Va Medical Records And Converting To Digital

[elcamino_77us]

Good Afternoon,

I called and made an appointment to see my medical records at the Atlanta VA for this past Friday. However, after I got showed up after a 3 1/2 hour trip, I was told thy knew nothing about my appointment. After they called and checked with the guy that handles the records, I was told that my records had been scanned into the computer and that I would get my original hard copies either Monday or Tuesday.

I decided to speak with my VSO Rep and was told by her that my records were not in the system. She went on to say, that the people at the counter tell the Vets anything to get ride of them. I was also told the the records were to be boxed up and sent off to be stored for seven years.

Past dealings with both tells me I cant trust or believe either one of them.

Does anybody know whats going on with the medical records being converted to digital?

​There are some files I have never seen used by the VA that would substantiate my case along with proving the VA tempered with my medical treatment records.

Bill

[Berta]

Digital records, while an excellent idea, bothers me a lot....

It was by studying odd notations , crossed out acronyms, and almost illegible handwritten entries, that I was able to support my wrongful death FTCA claim with the VA.

Although it is very time consuming to study handwritten Med recs and older SMrs, still I know stuff will be lost in the digital translations of some of these records.

This isnt unusual as to digital records.

I am a civilian and my primary care doc had to convert my med recs to digital , and I think Medicare requires that now.

Probably CHAMPVA does too.

"I was also told the the records were to be boxed up and sent off to be stored for seven years."

I know they retire deceased veterans records to St Louis.

I re-opened a claim 9 years after my husband's death and the RO had to get the med recs from St Louis.

I already had a copy of them here, but another claim I had in 2010 , once resolved, involved a medical record I had never seen with the first Med Rec packet.

Of course if was a very important medical record and would have helped the FTCA issue.

I was stunned when I got a copy of it via Nehmer people.

[elcamino_77us]

Thanks Berta,

Sorry for the delay!!!

Yes, I agree with you Whole Heartily!!! I found all of the scribble where the rater was trying to figure out what the doctor meant by her statement instead of sending it back. This means I can claim a CUE and collect retro as I've since had the disability service connected with the same evidence.

This past Wednesday, I did get a package from the VA. It turned out to be Two copies of my C-File. Strangely it was dated the same day as my supposed appointment. Whether its complete, I highly doubt it. However, it does seem to be better organized. The letter attached stated that from now on request received at the Atlanta RO will be forwarded to the St. Louis Records Mgt. Center for scanning and processing on disk.

Bill