Qualifications For Examiners Performing C&p Mental Disorder Exams

[fanaticbooks]

There's another topic entitled Helpful Websites http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34686 in which I found through following a link of one of the sites a description on

QUALIFICATIONS FOR EXAMINERS PERFORMING COMPENSATION AND PENSION (C&P) MENTAL DISORDER EXAMINATIONS

http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPub...asp?pub_ID=1391

That seems to have started a discussion on whether it would be helpful or not.

It is a great discussion, but I didn't want others to think I had pirated the Helpful Website. That wasn't my intent. I just thought it was great to find something that might be helpful within the number of links mentioned.

The reason for this topic is to clarify why I mentioned it. I thought if someone had difficulty with a person performing the exam, the veteran might be able to evaluate their qualifications and if they come up short, the veteran would have a quotable document to show the raters why the C&P came up short.

I'm not real knowledgeable in the Mental Health as everyone knows. It just seemed to me it might be helpful as a possibility.

How about continuing the great discussion started on the Helpful Websites on this topic so we don't take away from the other topic's main reason for being. :D

Again, sorry if I started a discussion in that site that is not really pertaining to that topic.

fanaticbooks

[Testvet]

the VARO really does not care about the "quality" of the C&P examiners that is one of the reaons they use so many Nurse Practionersto do them, and they seem to always trump any IMO from a board certified doctor we may have letters from. Even though NPs need to have a MD sign off on all the exams they perform, quality is a joke they don't even really need to use a doctor that is "trained in a specific discipline" I have seen them use radiologists as "cardiac specialists" podiatrists as lung specialists if a doctor works for the VA and writes the type of exams they want they use them "quality" is a joke

[broncovet]

IMHO the bottom line is this: The VA can declare a QTC examiner who is either a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner as "qualified". That is, if a NP or PA says in your C and P exam that your condition is unlikely related to military service, a rookie VSR can send you a denial letter almost immediately.

However, if you are owed $250,000 Retro, the VA will contend that the C and P examiner was not qualified and try to find a "more qualifed" C and P examiner to agree with them. Even if this new C and P examiner was a board certified MD with 20 years experience who has been your doc for 10 years, you can count on that rookie C and P examiner not having the authority to approve 250k retros. For that, you will need an experienced DRO review officer who approved it and then sent it to the VACO so that management can check it over for errors.

Bottom line: Any rookie NP or PA can deny a claim, but it takes almost congressional approval for large retros to be approved.

Edited February 14, 2010 by broncovet

[Pete53]

Bronco:

Please do not hyperbole facts with your opinions. Most of your post is not germane to the subject. If you have quality imo's it does not matter who does the C&P.

[john999]

A good IMO is the key to winning most claims that are in dispute. In order to get my IU it took three IMO's, but the VA caved. Evidence is what wins claims. You have to bury them in it. If you have the evidence you can win the claim, but not without a fight if you are talking half a million in retro. It has been done here before.