ptsd C & P Exams Coming Up Next Week

[amirsun]

I have a C&P examination coming up next week for my PTSD and Left Knee, Hip coming up next week. My service-connected injuries caused me to be out of job temporarily. I am currently on Short Term Disability, my company said they don't have Light Duty job for me that I should continue on Short Term Disability until after my left hip surgery and I am fit to return to full duty.

I currently right now get $799 bi-weekly base pay, no overtime at all compared to making $2600 bi-weekly working offshore as a field personnel. I stopped going offshore since last year April 2014 because of my left hip injury that has is now worst than what it was initially diagnosed when I was in the military and would require left hip arthroscopy procedure / surgery to correct the labia tear, though the surgeon told me he doesn't guarantee that the surgery will take away my hip pain/discomfort forever.

My questions are;

1. Do I need to go with my psychiatry doctor / social worker / orthopedic / surgeon / physical therapy VA and Non-VA hospital visit documentations, I mean progress notes, MRI CDs, etc for the C&P examiner to see?

2. Do I have to make copies of these documents and give to the C&P examiner to keep or I should just go in with the originals for him to view and give me back after the examination?

3. I have letters of un-paid bills, medical bills, etc that I have not been able to pay regularly due to my drop in income, my wife just had a baby. She is not working. Do I have to go with these bills for the examiner to see how my service-connected disability injury is affecting my inability to pay my bills and brought my family financial hardship?

4. How do I let the VA compensation department handling my hip injury claim know that my injury is permanent that surgery won't provide a solution to it according to the surgeon? Do I ask the surgeon or orthopedic doctor to document it?

Thank you in advance for your answers. I appreciate so much.

[Chuck75]

One of the questions I'd ask is did/does your work aggravate or make more serious your in service injury/condition.

The problem with this is that the examiner may state in an opinion that it did/does, and that a percentage between in service and after service

exists. IF so, it's likely that an attempt will be made to minimize the in service percentage.

As to income, medical bills can have value in offsetting income under specific circumstances, usually pension related. A C&P exam is basically to determine the seriousness of a condition/disability,

if it's service connectible/connected, etc. At 799 bi-weekly (~20,000yr) you likely may not meet pension income limits, without medical expenses.

Letting the VA "know" about the medical details requires medical treatment documents and doctor's diagnosis.

Never give the VA originals. They tend to disappear. If they insist on originals, they can get documents directly from the source, if you give them enough information to do so.

That's not to say that the VA might or might not make a serious effort to do so.

In general government based programs seem to often "give on one hand", and take away with the other.

Makes for better politics, and reduces cost.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Chuck75

[amirsun]

Thank you for your response Chuck 75.

One of the questions I'd ask is did/does your work aggravate or make more serious your in service injury/condition.

The problem with this is that the examiner may state in an opinion that it did/does, and that a percentage between in service and after service

exists. IF so, it's likely that an attempt will be made to minimize the in service percentage.

My job does not aggravate my service-connection condition rather my service-connection is affecting my ability to do my job. This would be my answer to him... what do you think?

As to income, medical bills can have value in offsetting income under specific circumstances, usually pension related. A C&P exam is basically to determine the seriousness of a condition/disability... If this is the case, then I should go with every evidence to show the C & P examiner as regards to how my service-connected disability has become so serious that it has affected my ability to work and has caused me financial problems and my employing saying, since you can't go offshore to work for us because of your service-connection disability then go on Short Term Disability till you are fit for full duty. What do you think?