Wondering If I Should Get An Imo

[hulamatt]

Where can i get one from? i live in chicago, would prefer if i could pick a psych doc that would do it for free if anyone has experience with on in the area, or any others for cheap, i could probably afford 500.00

[carlie]

hulamatt,

I seriously doubt you will find a psych doc to do it for free - why would/should they ?

I'd try to find a doc that does SSA claims, perhaps you can find a SSA lawyer that

may refer you to a psyc doc they have some kind of relationship with, that they refer

their clients too.

[LarryJ]

What are you trying to get an IMO for, what conditions?

Have you been treated for the condition(s)? Have you been treated for the conditios(s) at the VA?

For how long have you been treated for these conditions?

Did you have evidence of these conditions in service?

etc., etc.

you know the drill.

[JamesBreckenridge]

Hulamatt, why do you want an IMO? With regard to yous schizophrenia, you've got a very good argument for service connection. Don't wast your money.

[Testvet]

I agree with James why waste your money if you get denied and the SOC indicates that an IMO by a psychiatrist might help then spend the money but like anything else you usually get what you pay for if you want a good IMO then be prepared to pay a "good doc" to write it and they are expensive 1000-2500 you need one with a solid CV not a resident fresh out of med school

I did not lay out cash for IMOs from cardiologists until the VA started using NPs and radiologists as cardiac specialists and then I got IMOs and IMEs from board certified cardiologists the only exception was an IMO from a retired Army Colonel who was a MD/psychiatrist whose civilian resume after retiring as a Colonel in the Army as the head of research at Edgewood Arsenal he spent almost his entire career at Edgewood from being a 1LT until shortly before he retired he went to Fort Benning as Chief of Psychiatry. He then became a Professor at UCLA and worked at the UCLA medical Center and has a long list of published research articles but at one point and "still do" believe that the exposures at Edgewood Arsenal contributed to my early onset of many medical problems the water wells there are a "Campbell Soup" of toxic substances that was discovered in 1978 when the Army was doing EPA studies on govt properties, since they had been dumping and burying chemicals on the base since 1917 the 1978 reports showed it to be more toxic than the Love Canal here it is more than 30 years later and the clean up still is not finished, the water wells were capped immediately in 1978 and the Army had to use bottled water until they could pipe in water from the White Mountains to the base and the town of Edgewood, they had contaminated the entire aquifer.

But the Colonel does not accept the toxic exposures being the cause of anyone's medical problems he claims it was "safe" but he did agree that Dr Boscarino's study linking cardiac conditions to PTSD as being the finest scientific study he had ever seen and give that it has been published in the Congressional Record he gave it great weight and then explained how my PTSD had started as early as Feb 1975 he then linked HBP from the late 70s and early 80s while I was still on active duty and then the stroke within a year of discharge and a heart attack in Feb 1994 and the triple bypass in Feb 1997 and the severe CAD and 2 stents that had also failed since 1998 and my ejection fraction less than 30% as of Oct 2002 he connected all of the dots for them and stated he felt it was more likely than not that my SC PTSD had either caused or aggravated my extensive cardiac problems that had started in my 20s and left me totally disabled by age 45 the BVA Judge liked it so much he really documented a lot of it in my BVA decision.

Bottom line is you don't spend money on any IMOs or IMEs if you don't HAVE to you will have plenty of time to get it if your claim is denied and you appeal it to the BVA you can present new evidence the day of your hearing my best advice is if you are denied get a lawyer that handles only VA cases there are many of them I had one that did my BVA appeal pro bono I was more than willing to pay the 20% but because my claim was denied 2 weeks prior to the new rule in 2007 that allowed us to hire lawyers ethically she could not charge me I tried to pay her, and she refused she wouldn't even let my wife and I take her and her husband out for a nice steak dinner at Ruth Chris Steak House to celebrate now that is an ethical lawyer but paying a lawyer 20% of your win is better than keeping 100% of nothing

[hulamatt]

Hulamatt, why do you want an IMO? With regard to yous schizophrenia, you've got a very good argument for service connection. Don't wast your money.

thanks i guess ill wait, i just hear horror stories of fighting VA waiting for DRO hearing, BVA blah blah blah blah blah, i dont want to go through that, so i figured i might try to get an imo,

[john999]

Hulumat

When are you going to find out if the VA decides you are eligible for VA benefits?