Retiring soon - I have a ? about IMO's

[RetiringArmy]

Hello,

I am retiring from Active Duty within the next 6 months. I have lots of small issues that I have started to document on a piece of paper and some I have visited the doctor for in the past. I don't have many medical visits because I am an Army pilot and I basically hid all my medical issues so I could keep flying.

Question: since Service Connection is not an issue is there any benefit of visiting a Independent Medical Doctor to document my medical conditions prior to filing with the VA?

Doctors such as these: http://www.veteranslaw.com/veteran-independent-medical-examination-IME or http://www.craigbashmd.com/helpful

The list of things wrong with me are the following:

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (in remission), Ankle pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, back pain, neck pain, Mortan's neuroma (surgery but still hurts), Raynauds

I live in the Midwest (Ohio, Michigan area)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kgosi]

Sounds like it is a lot more than "lots of small issues". It is always best to have it recorded in your service treatment records, but as long as you apply for disability benefits within one year of your retirement you should probably be ok. When you apply for disability within one year of getting out of the military, the VA will automatically sends you for a General Medical exam or a Gulf War exam if you served in the middle east. That should take care of each of your issues, 

Still, it really is best to have it recorded in your service treatment records. That way there is no doubt to the origin and severity of the claimed disabilities. You can also file for disability benefits prior to your retirement. The VA will schedule the appropriate exams and start paying you from day one. However, you should know about not being able to receive dual benefits. Check out this web site... http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/comparison.html

[pwrslm]

They will give you a physical before your discharge.  Take the list you have, and make sure that each and every item is addressed on the physical.  

If there is any question as to the severity of the problem, that is when an IMO will be needed.  You have the first year to get every issue into your VA claim, and it automatically gives you SC for conditions that you currently suffer from, the rest you have to fight for.  

For issues without current symptoms, you should be rated at 0%, and if the symptoms return later on, you can get the condition rated as needed.  An example of that would a be a broken or strained ankle that you had 15 or 19 years ago.  Today, it might not be an issue, you have no symptoms, the problem should be rated at 0%.  In 10 years, if you find out that you start to get arthritis in that joint, then if you already have the 0% SC, its a simple step to get the condition re-rated.

Don't feel intimidated, make sure that everything in your history is addressed at this point, its not something that you want to rush through.  

Edited June 18, 2016 by pwrslm