Why Can't You Communicate With Your Ro?

[Slowlane]

Is there some unknown rule that makes it a sin to try to communicate with your RO? If you know or think that your RO might be wasting their time on some of your claims and you could possibly clear up some questions with a simple letter then, why not send one in?

Your letter may stop progress on your claim but in the long run it would possibly clarify something that would have to be appealed or claimed later.

For example: You think that they are not considering a service connected thyroid condition and you write them and tell them that you have previously claimed the condition and evidence is in your records. Well, they get your letter and they really are working on your thyroid condition and already know about your records and you are wasting their time.

or

Yes they have overlooked the thyroid condition and find that you are right and it actually helps you and them.

How about we send them a letter every three or four days just to let them know we are still alive and miss them because we have not heard from them?

[john999]

I think if vets could communicate with RO's the RO's would receive many thousands of letters and calls from vets and do even less work than they do now.

[Teac]

Oh come on......

Vets do communicate with the RO's every day.. OK not on a one to one , person too person level... but still vets do communicate.. via letters, iris, and even the phone////

There are no rules about writing the rom to submit additional evidence... I've done it many times.. If your claim is in the works for a year or more and your receiving treatiment during that time.. then send them the medical evidence , it could be the difference between a 30% award and a 50% award.

Now as to how many letters you send.... that is up to the veteran... but as long as the letters clarify or provide new evidence that should not be a problem..

Regardless of how you communicate .. the va doesen't normally respond except with an approval or denial... although once I received a call from a va employee to tell me she was dening my claim.... wasn't that real nice of her to go out of her way and make my day.....

anyway thats my 2 cents....

[meghp0405]

Actually, the VA has been calling veterans when they have questions or clarification pertaining to their claim. I have seen this procedure increase imensley this past year.

If you are debating on whether or not to send a letter because you don't know whether or not they are considering all information, I would not send a letter. I definately would not send a letter every day, folks that's absurd, I mean come on...

There are many veteran service organizations out there and there are good and not so good veteran service officers. I believe that if you shop around, ask questions about your claim and have the VSO explain your questions and the process to you. A good VSO will process your claim in it's entirity and provide you a copy of everything that is provided to the VA. It is my opinion that a claim submitted with all medical documentation, nexus letter and anything else that your claim will require, the veteran will be awarded the service-connected. It is when claims are submitted without the proper documentation, and sending in letters every 3-4 months adding this or that, most of those claims are not sucessfull.

[Teac]

Actually, the VA has been calling veterans when they have questions or clarification pertaining to their claim. I have seen this procedure increase imensley this past year.

There are many veteran service organizations out there and there are good and not so good veteran service officers. I believe that if you shop around, ask questions about your claim and have the VSO explain your questions and the process to you. A good VSO will process your claim in it's entirity and provide you a copy of everything that is provided to the VA. It is my opinion that a claim submitted with all medical documentation, nexus letter and anything else that your claim will require, the veteran will be awarded the service-connected. It is when claims are submitted without the proper documentation, and sending in letters every 3-4 months adding this or that, most of those claims are not sucessfull.

Well like everthing else its a matter of opinion....I have been doing my own claims for a long time, I was also a Chapter service officer for a few years.... very few of the claims I worked on were denied, in fact some that I though should be denied were actually granted...... The va is obligated by law to look at every piece of paper you send in regardless of how many times you send stuff in. I have send stuff for claims in from the initial claim date until it was decided 12 -14 or 16 months later it doesn't matter, the va should see the most recent medical evidence and it could mean the difference between approval or denial.

Now to be sure I don't advocate a bunch of letters either but it some cases it is warranted.

I used to tell a veteran... get all you medical evidence together, any medical opinions, and a copy of the active duty medical evidence that pertains to the claim once you have all that then we will submit a claim.... if you submit all the evidence with the claim then maybe there would not be a reason for addition correspodence..... however some service officers fill out a statement of claim and submit nothing but the statement, then they tell the veteran to wait until the va contacts them before the send in medical evidence, and some even tell them let the va get the evidence for you... No.. submit as much as you can when you submit the claim, and if necessary submit additional evidence later..... case in point how many were ever told they needed to get a independant medical opinion .. this normally doesn't come up until after a denial.... I have had veterans get IMO's and submit them while the case was being considered why wait and take the chance of a denial......

we all have our own ways but all that really matters is that we get positive results.

[carlie]

Well like everthing else its a matter of opinion....

I have send stuff for claims in from the initial claim date until it was decided 12 -14 or 16 months later it doesn't matter, the va should see the most recent medical evidence and it could mean the difference between approval or denial.

I used to tell a veteran... get all you medical evidence together, any medical opinions, and a copy of the active duty medical evidence that pertains to the claim once you have all that then we will submit a claim.... if you submit all the evidence with the claim then maybe there would not be a reason for addition correspodence.....

submit as much as you can when you submit the claim, and if necessary submit additional evidence later..... case in point how many were ever told they needed to get a independant medical opinion .. this normally doesn't come up until after a denial.... I have had veterans get IMO's and submit them while the case was being considered why wait and take the chance of a denial......

we all have our own ways but all that really matters is that we get positive results.

HUGE dittos on all of the above !