Who Hires/fires/oversees C&p Examiners

[fanaticbooks]

This is just pure curiosity....

I have read in here about a lot of incompetent C&P examiners. One of my hubby's was also not exactly on the mark (which I mentioned in his NOD info).

How are these people hired, evaluated for the position, and investigated/overseen on the job proficiency?

Do the raters inform anyone when multiple C&Ps come in that are badly done by that person?

Who does someone complain to about an examiner to try to change that incompetence.

As I said, I am just curious about this. Don't know if there is an answer, but thought I would ask. :)

fanaticbooks

[broncovet]

Great Posts, Rak and Hoppy. I also agree with John. I got a bad C and P exam once. I wrote a detailed letter explaining why I disagreed with the C and P examiner, how the examiner made errors such as not reading my medical records, made erroneous assumptions, probably cut and pasted another Veterans med. records into mine etc, etc... It did absolutely no good, but something else did. Know what that was? The VA shredded their own C and P exam that would have given them the evidence they needed to deny. I'm not kidding. They shredded the good and the bad, including my letter to refute it...about 2000 pages plus of evidence...gone. Incredibly, they also shredded the form I signed releasing my medical information. So, they later asked me to sign another one. (I cant recall what excuse they gave..but they did not admit to shredding) I did not respond.

Now, the VA gets only the information I choose to give them. They did this to themselves.. and still dont admit to shredding.

[fanaticbooks]

Found this kind of interesting. I will be posting it in the Training & Fast Letter forum (this website) and the VBN topic, just not today.

VHA Directive 2008-005

CERTIFICATION OF CLINICIANS PERFORMING COMPENSATION ANDPENSION EXAMINATIONS

http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1643

Also, this,

STATEMENT OF

STEVEN H. BROWN, MD

DIRECTOR, COMPENSATION AND PENSION EXAMINATION PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

ON

VHA COMPENSATION AND PENSION EXAM VARIABILITY

BEFORE THE

HOUSE VETERANS AFFAIRS' COMMITTEE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISABILITY ASSISTANCE AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 20, 2005

VA Testimony of Steven Brown, MD before Congress on October 20, 2005 - Congressional and Legislative Affairs

[carlie]

The VA shredded their own C and P exam that would have given them the evidence they needed to deny.

I FREAKING LOVE IT !

[fanaticbooks]

Found a couple other little gems

This was written just before Mr. Brown gave his analysis to Congress in 2005.

Note the bottom of Page 11:

The CPEP Office has found that a substantial portion of

regional office requests for exams are inaccurate or

incomplete.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0646.pdf

And then in March/April 2009

Questions for the Record

The Honorable John J. Hall, Chairman

Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Nexus between Engaged in Combat with the Enemy and PTSD in an Era of Changing Warfare Tactics

March 24, 2009

Questions for Antonette Zeiss, Ph.D.

HVAC, DAMA Subcommittee, 3-24-09 Hearing, VA-Zeiss QFR Response

Question 8 and 8a and b with answers--

Question 8: What feedback, if any, does VHA get from the CPEP office?

Response: CPEP provides monthly and quarterly quality scores, assessed by using quality indicator specific findings (which allows facilities to target improvement efforts). In addition, CPEP provides narrative explanations of our decisions in cases where the facility disagrees with a CPEP "unmet" score. CPEP provides detailed explanations on an individual basis to providers' questions regarding quality indicators in order to improve exam quality.

Question 8(a): What does VHA do with those results?

Response: Quality scores are a performance measure for Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) directors. Practices vary, but many C&P facilities use the feedback for instructional purposes for their examiners.

Question 8(b): Are examiners held accountable for inaccurate or incomplete exams?

Response: CPEP does not hold individual examiners accountable for inaccurate or incomplete exams. We review and score the exam reports for quality indicators and for timeliness. We do not track the accuracy of C&P exam reports. Incomplete exams would likely be identified as they would score poorly on our quality review. Given the sampling strategy (statistically significant at the VISN level based on a full fiscal quarter of data), CPEP review findings are not statistically significant for individual examiners.

[fanaticbooks]

Now that I have been looking at this since my topic questions.....I have another question..Is there any way we can find out where complaints could be sent (names/address/etc.)?

If so, could we create a complaint template to use to provide a more business-like request for a better quality examiner?

I am willing to build a template, but would need a lot of input to do so.

I have started a template for the Independent Living Program request for NEEDed items and I think that is going well.

I am willing to do the same for this area.Just offering and wondering if it is possible.

Maybe something like this---

C&P exam: How did it go?

What was the name of the examiner?

At what facility were you seen?

Did you see your examiner in a timely fashion?

What was his/her attitude? Was it courteous?

Were the questions pertinent to your disability?

Did he examine you according to the C&P Worksheet forthat disability?

If no, describe.

Did he refer to your medical records?

FB

Edited March 28, 2011 by fanaticbooks

[Hoppy]

I would make sure there was a section where the veteran stated the reason for the requested review of the C&P examiner. There could be check boxes for such things as factual errors, procedural errors, omissions of facts.

The veteran could explain in their own words the inadequacy of the C&P report. The veteran should attach any statement from a clinician who is familiar with the veteran as to their assessment of the veteran and when possible a statement from the clinician that they reviewed the report of the C&P examiner and found it to be inaccurate. Medical literature could also be attached to support the veteran's claims.

Edited March 28, 2011 by Hoppy