hypertension Nurse Practioner

[Tower_Rat]

What does everyone think about a nurse practioner that gives the C&P exam. I had what they call C&P for sleep apnea, heart problems including hypertension, gastreal reflux disease or gerd with hiatial hernia. All of these I secondaried to my PTSD claim. Well they blasted me on the secondary claims and hit a home run with the PTSD claim. The PTSD was done by a qualified psychologist and the others were done by a FNP (nurse practioner) who said that none of them were related. (WTF) I had other evidence that said they were but, this guy at the end of his statement said he had researched it on the internet and found nothing. I looked it up myself on the VA.GOV site under health and found it myself. What a turd this guy was. I found out that the nurse practioners just examine you and then someone else from a different hospital signs it as the doctor and thats how they get away with a nurse practioner examining a veteran. They just have a real doctor sign it after to make it official even though the real doctor didnt even see you. Now im waiting on the decision by the RO at the Rating board. Which I already know that they are going to deny the secondary claims i guess. I asked my VSO and they said that they couldnt do anything until they hear from the RO. Then we could file i guess an NOD. I cant believe they just cant even look up stuff on their own website. Theres also plenty of cases that went through the BVA that were approved for the same exact things as secondary. What a bunch of BS. They said because I smoked and drank when in the military that it was the cause of all the secondary stuff. Which I dont do either now and havent for over 2 years. Whatever happened to self medication for PTSD?

I hope no one has to go through all this garbage at the VA and RO like I have its a bunch of crap. I think they their denying my secondary claims cuz there gonna IU my primary PTSD claim so they dont have to pay me the back pay for it.

Thanx everyone for your support, Im glad there is always someone to talk to on hadit.com that knows something about the system, and how screwed up it is.

[Testvet]

this is getting to be standard practice my PTSD is 100% schedular my hypertension and arthericslerosis was denied because the NP said she disagreed with my Cardioligist who stated that my living with PTSD for 31 years had caused or aggravated my hypertension and artheriosclerosis so the MD they got to sign off stated there is no literature showing a link between CAD hypertension and artheriosclerosis added together for one diagnosis in anything he has ever seen and the VARO denied the secondary conditions

and the BVA has started accepting Dr Boscarino's studies about PTSD and hypertension and artherisclerosis so it's all a joke and they hope you die before it gets to the BVA and gets awarded more VA BS

[john999]

I think from reading Veterans Survival Guide that if your doctor who is a board certified specialist is overruled by a NP or GP then you may get shot down at the VARO, but you will have a good appeal at the BVA. How can the opinion of a GP, which is what most C&P exams are done by ,have as much weigtht as a board certified specialist? I know the local RO gives them the same weight ,but surely not the BVA.

[Tower_Rat]

Well I copied the some of the C&P stuff pertinent to my claim for secondary conditions. Funny they said I was claiming bradychardia, and Im claiming hypertension.(what the hell) also the whole thing about not finding research on sleep apnea and ptsd and its on their own site. what a bunch of bunk.C_P_for_reflux_exam..rtfREMARKS_on_GERD.rtfREMARKS_on_Sleep_Apnea_mild.rtf

[john999]

Tower Rat

The M-21 says that arterioscelorisis is so closely associated with DMII that unless the VA can demonstrate another cause they must assume it is secondary to DMII. Even so , I expect to have to struggle to get my arterioscelorisis service connected as secondary to DMII. What the raters don't understand they deny. What the C&P doctor does not understand they deny.

[Guest rickb54]

Cowgirl,

You hijacked this thread :D ... but I am going to answer your questions for you anyway.....

You asked ,

" A.Do you think VA medical practioners FNP.NP,MD etc have access to our Cfiles on computer when they examine us? Or do they need paper copies or permission to view the files? "

VA medical practioners either have access by way of paper files or computer files.. every regional office is different.

In NC they send the paper C/P file for the examiner to review.

In Texas they also send the paper files...

and,

B. "Regards my years old C&P pysch exam, is there any recourse other than submitting to the Cfile a personal letter rebutting or at least commenting on the very descriptiive insulting and biased comments made about me? I had such a horrible experience that didnt udnerstand that I could request a second exam without reprisal. Just wondering; Thanks again and again, cg"

You could send the va a letter to rebut anything in your file, but unless it has any bearing on a claim it will just be filed as if it was never written. It seems it is now to late to request a new exam or appeal which is what you should have done.

[Guest rickb54]

Tower Rat,

I think the only recourse it to submit a NOD and ask for another c/p exam for those problems you feel were inproper rated. I would also suggest you get a statement from your doctor indicating how the secondary medical issue affect the primary condition.

Best of luck