tdiu Mood Disorders Ratings

[ketchup56]

Axis I : Mood Disorder due to general medical condition
Axis II: none
Axis III: chronic low back pains
Axis IV: problems related to social environments, occupational problems, economic problems
Axis V: deferred gaf scores:65

I currently have a claim on appeal at the bva for service connection DDD,with secondary spondylolesthesis,severe foriminal bilateral stenosis,bilateral sciatica(radiculpathy) and claim for tdiu.

Question 1: I plan to claim this mood disorder as secondary also to appeal that's with bva, but i'm not sure if i should send this evidence to bva now,or wait for a decision first and then claim it then?

Question 2 : What would a rating be for the mood disorder claim, based on the information above?

Question 3: This evidence IS in my c-file vamc records stored in virtuial va, but would bva see this as an inferred claim if awarded service connection on the pending appeal, then refer this to the ro/amc for rating on the current appeal?

Open to all suggestions and comments and thanks in advance......

[carlie]

I'd wait for my BVA decision.

Your profile shows no SC conditions yet.

I would not submit it until I had SC for something.

I do not think it will be inferred.

JMHO

[Berta]

I agree with Carlie.

A BVA appeal is solely for the specific contentions on appeal so the BVA wont infer anything.

"What would a rating be for the mood disorder claim, based on the information above?"

You can match up your C & P results and medical evidence with the VA SRD here at hadit for the Mood disorder but you also would need an established nexus for that.....

meaning if the VA SCs the physical conditions, they would need a formal claim for the Mood disorder as secondary to the SCs and also they will need a medical statement of the nexus between the SCs and the MH issue.

If your BVA claim succeeds you should consider that you might need an IMO for that nexus.

[brokensoldier244th]

It could be most anywhere on the scale, depending on your GAF that day, your symptomology, and your associated conditions. There is no way to gauge a mental health rating without a professional.

[meghp0405]

you have to remember that the VA has done away with using GAF scores when determining the % of a mental health condition.

[brokensoldier244th]

When did they do that? I was rated last year with depression due to chronic pain and my GAF was one of the many things they took into consideration in my decision letter.

[Berta]

Meg,, that is what I thought too....

but does that mean ......doing away with the GAF except for claims that were pending when the GAF was part of the C & P exam?