New Rule About C&p Results Viewing?

[Opiate73]

VA Moves to Prevent Veteran Violence Over Disability Claims To curtail confusion, the department wants to change when veterans can view the results of their disability exam online.

BY JORDAIN CARNEY

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Information from the exam would be available online after a disability decision has been made.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

October 21, 2014 Veterans Affairs officials want to change when veterans can view some of their medical records online, fearing that some could become violent if they see negative comments and think their disability claims will be denied.

Veterans must get a medical exam as part of the process for filing a disability claim for a service-related injury. Within days or weeks of the exam, veterans can see the doctor's forms or notes by using the "Blue Button" on My HealtheVet, the VA's website for health records.

A group of department officials said Monday that they fear some veterans could see the notes from the exam, assume from this partial picture that their claim is being denied, and take out their anger on local VA officials. They voiced their safety concerns Monday to members of the department's Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation at their meeting this week in Washington.

"He walks past the [compensation-and-pension] clinic, and he's very angry. Goes into the C-and-P clinic, and we have an incident of some kind," said Gerald Cross, the chief officer in the Veterans Health Administration's office of disability and medical assessment. "Some of our C-and-P clinics are quite small, … and it doesn't have much in the way of reasonable defense. We're very concerned about that."

Patricia Murray, the director of the VA's clinical program and administrative operations, said that to try to prevent any misunderstandings, the VA is removing the compensation-and-pension medical exam from a veteran's online health record until after a decision on his or her disability claim has been made.

"I think sometimes when they see [the medical records], they think the determination to grant [benefits] is solely based on the C-and-P file," she said, adding that "our examiners feel like they're sometimes at risk."

But some committee members were concerned about removing the compensation-and-pension exam records, but not other health documents, from the website.

"I hate to say this, but what is the ethical justification of removing the C-and-P exams from the Blue Button?" asked Michael Simberkoff, executive chief of staff at the VA's NY Harbor Healthcare System.

But department officials tied the move to one factor: Potential risk to VA staffers. In addition to changing when a veteran can see part of his or her file online, they are also considering adding extra security to the clinics, such as requiring a code to unlock doors.

"Many of the C-and-P docs are females, and they seem to be the ones that seem to have the evening hours or are in these far-flung [clinics]," said Denny Devine, the VA's project executive for disability and medical assessments. "Those are the ones on our weekly calls raising these concerns."

The VA received more than 1 million requests for disability exams during fiscal 2014. It has almost 527,500 pay and pension claims currently waiting to be decided, with more than 46 percent—or 244,727—waiting more than 125 days for a decision.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/defense/va-moves-to-prevent-veteran-violence-over-disability-claims-20141021

Edited October 21, 2014 by Opiate73

[Notorious Kelly]

I'm surprised more trained killers Don't get violent with the VA rather than cower over saying one wrong thing that could ruin their lives forever.

These people have good reason to fear.

But- there may be other reasons besides those given for blocking C&P results before decisions: vets are far more informed on the VA's shenanigans (thanks in no small part to forums like this one - Thanks, Tbird! ) and, seeing bogus conclusions in our C&Ps we submit a 21-4138 or otherwise call em on it before the decision is reached, rather than wait for bad news and lengthy appeals process while slipping into poverty and possibly homelessness.

This system is a travesty and it's good that they are afraid!

[Berta]

"Patricia Murray, the director of the VA's clinical program and administrative operations, said that to try to prevent any misunderstandings, the VA is removing the compensation-and-pension medical exam from a veteran's online health record until after a decision on his or her disability claim has been made."

That is ABSURD!

And that would be another violation of our rights.

They already prevent access if the exam is done by QTC until the claim is decided ( which is also a violation of our rights) and now they want to take away another right we have....?

Notorious Kelly is completely on the mark..........that is the real problem...... the VA knows many if not most C & P exams are bogus. My own C file has plenty of them.

The fact that many vets with and even without IM0s finally get decisions overturned based on these crap exams, is what the VA fears.....

and they know however that many vets, due to their disabilities , and lack of funds for IMOs , cannot fight back a quack opinion.

This crap is more VA spin to take the heat off VA for the real problems VA is having................

problems which will get worse.....

Edited October 22, 2014 by Berta

[justrluk]

The first few times we take them to task on this (e.g., contact Congressmen, Senators, Governors, etc.), we should raise a $hi* storm...

[63SIERRA]

That is not FAIR to the veteran, because we dont get a chance to have mistakes corrected before the claim is decided. AND THEY DO MAKE PLENTY MISTAKES!!!!!

[Gastone]

To Whom It May Concern: All it would take is ONE incidence of a VA C&P Clinician being assaulted by a Vet based on the Vets C&P to get the "Usual Suspects" panties in a Knot. If there are 500K+ C&P's waiting, using the 10% Rule, you have at least 50K Vets that might jump ugly after reading their C&P results on My Healthy Vet. You can kind of understand the VA's concern. Look at it from the C&P Clinicians point of view. Granted not all the military personnel are "Trained Killers" but unless things have changed, all Marines and all US Army combat arms personnel are exactly that, trained to kill. You have to understand the VA Clinician and by extension the VA's concern about the possibility of violence.

May 2014 I had a C&P for a SC secondary issue FDC. I realized before the exam, that the condition was more likely secondary to another SC condition than the one I claimed on the FDC. At the C&P, as the VA Staff Dr was completing his VA Rating Dept requested DBQ, I explained that I thought I was in error regarding the causative SC condition. We discussed the issue in great detail and he agreed with me. He explained that he was bound by the Rating Dept DBQ request to only address the issue I stated as the cause of my Secondary issue, which wasn't as we agreed, the cause. He was a VERY Helpful VA DR. After he thoroughly completed the VA Rating Dept's requested DBQ, I asked him to complete a DBQ regarding my claimed Secondary issue and the likelihood of it being caused by the mutually agreed upon SC condition. Per VA Reg, when a VA Dr is requested to complete a DBQ (other than Mental Health DBQ's) it must be complete at the time of request and a copy supplied to the vet. He complied with my request for the DBQ and placed a copy in my VA Med Recd. Within 3 months I was awarded SC as Secondary for the claimed issue as addressed in the second DBQ.

Will requesting a DBQ at the time of the C&P work every-time, probably not. Just another tool Vets can use if they choose to press the issue at the time of the C&P. If you don't try it, it will always be woulda, coulda and shoulda.

Semper Fi

Gastone

[knap-sack]

I recently went to the va for a diagnose after weeks waiting for an appointment and she would not give me one for both conditons. She gave me one but said the other she would need to see my SMR to see the surgery performed that resuilted in loss of motion in joint. She said on my way out that she believed the surgery caused lack of motion. Here is the kicker I wad in the same room for a c and p seven months ago. More hoops to jump through. MRI x-rays and now they want to see my Smr they had access to seven months ago. I probably sound a little irritated I am, I am going to walk them in and give them to the doc anf make an request for diagnose calmly. Because if I act irritated ot become a smart ass I will have to get an attorney and anguish for god knows how long and have to jump through what ever hoops they want to send me over which in return make me impossible to live with and I'll probably lose my lovely wife because I reacted like a normal human being, can't win for losing. I think I'll wslk in with my smr like a beaten down dog with my tail between my legs. Damn I feel more confident than ever about my future.