I Am Not Sure

[bubba]

I got a letter from the va it says decision review officer or traditinal appeal proces select option form

It says i request my case be reviewed by a a decision review officer or

i request to folow the traditional appeal process. Which one is better?

[carlie]

Bubba,

While you were in service did you get treatetment for being short of breath

or wheezing, profiles not to be out doors in real cold weather due to breathing,

any nebulizer treatments or inhalers - perhaps with steroids in them ,allergy meds etc..

Well if I remember right you just recently got your records and probably haven't got a good look at them yet. These are just a few of the things you want to start looking for.

carlie

[bubba]

The doctor noticed in his report of wheezing and he gave me some albutral asthma medicine. I have documents not that say i have asthma but while in military they never diagnosed me.

[carlie]

Did you have the wheezing & get the albuterol while you were in ?

[bubba]

That is what the doctor put in the service connected record. This happened when i was in, the problem that i am having right now is geting a nexus statement from a doctor to link it up. I talked to dr bash and he would do it but i thought the price was kindy high. I was thinking about maybe a local doctor.

[bubba]

as i call many doctors many don't want to mess with giving an opinion or helping you with a nexus statement. How come that don't want to do this? I am willing to pay extra.

[jlshand]

as i call many doctors many don't want to mess with giving an opinion or helping you with a nexus statement. How come that don't want to do this? I am willing to pay extra.

Bubba, I read somewhere that many MD's don't want to bother with Nexus statements because they have heard the VA can and will pester the crap out of them with endless "clarifying "questions.

Logically too it would seem they are ALL busy as all get out and this kind of thing (writing statements and dealing with more mind boggling bureaucracy) takes away from their real money making time.

You might try all of the following. Tho all of them take time and money the VA is obviously in no hurry

1. establish a patient relationship with an MD in the specialty closest to your problem, this should take time and at least a couple of visits , if even after the first visit you dont get a feeling for a good bedside manner ie the person is too cold , doesnt really listen, gives every indication he/she needs to move on to the next patient, move on to the next Doc. ( I had a cardio guy who was always looking towards the door and saying "is there anything else?" Maybe it was the supperating ulcers on my face and hands! Anyway, sayonara.

2. if you are in a place where you have a larger circle of friends and or acquaintences ask them for reco's to more sympathetic MD's. If there are no Vets try friends who are on social security disability.

3. Make an appointment for a first consultation with a lawyer who specializes in SSDI thats comp for Social securoty disability. Be very vague re the reason mentioning disability ,illness but not the VA. They often advertise this fact on TV and in the yellow pages. Preferably find one an acquaintence has used and can rcommend.

A. when you visit with him in person preferably, be aware of these type of lawyers great personal sensitivities and insecurities BUT you will be very sorry you didnt realize guys like this cant legally work on VA claims. But...... since you have taken his time, could you make up for this by offering to pay him a consultation fee for a couple of names and contacts he uses among the medical community(in your needed specialty of course) to support his clients disability claims. These specialist lawyers ALWAYS have these type contacts. As a reference point, five years ago it cost me $500 to get a very elaborate summary from a board qualified MD who I suspect did just this kind of work.

4. Study all the stuff on these boards in particular what the VA wants to see in a Docs write-up and WRITE IT YOUR SELF. When you have established a patient relationship with a DOC you feel is a human being ask him if he will sign off on a statement of fact about your conditon which you will supply. Tell him that you have spent a lon time learning the language this bureaucracy understands and responds to so that is why you are writing the letter.( Actually it is as much because getting him to sit down and take the time gets you

Back possibly to square one.

Edited March 8, 2006 by jlshand