National Peronnel Records Center

[HorizontalMike]

QUESTION: How can I be absolutely sure I get a copy of my COMPLETE medical records from 1972-1975?

2013, I requested and actually DID receive SOME medical records (I did not know they were incomplete) from NPRC.

2014, I requested(*see attached) medical records from 1972-end of 1975, and got this response from the NPRC:

"ORIGINAL MEDICAL RECORD NEEDED TO ANSWER YOUR INQUIRY IS NOT IN YOUR FILES; THAT MEDICAL RECORD IS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA)"

Attached are the TWO NPRC responses to the TWO medical requests that were just under one year apart. In one case I received information, and in the most recent case I was told it does NOT exist at NPRC. Please understand that my mind is racing with "WTF!", anger, puzzlement, etc. Understanding that the records I am requesting are over 40yr old and existed with the NPRC last year, how can they now be "missing"?

FWIW, my disability rating came in Dec 2013 (for a 1972 TBI) and the examiners had way more medical records information in front of them on their PCs than I had ever received after my 2013 request for that SAME information. Some of that EXTRA medical records that I did NOT receive, but the examiners had and used, actually DID help me in receiving my 50% rating, BUT I am lost, feeling that the records that have been kept from me, could and probably do, indicate I should have a much higher rating than what was awarded.

I am about ready to launch a letter writing campaign including several Congressmen, the VA Secretary, and others. Is THAT my next step?

Edited August 23, 2014 by HorizontalMike

[georgiapapa]

Mike

I served in USMC from 1966 to 1970. In 1970, I submitted a request to NPRC for all of my medical records from 1966 to 1970. I received only a small portion of my medical records. In 2010, I submitted another request to NPRC for my medical records and told them I had only received part of my medical records in1970 and was trying to find the other records. I actually received a telephone call from a helpful gentleman at NPRC who told me they might possibly be able to locate additional records if I could provide more specific info regarding exactly where I received medical treatment, name of facility, when I received treatment, etc. After doing a review of some of my old military records for specific dates and locations of my service, I submitted additional info to NPRC and received about twice as many records as I had before. I know there are more records that I have not received but I received the records I needed for my claims.

Based on my conversation with the NPRC employee, it sounds like they only spend a limited amount of time on each records request and the more info provided to them results in more records being found during that limited amount of time.

Good luck to you

[HorizontalMike]

Mike

Based on my conversation with the NPRC employee, it sounds like they only spend a limited amount of time on each records request and the more info provided to them results in more records being found during that limited amount of time.

Good luck to you

I guess the employee doesn't know how to eat an elephant (one bite at a time) and just booted my request to the chit-can. Below is the actual information I gave NPRC when making my request. I do not know what more I can do to be more specific, as THAT is why I am asking for these records in the first place. Very frustrating.

*SF 180 Addendum – Request Pertaining to Military Records

Section II – Information and/or Documents Requested

#1 CHECK THE ITEM(S) YOU ARE REQUESTING:

Medical Records – Requesting ALL in-patient and out-patient Service Treatment Records (STR), Health and Dental Records for the following dates and locations:

1. USS Theodore E Chandler DD-717 all SHIP’S Medical Records 26Aug72—15Dec72
2. Naval Medical Center, San Diego CA all Medical Records 01Oct72—01Jan73
3. USS Dehaven DD-727 all SHIP’S Medical Records 15Dec72—26Feb73
4. ? Hospital Ship, anchored Long Beach CA all Medical Records 26Feb73—01Aug74
5. USS Wabash AOR 5 all SHIP’S Medical Records 08Mar73—31Aug75
6. Oakland Naval Hospital Oakland, CA all Medical Records 26Feb73—31Aug75
7. TPU, ADCOM Great Lakes, IL all Medical Records 01-Oct75—17Oct75

[GatorNavy]

Once you make a claim with the VA they pull your Service Med recs from NPRC and keep them. Why they let the VA archive anything is beyond belief. Those records should be in your c-file. Now I had a c-file for 30 years and the Va lost my entire C-file (shredded). Then they came back and said no record of this condition exists in my SMR's. No duh! They said they had to rebuild my c-file with nothing in it! Military Hospital records are usually kept at the military hospital for inpatients. If you have dates that you were in a military hospital and give that ifo to NPRC they might be able to come up with those records.

Edited August 23, 2014 by GatorNavy

[HorizontalMike]

Once you make a claim with the VA they pull your Service Med recs from NPRC and keep them. Why they let the VA archive anything is beyond belief. Those records should be in your c-file. Now I had a c-file for 30 years and the Va lost my entire C-file (shredded). Then they came back and said no record of this condition exists in my SMR's. No duh! They said they had to rebuild my c-file with nothing in it! Military Hospital records are usually kept at the military hospital for inpatients. If you have dates that you were in a military hospital and give that info to NPRC they might be able to come up with those records.

I made my FIRST disability claim Sept. 2012, almost a year earlier than when NPRC actually accessed and sent me some of my medical records (August 2013). You may be correct in that the VA pulled them from NPRC, but I sure wonder why they waited so long to do so. Color me confused...

I visited the local VA office and received the obligatory abuse when asking to access my VA records via VBMS. The VA lady, during this encounter, tried to interview me at the reception desk in front of ~30 other veterans who were waiting. All other VA workers/technicians were taking their clients one-at-a-time to their own assigned cubicles in the locked back office to do their business. NOT this VA tech, so I took the direct approach and asked "Why are you trying to do this in public?" She tried to continue, so I repeated my question. She finally acknowledged my question and said that we could indeed go back to her cubicle, BUT STILL DID NOT invite me to do so. So I had to clearly state to her that YES, we should go do that, in order to conduct business.

It went down hill from there. I asked for copies of, or access to my VBMS file. Dumbfounded, this lady kept saying over and over again... "VBMS is a database, VBMS is a database, VBMS is a database..." as if those were magical words that would make the devil go away. No matter what I asked about seeing my records..."VBMS is a database..." was the answer. I asked to see my medical records..."VBMS is a database.." etc...

I stated that I thought you (VA) was supposed to help me get access to my records. To which she replied "I am", and offered nothing more, no explanation, nothing. I HAD to ask to request a copy of my C-FILE, and if I had not known to ask THAT question, she would NOT have offered to give me the form letter requesting the C-FILE. She exemplified the proverbial stone wall, that was for sure.

In the end, I did get a stamped/dated copy of my C-FILE request. And then left.

Your comments about the VA "losing" your C-FILE, is the reason I want to get a copy ASAP.

Edited August 24, 2014 by HorizontalMike

[GatorNavy]

Now you'll have to wait for your C-file to see what is missing (almost a guarantee) or which other Veterans records have been added to your file. You may find that the VARO staff will act like they have an IQ of 85 from now on. Good Luck!

Edited August 23, 2014 by GatorNavy

[HorizontalMike]

Mike

I served in USMC from 1966 to 1970. In 1970, I submitted a request to NPRC for all of my medical records from 1966 to 1970. I received only a small portion of my medical records. In 2010, I submitted another request to NPRC for my medical records and told them I had only received part of my medical records in1970 and was trying to find the other records. I actually received a telephone call from a helpful gentleman at NPRC who told me they might possibly be able to locate additional records if I could provide more specific info regarding exactly where I received medical treatment, name of facility, when I received treatment, etc. After doing a review of some of my old military records for specific dates and locations of my service, I submitted additional info to NPRC and received about twice as many records as I had before. I know there are more records that I have not received but I received the records I needed for my claims.

Based on my conversation with the NPRC employee, it sounds like they only spend a limited amount of time on each records request and the more info provided to them results in more records being found during that limited amount of time.

Good luck to you

Do you, or anyone else, think it is wise and/or efficient to:

• Break up the requested information to be more "task specific" (easier to accomplish by the assigned NPRC technician), such as request only the medical information from a single duty station or medical facility?

• Send multiple requests to NPRC, after having done the above?

• What about requests to the VARO for specific "parts" of my claims file such as my medical records just for 1972?... or just 1973?... or just from Oakland Naval Hospital? Does anyone think this might be very useful AFTER getting a copy of my entire C-File?... In other words, data-mining the VA one bite at-a-time?

• And one last question string... What part of the VA actually HAS my physical medical records for safe keeping? The central VA office? The specific VARO? What if I move across country to another VARO?

Edited August 24, 2014 by HorizontalMike