Got A Big Envelope, Not Final Tho, Two Questions.

[cowgirl]

Got a envelope with two claims listed on same response letter. VA says Dr will do CP for new claim I am okay with that. Then other claim I submitted a greatly detailed stressor letter, a epic novel of detailed info and current diagnosis. In this response letter the old claim is tagged with the standard paragraph "tell us how it affected you during service paragraph, submit any more medical data to support since service discharge: etc, etc". I wonder how i should respond to the paragraph stating "submit any more information". I am scheduled for a IMO to validate current VA diagnosis, so vcaa letter will be returned "with more info to come" block checked. This turnip is near exhausted and dry of submitted detailed information on how depression affected me during service as validated by years of medical records, counseling, hospitalization, change of duty stations times 2,chaplains,family letters, etc etc,,, My last thought is the IMO is important, anyone else suggest something I overlooked? Or is the "tell us/send us more" paragraph repeated CYA for VA protocol? thanks,cg

[Berta]

Cowgirl- the IMO will help but the VCAA letter is asking for more support for the nexus-

I would answer it exactly as they ask -as how the stressors affected you in service causing depression, and then refer to the Chaplain's and family letters, the medical records and the change of duty station etc that all support the

claim.

You have a lot of documentation there that they should be reminded of it all in the VCAA response.

It seems like telling them the same thing again and again- but this is how they often get the whole picture.

[LarryJ]

The "if ya got any more information then send it to us, you have a year after you get this letter, but we may make a decision before the year is up.......", is that what you are referring to?

If so, then that is standard VAese (YEAH, like they are gonna make a decision REAL QUICK, uh-huh uh-huh).

IF, on the other hand, they actually sent you a REAL VCAA notice, then they will be specific as to what they are looking for.........more Social Security records, more SMRs, more documents that you might have they they don't....etc.

It took them four, FOUR different VCAA notices before they finally made the BVA happy, in my case.

FOUR!

Talk about a STALL tactic.....!

[cowgirl]

Thanks Larry and Berta, I will review the whole package tommorow with a fine tooth comb. Then, I will prepare to meet this challenge with a checklist of "to do's". After scheduling the IMO appointment, I will respond with the "more information" is coming letter, then work a bit each day to comingle all the detailsinto one more letter again explaining the connections, referencing specific data and attachements that I hvae submitted before.The true burden is on me to help myself in this process, I know, but I want to thank you for being here to sound my thoughts out to. My husband understands that my Hadit family is important for claims work, I am endeared to long time coming success stories and read those aloud regularly especially the WWII and Vietnam veterans, tending to leave us speechless or tearful. My true gripe, is whether we are enlisted or officer, young or old,college grad, high school grad or not - we work too hard too long for what is usually clear in medical and military records and I think should be more automatically connected. Thank Heaven for my Hadit family and freinds,cg

Edited December 28, 2006 by cowgirl