Dr. David Anaise or Dr. Craig Bash for a IMO

[Bobalou]

any opinions on who is better for IMO ?

[Nick2021]

I have had one from Dr. Anaise....very well written and quick turnaround (2 weeks tops).

[Wayne TX]

I got an IMO from Dr. Anaise  for Sleep Apnea appeal.......it was very well done full of rationale and medical  documentation.  I'm talking 40 pages here. I highly recommend him if you need a high quality strong IMO. I don't anything about Dr. Bash other than heard others  say he puts out strong IMOs, too. .

[Guest L]

On 5/9/2017 at 6:52 PM, Bobalou said:

any opinions on who is better for IMO ?

"IMO" - for PTSD-MST I utilized Dr Vallette on Watchdog website. He was fast ( 3 months) and thorough. Worth every penny!  preventing or decreasing the "development to deny" phase of my claim. 

[drzhivago1965]

Can anyone give a rough estimate on how much each Doctor (Vallette, Anaise, Bash), charged for a medical opinion? I need three or four separate  opinions, so it could be quite expensive for me! Thanks.

[Berta]

Over a decade ago I paid Dr Bash $2,000 each ,  for 2 separate opinions.

I know the fee could have been much higher but I had prepared a detailed cover letter, with a time line ,and had direct references to many tabbed medical records in the stack I sent to him.

He did not need my husband's SMRs for this claim. He did the first IMO in a matter of a few days.But my RO DRO refused to read it. I should have cued them then but didn't. The DRO ordered another C & P exam and I needed the next IMO to knock that one down. He ,in the second IMO, added more details and two other disabilities my husband had, due to the DMII.  In any event this was the only claim I had that went to the BVA.

And this was the most important claim I had ever filed.

I aso had a brief freebee from a former VA doctor who had treated my husband at the VA but left for private practice.He was the only doctor in 6 years of my husand's VA care who had diagnosed him with Diabetes but his diagnosis was crossed out in the medical records by another doctor.

I knew the BVA would award. I  studied Endocrinology , Cardiology, and Neurology, also I understood the MRI, ECHO, EKG stuff and took the time to decifer my husband's  6 page autopsy. I also found probative medical studys and abstracts on the net to support my claim.

The claim was for direct SC death. I already received 1151 DIC due to my successful FTCA case.

I had no IMO nor lawyer for that ( The Office of General Counsel can read)but was not willing to take a chance without a strong IMO on this case. (I should add that the VACO Chief VA cardiologist supported my lay medical opinion, with a VA opinion at that level.

My long point here is this- if you are willing to take the time to bolster your claim with strong abstracts etc etc, and willing to go over your medical records, MANY times, and are willing to use Google and/or medical libraries to study and understand every blood chem report, every  medical entry, and the results of every medical tests the VA gave you, than you might be able to cut the IMO/IMO fee ,by saving the IMO/IME doctor some time, with your own lay opinion, based on medical facts in the medical file.  The timeline and tabbed medical records were an asset to my claim , and although this all took a great deal of work on my part, I have 2 solid IMOs, well worth the cash I spent on them.

I also ordered a Cardio IMO as well and paid 1750 for that but my BVA award came beforte the opinion was finished and the Forensic firm refunded about 900 to me.

I worked on this claim every single week after I filed it.

Award was for Direct service connected death due to undiagnosed and untreated DMII.

My DIC was the same amount but the additional benefits they owed me were a 5 (close to 6) figure sum.

Much off that cash was a refund of an FTCA offset I had negotiated with OGC.

Not every claimant  can do what I did, -I proved my claim  medically to myself, and that made it easy for Dr Bash to prove as well, but then again the internet is far more valuable to us claimants now, as it was when I filed this claim well over a decade ago. 

My main point is that we pay IMO/IME doctors for the time element as well as for their expertise.

But you might not need to even do much medical research yourself- it all depends on what the claim involves. I had also sent to Dr Bash the SOc and SSOC , as well, so he knew exactly what the VA denied for, maybe the posthumous CD & P exam,  and a few other legal things from my FTCA case.

My claim was unique and I have never seen any other claim like it-

1151/FTCA wrongful  death awards due to VA malpractice,

subsequently overcome by a direct service connected death award.

I state here any times that Nothing is impossible with VA.....it justs takes the leg work and more often than not- a very strong IMO/IME.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2018 by Berta

[Berta]

I should have asked this right off the bat----( PS vets here have had success with all of the 3 IMO docs you mentioned)

why do you feel you need an IMO?

If you have been denied, can you scan and attach the VA's reasons for the denial here and include their rationale and the Evidence list? (Cover your C file # name address etc from the decision prior to scanning and attaching it here.)

If it is a question of your inservice nexus-or lack of proof  of a stressor ,sometimes a vet themselves can prove the stressor with one or more buddy statements.....which is something an IMO/IME doc cannot provide.