Denied?

[eric_christensen]

Hello, I have a problem with a claim I opened up a while back. First off, I've been approved for my very first claim, the one I opened right before I was medically discharged. Then all the doctors, psychologists, VSO officers started telling me I should open a claim for another condition, or at least get help for it. So I did, and it didn't go very well (lets just say the psychologist over in the VA was everything other than helpful and caring). To make this short, they denied my claim. One of the reasons was that I wasn't showing up to my appointments in California. The problem was, I don't live in California. I currently live in Arizona (was supposed to be temporary (9 months) until they wanted to hire me on in December for 6 more months). I told them that and every single time I receive a voicemail, call, or a letter stating that I have an appointment, I ALWAYS call them back and tell them that I'm not in California anymore and there's no way that I can get into the hospital for that appointment. I even called the VA 1800 number and told them to change it and to have it on record that I'm not in Arizona. The thing that really confuses me is that they scheduled me over in California for a evaluation/appointment with a private doctor, and when I called to tell them that they need to schedule one over here, they told me it was okay and they'll find one for me here. Now the problem is, I never received that call for a reschedule (even though it wasn't very long ago, perhaps a week or so). And I just got a letter stating that I've been denied (I really can care less about money, I just REALLY want it on record that what I've gone through, and am going through, is related from when I was in the military).

I've been trying to call them and tell them that I told them I'm not in California anymore and that if they want appointments, they need to schedule them over here; but I have been unable to get a hold of them apparently from the high volumes of calls...sigh.

Another reason they told me I was denied was because of the lack of evidence that was recorded while in the military and even when I was out of the military. Well yea, the first psychologist I went to in the military was a civilian contractor and she actually had the audacity to blame what I was going through, on VIDEO GAMES (umm wtf? I BARELY even played video games, let alone anything that remotely had resemblance to what I was going through, anyways, video games?????). The second one wasn't interested or have experience in what I was going through, and the Chaplin would never call me back or answer the phone to help out.

I don't understand how they can say they're going to call and give me an appointment, and then don't and deny my case. I live and work in Flagstaff, and since there's no VA hospital here, I would have to drive 100+ miles to Phoenix's VA and get an appointment there. I currently work mon-fri for a typical 8 hours, and where I live/work, I don't have cell service. It's a huge pain and I feel they don't fully understand where I'm at, or care about it.

[meghp0405]

You will need to travel to the VA hospital and visit the eligibility office and register with them. That's why the VA kept on making your appointments there, is because that is where you are registered. When they kept making you appointments and the appointments were not made, the VA denies the claim and moves on to the next one. No doubt this is what happened.

I just assisted another veteran during this same process about 6 months ago. I sent in a VA FM 21-4138 requesting that new C/P exams be scheduled. I further requested that the denied disabilities be re-opened and stated that the veteran had moved from his last address which is why the appointments were a no-show and has recently enrolled in the VA at (his current location).

The VARO here in Kentucky, re-opened his claim and provided him another C/P exam which he attended. The claim is now in the decision phase.

This process worked here, hopefully it will work for you out there.