Amc..how To Keep Your Claim Out Of There?

[broncovet]

Is anyone familiar with the AMC..that is, specifically how do I keep my claim from going there? I have heard horror stories, that the

AMC is like the "Roach Motel" in that once you check in to the AMC your claim will never get out of there. Is this the place where the VA holds claim appeals while they wait for the Veteran to die? No one that I have ever heard of has ever gotten a claim out of AMC successfully..if you have, please speak up. Others, however, have said something about their claim being at AMC for 5 years while nothing happens on it.

I can not understand the purpose of AMC. Do they forward claims to the BVA or CAVC? Do they decide claims? Is this the headquarters of the "Bureau of Bureacracy" of the VA, because I thought it was ALL VA employees job to complicate and confuse each Veteran to delay his claim for as long as possible rather than have that done all at the AMC.

Please post your experience at AMC, good, bad, or indifferent.

[Vync]

I think that is where my lower back claim went, because all I ever get back are denials.

[jbasser]

Broncovet, you dont keep the claim from going to the AMC.

The only way to keep it out is to keep it at the RO level and many of us know that is not the way to go espceially with the buddy system in place.

The BVA is where it gets tricky as they can remand at will any claim that they want and the AMC is another place to remand to.

I usually see super complex claims being sent to the AMC where the Regional offices do not posess the (Ability or will) to adjudicate a claim.

Bottom line is if you go to the BVA, you have a chance to go to the AMC.

J

[Pete53]

You can't stop it from going there but you can always ask for a hearing and get it back to the VARO. I call it Vetmonopoly where you go back to VARO don't pass go and don't collect 200 dollars.

[carlie]

bronco,

Just research some BVA decisions and put the search

words remand to AMC in there.

You will see many reasons,why BVA remandeds to AMC.

j basser is right -

If a case goes to BVA you personally have no way to keep

it out of AMC.

Your only hope is to try and CYA, on any and all reasons

that BVA can remand under.

carlie

[hurryupnwait]

My claim was at the AMC from June 2005 to Nov 2007 (Two years five months) and it would prolly still be there if I did n't decide to take action. I got the name of a helpful VSO in DC from Josphine aka Betty. I called him at the AMC building, his named was Dean Vorgey, he was not my SO, but he took an interest in my claim because of how long it had been there with no action. He found my claim in a storage area, blew off the dust and started it moving thru the system again.

After that, I made several phone calls to Michael Walcoff 's office, phone numbers I got from Betty, after pestering them I was given the number of an AMC rating supervisor, who I called several times and he got my claim to a rater, he said that my claim was going to a retired contract rater for the decision.

I received a low ball decision.

Presently, my claim is being handled by Attorney Ken Carpenter and has a potential EED back to 1973. A Decision Review Officer is suppose to make a decision this week. yea right. He was suppose to have it by the holidays, not sure which holiday he was referring to.

Happy Trails

Paul

[jbasser]

Hurryupandwait, can you send me a PM with the VOS contact info.

J