Lack Of Accountability For Med Docs

[rodin57]

This is my first post. Yea!

First the brief background info- Currently 10% SC for sinus problems, and lots of 0% SC for other problems. Filed a claim for increase with the Phoenix RO in April 2010. Did several CNPs. and was sent by VA to one Independent Medical Exam for hearing probs (Jul 2010). Then I waited. And waited. (Did I say waited?)

Finally found Hadit, and began to get educated! Became a regular Hadit lurker. Someone mentioned MyHealthEvet, so I get an account. Another person mentioned eBenefits, so I get an account. On Sept 1, 2011 I was checking MyHealthEvet and wondering why my claim was taking so long. So looked at my appointment calendar. I noticed that the appointment calendar includes the dates of all VA appointments as well as a section indicating attendance or no-show. I saw that my Indep Med Exam (Jul 2010) showed that I was a no-show. A phone call to the 800# told me that I was a no-show and they have no documentation from that provider.

Long story short, I went to the Indep Med Exam Dr. and obtained a copy of my test results and her evaluation. I drove over to the VA clinic, and attempted to deliver the med docs to them. The desk person would accept the docs, but refused to give me a signed/dated receipt for them. I asked for a copy of their policy for receiving medical documentation. He said they didn't have one. I asked him what happens if the "wind" accidently blows stuff into the garbage can after I leave? He said that I could just bring another copy to them. I told him I would really like a receipt showing they have custody of my med docs.

He decides to "bump-me-up" to his supervisor. I go to her office and re-tell her all of the above. She looks at me and says, "Why do you want a receipt? So you can say 'I got you!' if we lose something"? I told her that I actually hadn't thought it out that far in advance. She then tells me that they receive a lot of documents every day and she wouldn't even know how to manage handling all the document receipts for some sort of medical document chain-of-custody program. I volunteered to write a draft policy for her standardizing their acceptance of medical documentation. She just stared at me for a minute, then thanked me for my service and showed me the door.

Now I am wondering: do other VA clinics/hospitals have a policy for accepting medical documentation? My God, what would you do if you had to turn in one-of-a-kind stuff (like x-ray film, etc) to the VA? You couldn't just give them another copy if they "lost" it.

Sorry for such a long first post.

[rodin57]

If I use the Patient Advocate or Service Officer, and submit whatever forms or letters must accompany my medical documents, do the Patient Advocate and Service Officer provide me with some type of written receipt for my med docs? And... when the Patient Advocate or Service Officer transfers custody of my med docs to the VA, does the VA give them a written receipt for my med docs? If the Patient Advocate and Service Officer do not get written receipts, it seems to me we are adding one more layer of "unaccountable" bureaucracy to an already difficult problem.

[Hoppy]

If you or your service officer take them to the RO they will make a copy of the documents and date stamp the copy and give it back to you as you wait. Sometimes they will only copy the first page and sometimes they will copy every page. If you tell them you need every page copied they might make you wait a while. When submiting them to the patient advocate to add reports to your medical records it is not part of an adjudication process. I am not sure if they automatically give you a reciept. It won't hurt to ask. It sound to me like you or your service officer need to take these to the RO, if you want a reciept.

When the RO requests records from the hospital the release of information office requires that an employee of the RO sign for the documents. In one of my claims my records were in long term storage and recovered back to the hospital. When the hospital notified me they had the records I notifeid the RO they were available from the hospital. The RO said that the hospital failed to respond to thier requests for the records. It was a lie. The hospital provcided the RO with the records then the RO pretended like they did not get them. The best way to get records to the RO is to take them there yourself and get a date stamped copy..