well. It was money well spent, although his IMO was mentioned in passing at the BVA, but no with discussion regarding its impact on the Board's final decision. We are appealing at the CVA level and will pursue this further at the RO level regarding issues still at that level.

Dr. Bash has offered to help us in the future, so he's there to back up your investment in his opinion.

But, you'll see all over this board where IMO's are often dismissed out of hand, or ignored with no mention altogether. Wherever you get your IMO, make sure you're ready for this possibility, and your IMO provider will be there for you in the event you need additional assistance. This is increasingly NOT a one shot deal.

[john999]

Sometimes the VA will accept an IMO and sometimes they will reject it or ignore it. It is like rolling the dice. The last IMO I had the VA quoted it word for word in their decision. A friend used the same doctor and they rejected the IMO and said my friend was doctor shopping.

[Pete53]

If you have a weak case or a medical condition not supported by service records you have to have an IMO in my opinion.

[Guest Berta]

If you have a good IMO over some VA quackola rhetoric in a SOC- make SURE the VA acknowledges it!Use it as your NOD rebuttal and in any way at all so they will consider it-

As I stated the other day- I have a dynamite IMO from Dr. Bash and another one from a former treating VA physician- they keep ignoring these IMOS-had them since Nov 2004-well over a year-

I made copies and am submitting more evidence and have copied the IM)s unto the back of the additional evidence pages -they cant miss them-

the VARO manager promised my vet rep they would be considered in Oct- they still ignore them-

I also mention in each submission, explaining the enclosed medical evidence, (I have a lot of evidence) that the VA still fails to consider my $2,000 IMO from Dr. Bash.

One point I made- might well help others here-

some VA doctor made a few statements based on her own admission that she had only had a few chemistry reports-the veteran's files remained here in Bath VA for 2 months during the time this opinion was done-

I strongly made the point to the VARO that my still unread IMO from Dr. Bash not only considered ALL of the veteran's med records, he also referred to past SOC statements and many other reports from the VA, MRIs, autopsy etc- their examiner used only 4 records I know of out of the whole stack.

Actually the VA doesn't really 'ignore' these IMOs- it is just that they are usually so medically sound -because they are prepared by real doctors-that the VA has no one competent enough to understand them and attempt to knock them down.

The new DRO told my vet rep and the RO VSM that she couldn't understand medical evidence (my IMO) so she denied the claim in Sept! My vet rep thought I had won the claim-the evidence was so good-

What the heck is she doing there controlling claims- that are fundamentally ALL determined by medical evidence.

This is why we still have a terrible backlog problem-

people are not doing their job from the git go-many claims that go on for over three years- in many cases -could have been handled properly by VAROs in months.

Edited January 30, 2006 by Berta

[Scott D]

I guess my biggest concern in asking my current doctor for an IMO is that will be used for VA disability benefeits. I believe that because I am relatively young that this will show me in a negative light and feed the preception that people receiving disability benefeits are greedy. The SC disabilties I developed during my 9 years of Naval service require mutliple appointments a month and 7 pills a day for the rest of my life. I am also concerned that by using Dr. Bash I will be seen as Doctor shoping as someone mentioned before. But, I believe the biggest reason for denials or an unfair assesment in my case is because the VARO's do not have the medical knowledge to put 1 and 1 together to get the right answer.

All of your help and recomendations and convinced me to give him a call and see if he can help.

Thanks,

Scott

[john999]

Scott

A good IMO can turn your claim around 180 degrees. Besides Hadit it is the best weapon you have against the VA.