justrluk Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 rootbeer, I followed your path and sent an email as well. I posted in another thread that within one day, I received a phone call from the Office of the Secretary of the VA acknowledging receipt and was told they were forwarding to the appropriate VARO. I'm stunned. Let's see what happens next. It has been two years since my VLJ hearing with no movement on the remand order. So much for 'expeditious processing'. SergeantQ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootbeer22 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Georgiapapa: So, maybe we'll see some real progress this year in terms of the backlog and maybe verts will get a fair shake for their service? There's no question that this is a very complex business but it's just too bad that the disability process has to be adversarial for so many vets? Granted, there are disagreements about exams outcomes, doctors, and the process in general? But, in my opinion, it only works as long as everyone plays by the rules and follows the process and regulations. There seems to be a high degree of mistrust in the system and there will always be outliers - I would argue that those are a very small percentage of our Vet population? So, when a Vet makes a claim and it's clealy coverd in their SMR then they should be considered service connected? If it's not in their records then no. But, I've heard of vets who go in for CP exams and get treated poorly by some examiners who don't have the correct credentials. For instance, I had a nurse give her CP Exam opinion on something for me that she had no qualifications for at all? But during my research, I found that it's very common for that to happen for vets that affects their service connection? I keep hearing folks say, "at some point when the rater looks at the whole file..they'll catch it anyway? But one only has to look at the increase in appeals to see the real impact. So, I think that senior folks should go back and concentrate on focusing on the fundamentals more of the disability process. As an example, for me at least, the FDC Program is not working as advertised because in practise it does not follow the process and the rules are so subjective that they are not always followed -there's an area I'd like to see the senior folks direct there attention on this year..which would affect the backlog also.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgiapapa Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 rootbeer22, In my opinion, most VA C & P examiners do not have the right credentials and NPs and PAs are used in place of board certified specialists. The emphasis is on saving the VA money and not on giving veterans thorough and competent exams. With the exception of a hearing loss C & P exam performed by a certified audiologist, my other C & P exams have all been performed by NPs. When I went for my C & P for AO presumptive cancer, I expected my C & P exam would be performed by a board certified oncologist or hematologist. To my surprise, I had a NP with a C & P computer checklist who knew very little about my disease. Fortunately, I brought my medical records with me and she used info from the records including an IMO from my oncologist for responses to most of her questions. Same thing happened when I had a C & P exam for peripheral neuropathy of my lower extremities. A NP used a broken oversize Q-tip to jab me in my legs and feet asking me to let her know when I felt the broken Q-tip. She completed a few questions on her computer checklist and my exam was finished. No EMG or nerve conduction tests. Again, I had copies of my medical records and she made some copies of my records including an IMO from my neurologist. My above claims were successful but may not have been if I had not brought records with me to the exams and had copies of my IMOs I had submitted with my claims packages. In comparison with a thorough IME performed by a board certified specialist, most C & P exams performed by NPs and PAs are a joke and a disservice to disabled veterans who deserve better examinations. Incompetent examiners and incomplete examinations are one of the reasons veterans claims are denied and end up in the appeals process. Until the VA corrects this situation, the only defense a veteran has for a bad C & P exam is an IMO from a doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of the medical condition being claimed. Unfortunately, many veterans are not in a financial position where they can afford to pay for a well documented IMO. It is not fair but it is just the way it is until Secretary McDonald or someone else actually does something to improve the C & P examination process. JMO Georgiapapa VetlawUS, ArNG11 and Buck52 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojo13 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Well Thadine was right on got a reply from Allison Hickey today, so I now have bob's staff attorney and Ms. Hickey. She has directed my request on Appeals management center for a reply. I have had my BVA Hearing back on 11/05 so all I need is a yea or nay since I have a motion to advance docket. SergeantQ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadIt.com Elder Pete53 Posted January 23, 2015 HadIt.com Elder Share Posted January 23, 2015 Claims is very important and I am glad to see changes but the blasted medical part of the VA has not improved one bit in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SergeantQ Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 mojo13 that's great news! If nothing else but gives us hope. :) good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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