ptsd Can Dbq's Filed With Inital Claims ?

[KySoldier]

Can DBQ's be filed with a initial PTSD claim ?

[georgiapapa]

Yes.

Keep in mind your PTSD diagnosis must be made by a VA psychiatrist or psychologist.

Good luck to you.

[NavyWife]

This link explains a lot about the DBQs.

http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_FAQs.asp

PTSD claims can be complicated. It's good you are doing some research before you submit your claim. Lots of people rush to submit a claim and wonder why it got denied When they didn't follow the proper steps of getting good medical evidence first.

Like Georgiapapa said above you really should try to get a diagnosis of PTSD by VA before you submit your claim. All you need to do is go to VA and say you would like to be evaluated for PTSD. If for some reason they do not diagnose you with PTSD, you can get a diagnosis through a private doctor And submit those medical records with your claim.

There are different rules for PTSD claims for noncombat versus combat.

[Gastone]

KY: As stated above, the only definitive PTSD DX that the VA accepts for Disability Compensation awards, is that made by the C&P Psychiatrist or Psychologist PHD. The PTSD DBQ requested by your VARO Rater is completed by either a VA Staff Clinician or a Contract Clinician. That's not to say if your other treating VA or outside mental health providers have supplied PTSD DBQ's or other medical records, they won't be looked t by the C&P Examiner. However, the last word on weather you have PTSD or some other mental condition is determined by your PTSD C&P DBQ. The VA rater compares what the C&P Clinician answers on the DBQ and comes up with your SC Per 38 CFR 4. When I had Mine back in 2010, at the end I asked the VA Staff Psychiatrist if he thought I had PTSD, all he said was yes. I didn't know what a PTSD DBQ was until much later. While waiting for the rating, started researching 38 CFR 4. The Dr saying I had it, I thought I'd get 30SC for sure, maybe outside chance of a 50%. Came in at 70%, shows what I know.

DBQ's for any claim can be filed at any time, including all the way up to the end of the VA BVA 90 day new and material evidence cut off.

As to filing a claim for PTSD, I have to disagree about waiting till you get a VA or outside DR's DX. Time is money! At the very least, go on-line to Your EBen site and start a PTSD Comp claim to establish your file date for retro purposes. Once you start the ON-line claim you have 364 days to complete it. Personal experience again. I saw an outside PTSD Therapist back in 2007 @ $50.00 per hr. He told me that at the end of therapy, 12 to16 months he'd be able to give me a DX that would fly with VA. I bowed out in 3 months, didn't seem he was doing me any good. Fast forward to 02/2010, I had been seeing a VA PA in VA Sleep Department for approximately 5 months, treating my SA. One day he says to me, after brief discussion as to why I wasn't rated for PTSD, go to your Primary Care Dr and tell them he said I had sever PTSD and needed treatment and then for me to file a Comp claim. I was in a PTSD group therapy within a week and had a C&P within 3 months and rated in 2 months. Had he not pushed me, who knows when or if I would have filed?

Get Your Claim Started Today on E-Bennies!

Semper Fi

Gastone

[KySoldier]

Thanks Navywife and Gastone for the information.

I have been dx by a licensed board psychiatrist.

My thoughts were to file a FDC claim and hopefully speed the process up. I understand that I still have to

be dx by a VA psychiatrist but I had thought if I brought/submitted the DBQ and a Nexus letter too it

would be helpful.

Should I bring the DBQ/Nexus letter to the C & P for them to review?

I am just so confused by the proper steps to take. The VSO I am talking to said I shouldn't submit the DBQ but I

couldn't understand why you wouldn't submit it also.

Thanks for all of the advice.

Edited October 24, 2014 by KySoldier

[NavyWife]

The VSO is there to guide you and hopefully give good advice on filing your claim -- but at the end of the day you have to take all of the information that you research and then make your own decision. Some VSOs are awesome and know every regulation while some have no clue what the hell they are doing! Unfortunately it's hard to figure out which one you have until it's too late! In my case I found out that the truth was actually the complete opposite of everything the VSO told me.

That is great you already have the diagnosis from a psychiatrist. That will really help your claim.

If you look at that link I posted you will see that There is no DBQ for a first-time or initial PTSD claim. That is because VA wants to control that process And determine if you meet the requirements for a PTSD diagnosis. With that being said, Because you already have a diagnosis from a board certified psychiatrist, it's going to be real difficult for VA to try and deny you a diagnosis from their doctors.

My opinion-and of course you need to decide on your own what's best for you-is that you should submit your diagnosis and your Nexus statement, and other medical records, along with your claim. Yes definitely file it as an FDC. And remember once you file an FDC do not send them any additional documentation or else it will be taken out of the FDC Lane. Of course the exception would be something that could dramatically change the outcome of your claim.

As far as taking these medical records to your VA C&P exam, The examiner might or might not want to look at them --it's completely up to their discretion. I say take them and offer in a friendly way for the examiner to look at them but if they say no then don't be offended.

And remember your Nexus statement must Use the verbiage that VA wants ,"at least as likely as not" or "more likely than not". It also should include a rationale or the reasons why your psychiatrist thinks your PTSD was caused by your in-service stressors. And all the reasons you are stating you have PTSD must of course be related to military service and nothing else.

Study the section on mental health rating if you haven't already done so. Here's the link.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5;node=38:1.0.1.1.5

And remember mental health issues are rated based on how badly it is affecting your life --both your family life and your work life right now.

[KySoldier]

Thanks NavyWife!