Certified Copy Of Medical Records?

[LILS]

When I send the VA a copy of my medical records for my initial SC claims, do the copies I send have to be certified copies? The records department copied all my medical records (normal copies; not certified) and then someone (not affiliated with the VA) said the copies are supposed to be certified. Someone else said they didn't need to be. Does anyone know the REAL answer to this? I hope I don't need everything re-copied and certified. Or could each individual VA dept have different rules? Thanks for any info!

[jim n ok]

they don't have to be certified.just send what you have,they will verify them.

[sharon]

They do not have to be certified. If your send the records do not sign and send in a 21-4132. They will send you one but do not sign it. If you do, they will have to go back out to your doctor for the same records. Its the law :D

[LILS]

What is a 21-4132? I couldn't find the form to see what it is.

[LarryJ]

What is a 21-4132? I couldn't find the form to see what it is.

It's the "release of information" permission letter, from you to the VA, to the healthcare provider, giving the healthcare provider permission to release YOUR medical information to the VA. If you fill this out and sign it, then the VA will, naturally in the course of the daily grind, turn around and send it to the healthcare provider, regardless of whether they (the VA) have received the very information FROM YOU already, and they will send this form to your healthcare provider, requesting that your hcp send the info to the VA................here we go around the mulberry bush, the mulberrry bush, the mulberry bush.........and it will add about 2 months or 42 years to your claim process.

hope this enlightens you as to the meaning of the term "snafu"?

[JamesBreckenridge]

In our defense, we don't know WHAT the private medical provider has in their possession, so we ask the vet for it. Remember, too, that the vet is putting their medical condition into contention; what happens if a vet just cherry picks the private medical records that are the most favorable? There may be some other medical evidence of the same condition from the provider that would shed a different light on the veteran's condition, that could turn a grant into a denial (or vice versa). It's far more likely to HELP your case if I've got all your relevant medical records from a private provider than it is to hurt your case.

But yes, it certainly doesn't help when our form letters pretty much say "Send us everything you have" at multiple steps along the process. If you think it sucks on your end, try being the one responsible for looking at every page of medical evidence trying to find the magic words that let me establish service connection or that will let me grant one level higher evaluation, and you've got three copies of the same things to look through... except they MAY not be identical copies, in that one of those sets may have additional evidence that's not in the other two. I dare not SKIP them, because what if the one piece of evidence I need is in there? But that's MY problem, not yours. I'd rather you send copies of what you have, and provide the 21-4142 so that we can go out to the doctor and get more (some of which may be duplicate) than run the risk of not having enough evidence to grant. Yes, going out and developing for private medical evidence takes a while and adds time, but that's the nature of the beast at this point.

No, your medical records don't have to be certified. We do want certified DD-214s and the like, though, for proof of service.

It's the "release of information" permission letter, from you to the VA, to the healthcare provider, giving the healthcare provider permission to release YOUR medical information to the VA. If you fill this out and sign it, then the VA will, naturally in the course of the daily grind, turn around and send it to the healthcare provider, regardless of whether they (the VA) have received the very information FROM YOU already, and they will send this form to your healthcare provider, requesting that your hcp send the info to the VA................here we go around the mulberry bush, the mulberrry bush, the mulberry bush.........and it will add about 2 months or 42 years to your claim process.

hope this enlightens you as to the meaning of the term "snafu"?

[LarryJ]

In our defense, we don't know WHAT the private medical provider has in their possession, so we ask the vet for it. Remember, too, that the vet is putting their medical condition into contention; what happens if a vet just cherry picks the private medical records that are the most favorable? There may be some other medical evidence of the same condition from the provider that would shed a different light on the veteran's condition, that could turn a grant into a denial (or vice versa). It's far more likely to HELP your case if I've got all your relevant medical records from a private provider than it is to hurt your case.

But yes, it certainly doesn't help when our form letters pretty much say "Send us everything you have" at multiple steps along the process. If you think it sucks on your end, try being the one responsible for looking at every page of medical evidence trying to find the magic words that let me establish service connection or that will let me grant one level higher evaluation, and you've got three copies of the same things to look through... except they MAY not be identical copies, in that one of those sets may have additional evidence that's not in the other two. I dare not SKIP them, because what if the one piece of evidence I need is in there? But that's MY problem, not yours. I'd rather you send copies of what you have, and provide the 21-4142 so that we can go out to the doctor and get more (some of which may be duplicate) than run the risk of not having enough evidence to grant. Yes, going out and developing for private medical evidence takes a while and adds time, but that's the nature of the beast at this point.

No, your medical records don't have to be certified. We do want certified DD-214s and the like, though, for proof of service.

Good points, well made, and taken. And, I can see that it would be a "paper cabbage" on your end, also.

[LILS]

Thank you all so much for the info! When I send my records to the VA, do I mail ALL of my records from the last 20 years (3 volumes), or do I just mail the stuff pertaining to the things I want to claim?

[JamesBreckenridge]

Send us COPIES of ALL of your evidence. BUT... it would certainly help if there were certain records that were especially relevant to your claimed condition, and you were to tab them. That way, a VSR will easily see "Hey, this guy had this problem in service, better get an exam ordered," or the rating specialist will be able to quickly see that you had this problem in service.

I put tabs on STRs when I review the files. "Okay, here's where he injured his knee... better put a post it on there, and write "L.knee date" on the piece of post-it that sticks out even if the records are stacked together and slid into a records jacket. If I'm lucky, a VSR does it for me, but it's rare.

I look at every page of evidence, because sometimes I see a presumptive or some other condition that you're not even claiming. Say you're not claiming hypertension because you're more worried about a serious problem, and you know that the hypertension isn't compensable anyway. I would infer the issue on my own and go ahead and grant it at zero percent if I had enough evidence to do so. That way, if it ever gets worse, you just file for an increase which is a much simpler matter. Note that I'm not allowed to infer and deny; that wouldn't be fair to the veteran to deny a condition he hasn't even claimed.

So, send everything, but feel free to use highlighters and post its to flag the stuff you want to make sure we see.

Thank you all so much for the info! When I send my records to the VA, do I mail ALL of my records from the last 20 years (3 volumes), or do I just mail the stuff pertaining to the things I want to claim?

[Pete53]

Good tip. Send all the info but tab and highlight the evidence that supports your claim.

[LILS]

Thanks James! Your info is awesome! I really appreciate the help!

[LILS]

In keeping with the medical records theme, does anyone know where I would get a copy of my INPATIENT records and Mental Health records from 1992-1994 that "have been retired to St. Louis"? The records department at this particular hospital were clueless. I went on the national archives site http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-...ds/medical.html to request a copy, but at some point it asked when I left service. I didn't, since I'm still active duty. It looked like it was mainly for veterans. I figured since you all (veterans) would be able to help a future veteran out. You've done such a good job so far :P

[LarryJ]

In keeping with the medical records theme, does anyone know where I would get a copy of my INPATIENT records and Mental Health records from 1992-1994 that "have been retired to St. Louis"? The records department at this particular hospital were clueless. I went on the national archives site http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-...ds/medical.html to request a copy, but at some point it asked when I left service. I didn't, since I'm still active duty. It looked like it was mainly for veterans. I figured since you all (veterans) would be able to help a future veteran out. You've done such a good job so far B)

Just fill the request out. Where it asks when you left the service, just put "N/A", after all, it's one of those "fill in the blanks" things that nobody ever really does read. And, yeah, it may be "slanted" toward the veteran "population", but, hey, that doesn't mean you can't participate......... :P They probably even let Army people access the data.

semper fi!

[LILS]

Unfortunately, the electronic form doesn't allow me to put N/A. It says to contact my unit's record department. That's what I did in the 1st place :P . They were the ones that said to contact St. Louis. Here's that mulberry bush rearing its ugly head, except it's not the VA this time! Oh well, I guess I will just keep searching for an answer; maybe from other bases.