I am still on active duty, retiring next June, and will be filing my initial D&C claim this coming Dec -- 180 days out to qualify for the special Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program here in the DC area. I have attended briefings from the VA on how to fill out the forms and also from the DAV VSO (will also be attending briefings from AMVETS and Am Legion next month).
The DAV guy said to list the indication or symptom on the 21-526 rather than the diagnosis that is in my SMRs... for example, just list "low back pain" rather than "L4-L5 degeneration" and "herniated disk." His rationale is to make the VA look through my SMRs to find it and document it and not to do their work for them... and that they may find other related symptoms/diagnoses in the SMRs to add to the rating level.
Since I have the diagnoses already in my records, I would rather just put them all down as diagnosed... any recommendations on the best approach?
Thanks for any advice...this is agreat forum that I read almost every day!
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Raybob
I am still on active duty, retiring next June, and will be filing my initial D&C claim this coming Dec -- 180 days out to qualify for the special Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program here in the DC area. I have attended briefings from the VA on how to fill out the forms and also from the DAV VSO (will also be attending briefings from AMVETS and Am Legion next month).
The DAV guy said to list the indication or symptom on the 21-526 rather than the diagnosis that is in my SMRs... for example, just list "low back pain" rather than "L4-L5 degeneration" and "herniated disk." His rationale is to make the VA look through my SMRs to find it and document it and not to do their work for them... and that they may find other related symptoms/diagnoses in the SMRs to add to the rating level.
Since I have the diagnoses already in my records, I would rather just put them all down as diagnosed... any recommendations on the best approach?
Thanks for any advice...this is agreat forum that I read almost every day!
Cheers,
Ray
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