ptsd Just Got Back From Appt With Va Psych....grrrrr

[Gridsmasher11]

I just returned from an appointment with my VA psychiatrist....She just seems to want to keep increasing my meds but doesn't really want to help with my claim.....I asked her to specifically write me a nexus letter or to put into my treatment notes that my PTSD 'is more likely than not caused by my time in the Gulf"....She says that she has already stated that it is service connected and that she wants me to be service connected for this but will not write this as I have asked....Are they instructed to not write it plainly so we can support our claims????? She said it would be a conflict of interest.????I asked her how it would be a conflict of interest, wasn't she my treating Phsychiatrist (she said yes) but she just wants to him and haww........GRRRRRRRRR...VA causes us more stress and just wants to dope us up and hope we forget...............................................Did find out some things that may help my claim......The doctor that did my PTSD C&P back in March is only an MD.....According to VA regs it should have been a Psychiatrist or Phsycologist...So I have a point there....Still gathering the stuff to keep fighting my claim.............................GRID

[JustPLS]

Papa,

I'm assuming your 50% disability rating is for service connected conditions. If so, according to the health care enrollment form (1010EZ) instructions, you are not required to complete a financial disclosure. The instructions state:

Section V - Financial Disclosure: ONLY NSC and 0% NONCOMPENSABLE SERVICE-CONNECTED

VETERANS MUST COMPLETE THIS SECTION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY AND COPAY

RESPONSIBILITIES IF THEY ARE NOT:

· a former Prisoner of War or;

· in receipt of a Purple Heart or;

· a recently discharged Combat Veteran or;

· discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty or;

· receiving VA service-connected disability compensation or;

· receiving VA pension or;

· in receipt of Medicaid benefits

Sometimes, the people you speak with at the VAMC or clinic are not really aware of the requirements, and they will tell you that you have to fill out all parts of the form. Anyway, this is just for information purposes. I hope it might help you down the road.

[hedgey]

Papa, I'm the dim bulb in the box around here. I thought that because I was able to get healthcare without a means test when I was only 10%, it meant that that was true for everyone else who was at least 10%. I never paid attention to the eligibility requirements that JustPLS posted (thanks!).

I was discharged because of my disability, that's why they never made me do a means test.... duh. Even dumber, Papa, was that I didn't pay attention to my eligibility and didn't use the care for nearly 25 years. DUH!!!!

You shine, Papa!!

[Papa]

I don't think the problem is with us, but with the way the VA displays its information. I read one place that I had to do a means test, but years later run across another page said I did not have to because I had a service connected disability. I have called and emailed my local PTSD VA outpatient clinic for help for over a week, nothing. I did visit the local Vet Center, and the head guy is nutter then me.

Papa

[Chuck75]

The unstated "conflict of interest" reasoning is that come review for raise time, a VA treating doctor who "service connects" something with a medical records statement is not acting in their own "self interest".

I firmly believe that the VA must give their doctors some written direction that tells them how to evade and avoid making such statements.

It is possible to sometimes get a VA doctor to write such things, when they "are to be used" for "non VA" purposes (SSDI, etc.) Usually Non VA forms are provided by SSA or possibly an insurance company.

Once filled out, particularly the SSA/SSDI forms, they can be used as evidence in a VA case, such as an appeal proceeding.

None on my VA doctors would help write me a nexus letter. I used to ask them..

(I also asked a few VA doctors to help me by writing a nexus).. I also told VA surgeons where I was injured when they asked me what my injuries were.. and where I got them..

I had to go pay an outside specialist to write an IMO and it was $1,600

[Chuck75]

To the best of my knowledge, the net worth/financial statements only need to be filled out by those veterans who might qualify for pension/free care based upon low income.

In the past, the VA did restrict enrollment of veterans who did not fall below financial limits, and who had no service connected disabilities.

Basically, the VA was forced into enrolling veterans anyway, due to a combination of the veterans "drug act", and the desire of the VA to increase the number of "enrolled" veterans.

Enrollment was/is not a requirement for obtaining drugs from the VA. The VA can "review" an outside doctors prescriptions, and then a VA doctor writes internal VA prescriptions.

( I did have VA Clinics at various times ask for a financial statement, and told them no, since it was not required and not in my interest to do so.)

Never give the government or anybody else any more information than you must.

In my state, normal prescriptions expire on the average of every six months.

When the VA supplies prescriptions, they tend to meet the six month requirement by scheduling an appointment, or on paper, having the VA doctor "review and renew" the prescription.

"Review and renew" is often used for drugs that are long term treatment for chronic conditions. IHD and Diabetes are prime examples.

Without such a statement showing net worth/income below the limits, the VA will usually charge "Co-Pay", and may even do so for drugs and treatment that is associated with a service connected

problem. (Make a mistake in the VA's favor, if you make one at all.) When questioned, the stock initial answer is that "It must be adjucated".

Currently, the VA is charging veterans co-pay for drugs and possibly treatment for "presumptive" conditions.

How prevalent this is seems to be something the VA doesn't want to talk about.

This is in direct conflict with the laws concerning presumptives. Basically, when something is given presumptive status, the VA is to regard it as service connected, unless they can prove otherwise.

The law on presumptives also severely limits the ways that the VA might prove otherwise.

As a result, the VA has no authority under the law to charge a veteran for drugs or treatment associated with a presumptive, unless the VA can prove that the condition is not service connected.

Papa,

I'm assuming your 50% disability rating is for service connected conditions. If so, according to the health care enrollment form (1010EZ) instructions, you are not required to complete a financial disclosure. The instructions state:

Section V - Financial Disclosure: ONLY NSC and 0% NONCOMPENSABLE SERVICE-CONNECTED

VETERANS MUST COMPLETE THIS SECTION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY AND COPAY

RESPONSIBILITIES IF THEY ARE NOT:

· a former Prisoner of War or;

· in receipt of a Purple Heart or;

· a recently discharged Combat Veteran or;

· discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty or;

· receiving VA service-connected disability compensation or;

· receiving VA pension or;

· in receipt of Medicaid benefits

Sometimes, the people you speak with at the VAMC or clinic are not really aware of the requirements, and they will tell you that you have to fill out all parts of the form. Anyway, this is just for information purposes. I hope it might help you down the road.

Edited September 10, 2010 by Chuck75

[buzzard]

F...I should of filed like 39 years ago...I put this away for so long....I am EXHAUSTED AND DRAINED just from dipping into this PTSD forum....I see I got a long, hard journey ahead of me...who the heck do these VA psychs think they are...BTW, I have a VAMC (initial physical) appointment Tuesday (but been inpatient/outpatient, mental, some years ago) and am pushing myself to open up a horrible can of squirming worms....