Va Press Release - Disability Benefits Questionaires

[hedgey]

I saw this discussed elsewhere, and thought it might be great news for some of us... especially when we're using a private doctor. This should make things more streamlined and uniform for the VA practitioners, and make it easier for a private doctor to cross all the VA t's.

Right?

Here's the headline & the link:

New Medical Forms Will Streamline Veterans Claims Process

Physician Questionnaires to Boost Disability Exam Efficiency

http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1987

The part I like:

For Veterans who receive their care from private physicians, VA has placed the disability benefits questionnaires on its Internet site (http://www.vba.va.gov/disabilityexams) with instructions for physicians to submit examination results on Veterans’ behalf.

There's a "remarks" section where a private doctor could write in the Nexus Statement. If the VA will accept this form as a true evaluation, then they should accept any nexus that it contains, right?

[justrluk]

We could only hope. After asking my dermatologist for a letter supporting the weekly use of Humira for psoriasis even though it was prescribed by rheumatology (and her refusing to do so), it would have been a help during my C&P.

[Vync]

Interesting. This could open the door to having your exam performed by a physician who knows you and with whom you trust.

[john999]

One thing is you don't want any medical records going to the VA unless you have a chance to screen them yourself.

[hedgey]

One thing is you don't want any medical records going to the VA unless you have a chance to screen them yourself.

That's a very good point. I looked over the one for Parkinson's, and I don't see anything that states the VA would have access to the Dr's records, just that they may (might?) obtain other information or perform other exams. I read that to mean that the Dr. can fill out the form, but the VA will still possibly do their own exam and use other sources of information to make their determination.

Am I reading that right?

[Berta]

The forms cover only the three new AO presumptives but the VA web site adds this:

" * Hairy Cell, B-Cell Leukemias...

* Ischemic Heart Disease

* Parkinson's Disease

Note: Additional questionnaires covering other conditions are expected in the future."

It would be GREAT if the PTSD forms appear there.

A Big gripe I have had with the new PTSD regs is that they depend on the diagnosis of PTSD solely from a VA doctor,and tht seems to defy the veteran's ability to have a non VA diagnosis.

[retiredat44]

hore$hit! the damned claims people don't even use the IMO's we give them.. this is just blowing smoke up our butts..