Mental Health Increase?

[sbrewer]

Hi,

What would happen if you put in a claim for an increase for a mental health disability? Would you

have a C&P exam or would they use notes from your mental health dr? Or would they send you

to a different dr for an examination?

Thanks,

sbrewer

[Berta]

Shalia- I like your style- yes it truly is armor that a claimant needs to succeed with.

I replied to your other post-

but you certainly did it the right way-on this 30 to 70 increase.

The VA loves paper- and I dont know if this was their C & P doc or not-

but you found someone willing to document well, some hard copy info that they could not ignore or deny the claim on.

Vets should take the time to do what you did- when they are set for a C & P exam-

bring with them pertinent info that the doctor should know-

especially med changes and hospitalizations-

these C & P docs breeze through the med recs so fast (I wonder if they look at them at all) that a vet has to highlight while they are there- what the vet expects the C & P to reveal and it doesnt hurt to have some documentation to prove it-

I have an asbestos vet and I gave him the VA's MOS and asbestos criteria,and a brief flash card for him to remember to tell the that he never smoked, and never was exposed to asbestos after service in any jobs,but for his Navy mos-

also his MOS on his DD 214 does not reflect 2 Navy occupations he had which exposed him aboard ship.

His diagnosis- cancer 40 years after Naval service- within the VA asbestos info- is not unusual at all-

He felt the C & P went OK because the doctor seemed to get his point.

His actual MOS' are on the VA's list with high probability of exposure.If a C & P doc sees you have evidence that supports your claim regardless of their opinion , they might well give you a C & P that

is positive to the claim.

Psychologically doctors often tend to agree with oinions of other doctors-

it pays sometimes to have a treatice or print out of an abstract with you-if it is totally applicable to your claim-highlighted as to why your med evidence is similiar and therefore persuasive.

And having a blank C & P beforehand always help to know what to expect.

Here are all of the blank C & P exams:

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/index.htm