C & P Gone Wrong

[Closure]

Hello Everyone,

I have a question, I recently had another C&P for an increase of my SC Bipolar disorder which has been SC since 2005. However, the Dr. staed this time that my SC Bipolar is not related to my military service. My question is why would she say that when the exam was not for that but for an increase. Since being SC for Bipolar I have been awarded SSDI soley based on my SC Bipolar Disorder. Also, I have been hospitalized four time this past year 2013-2014 for my Bipoar Disoder. The question is will this take away my SC Biploar which is currently rated @ 30%. Also I requsested another C&P exam. Dr. stated that my service treatment records were not available for review so therefore how can she make a decision. The last C&P Dr. was very thorough in her report for which I had my SC Bipolar established in May of 2011 of which was retroactive to June 2005.

Thank you all in advance for the HELP!!!

Closure,

[Berta]

I found the past post I made to explain this better...

"For example, if a vet has a TDIU claim and SSA has found the veteran to be unemployable solely due to the same SC the TDIU claim is for, then the VA will render a EED up to an additional year , for TDIU EED and retro, but only

If the SSA EED preceded the VA TDIU form date,

then a veteran might successfully attain more retro back to the SSA date (if one year prior to the TDIU date) : gee that sounds convoluted...."

And this post is better:

The BVA link shows what I mean.

http://www.va.gov/vetapp06/files4/0620794.txt

These cases and favorable EEDs depend on the theory of when entitlement "arose" which can be searched here for more info.

[63SIERRA]

Someone in the VA is " governing " the number and percentage of comp vets are recieving. MY VAMC IN TEMPLE TX, has a 577 million dollar a year budget.

Yet they were refusing veterans , including myself MRI s. Then I see on the local news that The Mri machine was inoperative most of the time, because the Director refused to pay to get the machine calibrated because it was too expensive. A full and comprehensive INDEPENDENT audit of the financial transactions need to be performed by an outside auditing firm to find out where this 577 million dollars a year is going. I looked up my doctors salary and he makes 197,000 dollars a year. Yet I as a veteran, I cannot get an MRI on my back. I have been begging them for 3 years, and they always say " sir you dont meet the criteria" // When I ask what the criteria is, they dont answer. EVERYTHING LEADS TO MONEY!!! I believe doctors are being pressured to deny veterans services and treatments in order to save money.

For example, here is what the doctors will do. The veteran goes in and complains of back pain and tell him he has a back injury and degenerative disk disease with spondylolysis. The doctor will write on your problem list.. Back Pain,, The doctor will list the symptom, rather that the actual diagnosis in order to minimize the veterans injury. Ok now every ailment or ilnness has a code assigned to it. That goes into thier computer system and is used to authorize treatments available to you, and also used when you file your claim. When the rater sees the medical records and the diagnostic code listed, they are able to minimize your claim,. Instead of listing your claim in the system as a spinal injury with degenerative disk disease., they can put your claim in a listing as a back sprain. So instead of recieving a 40 percent disability for your injury, you get a 20 percent for " back strain". . I actually had to go to a private doctor and get xrays and a written diagnoses, and bring it to my doctor requesting it be put in my file. The staff did not seem very happy that I was requesting to have the ACCURATE diagnosis added to my record.s

Heres another example . I am a desert storm vet with widespread joint pain and muscle stiffness. Everytime I get examined I tell them about it. In my current problem list, they only list " joint pain in shoulder region".. Ok , see what is going on,? If they list the diagnosis as widespread joint pain and muscle stiffness, it would be a symptom that is listed in the presumptive illness list for desert storm vets, and make me eligible for a higher compensation rating, and additional benefits. With my spinal injury and degenerative disk disease It would be beneficial to have an MRI, but if they list the diagnosis as simple back pain, I dont meet the criteria.. because they intentionally listed the wrong diagnostic code. So what it boils down to is the doctors dont want to do an MRI, because that creates evidence. If theres evidence, theres proof of malpractice. no xray, no mri, no proof , no record , no compensation.

So not only are the claims reps at the Regional offices trying to downplay claims, the doctors at the VAMC are minimizing the diagnosis codes in order to deny care.

I would encourage everyone to look at the current problem list in your medical records, look at the diagnostic code next to the diagnosis, and see if it really matches your illness or injury. Many veterans have spinal injuries due to the extreme stress that is put on our bodies in service, such as jumping out of airplanes with heavy rucksacks on our back, running long distances in combat boots, lifting heavy artillary shells , ect. The VA does not seem to want to deal with spinal issues because they can be quite complex and costly to treat, so they were just diagnosis most problems as " back strain" and prescribing narcotic pain medication to veterans and telling us theres nothing else they can do. Now DEA is cracking down on them, and many veterans who really need the pain medication because the doctor are afraid to write prescription. The VA caused this problem, because if they were doing the right thing, they would have accurately diagnosed patients and gave them proper treatment, instead of writing prescriptions for powerful narcotics to anyone who came in with a complain of back pain. The DEA found out that many veterans were not taking thier meds and actually selling them. WHY would a vet sell meds if he actually needed them in the first place? The answer is that the doctors did not perform comprehensive examinations and provide proper care. Yet the VA tries to twist it around and say its the veterans that are the problem. which is a lie. We are a product of our enviorment . This a a problem that the VA created , not us.

I wasnt trying to hi jack this post, im just giving the OP a sense of how the Va currently operates.

Edited January 5, 2015 by 63SIERRA

[63SIERRA]

The DEA needs to go to the VAMCs and go thru the doctors files and see how they came about thier diagnosis, that authorized them to prescribe schedule 2 narcotics. I would bet the medical guidelines and standard of care, require quite a bit more than just a patient coming into the office and telling them they have back pain.

In my opinion, the handing out of massive amounts of narcotic pain medications to veterans who did not actually need them, in order to circumvent obtaining a proper diagnosis , and minimize the diagnostic codes are not only gross malpractice, they are criminal/

Recently at the VAMC in Temple tx, it was found that a person was caught selling a large amount of narcotics that were prescribed by va.

They found several bottles a bag of bottles in fact from several different veterans. Evidently the veterans selling them didnt need them, so they should go investigate the doctors that wrote the RX and see why the vet who was selling thier meds were prescribed them in the first place. If the doctor prescribed long term, signifigant amounts of narcfotics for a simple diagnosis of back strain, they should be arrested.

Because of the practices that have been going on, what has happened is that veterans with spinal injuries and chronic, debilitating pain, cannot get the medication needed to alleviate the pain.

Now all of a sudden, after 50 years of prescribing narcotics, the VA has decided that they do more harm than good, and they want to start taking veterans off of them, but they real reason is that they have been prescribing them as a cure all for pain instead of giving proper treatment such a chiropractic care, physical therapy, laser spine surgery, massage therapy, electric pulse treatment , traction therapy, and on and on. Now they want to clean house, and try and get everyone off of the medications, no matter what thier condition is. I asked for chiropractic care at the VAMC in temple texas, and was told I didnt meet the criteria, and chiropractic care was only for acute injuries.. So who suffers in the end, the veteran who needs the meds most. Sooner or later everything comes full circle, its like a ripple effect. The VAMC in temple texas did not offer or would not authorize ANY other form of treatment for my spinal injury other than swimming pool therapy. I went to check out the pool and it was nasty, dark, dank and I just couldnt bring myself to get in the pool with 90 yr olds walking around the pool in diapers. So that was my two option, join the Ben gay / depends diaper therapy group, or take narcotic pain meds.

Edited January 5, 2015 by 63SIERRA

[Closure]

^{@ Berta & et al,}

<sup>First of all thanks for the quick responses and support. Is the VA aware that you have received SSDI solely for the Bi Polar?yes
And are they aware of the hospitalizations,in private or VA hosps? Yes. Also this is what I sent to the Associate Director @ the VARO Jackson, MS via email.
Hello Mr. Sanders,

I would like for you to assist me in getting my claim processed. I have a TDIU claim that is dated 1/27/2014, that has been in the gathering of evidence phase for a while. I have submitted the VA Form 21-8940, VA Form 21-4192, C&P results, statement in support of claim, numerous Dr. notes, SSDI notes Dr. statement. Also, please read and compare DR. Linda Lindman C&P note dated 10/29/2014 to Dr. Beth Curry's C&P note dated 5/9/2011 both being from the VAMC Biloxi. I regret that Dr. Lindman did not give me a fair C&P. Sir, I cannot afford another setback. This has become soooo stressful I am no longer employed due to my service connected disiabilty please see 21-4192 and Dr. John Beddingfield notes dated 12/31/2014. and my condition has progressively gotten worse. Please note that Alcohol was stated to be related to my military service according to Dr. Beth Curry statement as well as my Bipolar disorder of which was retroactive to 6/2005, I have been service connected for my Bipolar Disorder for 9 plus years. Furthermore Dr. Lindman did not follow the priority of the exam which was for an increase not to determine whether my Biploar was Service Connected which has already been proven and established I have been at this since 2005 remanded back from the BVA three times since then. Sir, can you please be the one to review my case so that I will not endure anymore Hardships than necessary?

Your help would be GREATLY appreciated as I have no further evidence, also I believe that the Evidence weighs in my favor resolving all reasonable doubt. I really need your assistance.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.</sup>

[Closure]

^{Same Post BIGGER Font.}

^{@ Berta & et al,}

<sup>First of all thanks for the quick responses and support. Is the VA aware that you have received SSDI solely for the Bi Polar?yes
And are they aware of the hospitalizations,in private or VA hosps? Yes. Also this is what I sent to the Associate Director @ the VARO Jackson, MS via email.
Hello Mr. Sanders,

I would like for you to assist me in getting my claim processed. I have a TDIU claim that is dated 1/27/2014, that has been in the gathering of evidence phase for a while. I have submitted the VA Form 21-8940, VA Form 21-4192, C&P results, statement in support of claim, numerous Dr. notes, SSDI notes Dr. statement. Also, please read and compare DR. Linda Lindman C&P note dated 10/29/2014 to Dr. Beth Curry's C&P note dated 5/9/2011 both being from the VAMC Biloxi. I regret that Dr. Lindman did not give me a fair C&P. Sir, I cannot afford another setback. This has become soooo stressful I am no longer employed due to my service connected disiabilty please see 21-4192 and Dr. John Beddingfield notes dated 12/31/2014. and my condition has progressively gotten worse. Please note that Alcohol was stated to be related to my military service according to Dr. Beth Curry statement as well as my Bipolar disorder of which was retroactive to 6/2005, I have been service connected for my Bipolar Disorder for 9 plus years. Furthermore Dr. Lindman did not follow the priority of the exam which was for an increase not to determine whether my Biploar was Service Connected which has already been proven and established I have been at this since 2005 remanded back from the BVA three times since then. Sir, can you please be the one to review my case so that I will not endure anymore Hardships than necessary?

Your help would be GREATLY appreciated as I have no further evidence, also I believe that the Evidence weighs in my favor resolving all reasonable doubt. I really need your assistance.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.</sup>

Edited January 5, 2015 by Closure

[john999]

Get an IME/IMO to overrule the C&P exam. This is the only way I ever got a decent rating for a MH condition. Many of the quacks are just anti-veteran and believe they are doing God's work when they try to sever or low ball compensation. They are like trained dogs. The VA likes them because low balls and denials help lower compensation costs which is all they care about.