degenerative arthritis Should I Ask For An Increase?

[rootbeer22]

snowshovel:

I'm sorry to hear of your situation and wish you great luck with your issues and I have s similar situtation with low-ball exams and procedures below.

When I had my back CP it was done last year by a VA CP Nurse that did not perform the exam according to the regulation, I was very disappointed. The measurements were way off and the nerve damage and number of annual episodes were never mentioned at all in the exam. When I challenged the basic errors in the results, I was told by her, "don't worry, the raters see your whole file and will sort it out later? I assumed that exams would always done professionally like they were when I was in the military? But not so, the shame is that we have former military personal that payed a huge price and many live their lives in pain as well as can't work. However, many examiners that never served and some with attitudes towards Vets enter life changing decisions on Vets without regard to following the proper rules? Certainly, one cannot categorize every examiner in that group but one would ask how do they become that way and disregard the rules of evidence and become synical about Vets? Some say those type of medical people are overworked which contributes to their attitudes? But that's not an acceptale excuse. One of my biggest and first lessons with the disability program is how adversarial it really is and that non-doctor examiner gatekeepers have a great deal of power over vets and their futures. Early on, I was told that VETS have to fight for everything that they get and it will takes years of frustration and pain to eventually get what you deserve? That's even if a VET has solid evidence in their SMRs and there's a clear link to your injuries with a good nexus that eliminates doubt? I'm a Process Analyst and have read countless reports about the FDC Process for instance, but in my own case very little has occurred as advertised to VBA Leadership, Congress and the public about this wonderful new program? Sure, there's a few success stories out there but for the most part the FDC and Regular Program are pretty much the same. My original FDC had a 15 months completion timeline and;last month was extended to 37 months for my FDC. I was told the primary reason was that I did a FOIA to see if all of my records and evidence was digitised in VBMS? Subsequently, I cancelled it, but it came off for a month, then yesteday ebennifits showed that it has reappeared as a FOIA claim once again delaying my processing further.

But, you should gather any new evidence and put in for an increase because it's clear that you deserve one.....never ever give up...

Edited January 16, 2015 by rootbeer22