Will This Put Me Over The Top?

[erico541]

i am currently rated 80% 30%left hand 30%right hand 20%left foot 20%right foot 10%tinnitus 10%broken clavicle equaling 120% i just had a c and p exam for depression and the psychiatrist said he was going to say he felt my depression was due to sc conditions...additionally i am a manic depressent as well. i am currently on prozac and several other meds as well. does anyone have some insight to help me know what the board may decide? thanks god bless ameica

[rentalguy1]

Welcome Aboard!

It sounds like there is a good chance that you will be service connected for the depression, but there is not enough information here to figure out a possible rating. Go pick up a copy of the C&P results from the Release of Information office at your VAMC.

[erico541]

Welcome Aboard!

It sounds like there is a good chance that you will be service connected for the depression, but there is not enough information here to figure out a possible rating. Go pick up a copy of the C&P results from the Release of Information office at your VAMC.

[erico541]

Welcome Aboard!

It sounds like there is a good chance that you will be service connected for the depression, but there is not enough information here to figure out a possible rating. Go pick up a copy of the C&P results from the Release of Information office at your VAMC.

[erico541]

i did not know you could get e copy of the c and p exam. what am i looking for in the report? thanks for the advice

[simple fly]

i did not know you could get e copy of the c and p exam. what am i looking for in the report? thanks for the advice

if your c and p was done by qtc,you can not get a copy at the vamc.if it was done at vamc ,you can get a copy there. qtc copies can only be obtained at the ro by request.i just went through this only on monday.

look for gaf score and any other notes that show mh problems. it is up to the rater to interpret percentage. not the examiner.

Edited April 3, 2009 by simple fly

[mags1023]

Here is the criteria for rating mental disorders (depression, mood disorder)

chronic adjustment disorder

9440 Chronic adjustment disorder

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as:

gross impairment in thought processes or communication;

persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate

behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent

inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance

of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory

loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name .................... 100

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas,

such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood,

due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals

which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical,

obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting

the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively;

impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods

of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and

hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including

work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain

effective relationships ................................................................................

........ 70

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and

productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial,

circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once

a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment

of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned

material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired

abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in

establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships ............... 50

Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work

efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational

tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine

behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms

as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or

less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as

forgetting names, directions, recent events) ...................................................... 30

Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms

which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational

tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled

by continuous medication ................................................................................

.. 10

A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not

severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social

functioning or to require continuous medication.................................................. 0

Get your C&P report from the ROI office at your local VA clinic. It should be in there. Look for the key words in the report and match them to the percentage group above. Your GAF score is also important. It will be in the report. 61 or above is considered minor and normally a 10% rating. 51-60 is moderate and can be in the 30-50% range. Usually any GAF below 51 has a good chance of being rated at 50-70%, but it takes having a lot of the above conditions in the appropriate category. They are going to low ball you initially. It happens to everyone. Hopefully, your psych put the right buzz words in your report. when you file your claim this time, you should definitely include TDIU if that is what you are working towards. What is your work status? Are you on SSDI or filed for it? This diagnosis will help.