Cover Letter Imo

[Berta]

This was a good question that Josephine asked and I hope others will offer any suggestions too-

I wanted to copy here my cover letters to Dr. BAsh but they were not appropriate for some claims so I did my best for a general cover letter:

Dear Dr _____________________, Date

[Berta]

I am having trouble posting---- was denied access- will try again-

This was a good question that Josephine asked and I hope others will offer any suggestions too-

I wanted to copy here my cover letters to Dr. BAsh but they were not appropriate for some claims so I did my best for a general cover letter:

Dear Dr _____________________, Date

Per our recent (phone call, email, etc) regarding my request for your medical opinion as to my disabilty of __________ ,for which I seek service connection from the Veterans Administration,

I have enclosed the following:

1. Check for ________ (the agreed IM0 fee)

2. copies of my service military records from ______ to _______ . (___pages)

3.copies of my current private treatment records from Dr._______________ dated __ to ____ ( ___ pages)

4. copies of my complete VA medical records dated ______ to _______. (___ pages)

5. copy of my medication profile from ____ to ________.

6.Copy of most recent VA SOC (or SSOC) with reasons and basis for denial of my claim.(__pages)

7. copy of VA C & P results dated ___ as referred to in the SOC decision.(___pages)

8.(or in some cases) copy of VA expert medical opinion-where no C & P was performed)(__pages)

9. copy of documentation of the nexus to my service ( dated copy of inservice hospitalization, or buddy statement, Corpsman entries etc -a highlighted copy in addition to the complete SMRs,whatever you are using to establish a nexus-

or

10. copy of proof that nexus has been already established-(___ pages)

(in my cover letter I stated that I was requesting diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and that Rod's exposure to AO had already been confirmed by Judge Richland (AO Settlement Fund and also verified by the VA itself -if the IMO regards a presumptive disability this point should be made with the actual regs-

Example-or say the vet is trying to prove he/she had presumptive condition- copy enclosed of 38 USCS 1101 3, or 38 CFR 3.309 (a)(2006)manifested to degree of at least 10% during service)

Or say the vet is getting IMO for secondary condition -etc- he/she could highlight copies of the med recs that support this and add to the cover letter.

Then I feel the veteran should make a statement to the affect that :

I believe a full review of all available evidence I have enclosed will support an opinion that my disability of ____ is directly due to my service.

Please contact me with any further questions or need for any other available records at ---------.

Total enclosures ( __) Sincerely,

(I always send this stuff priority too with an internet tracking slip.)

Edited January 16, 2007 by Berta

[Berta]

PS I forgot-

It does not hurt to atach any good medical treatise or abstract that will support your claim.

A good IMO doctor might well add one themselves.They have access to excellent treatises and medical reference books such as Braunwald etc- which are too costly for us to acquire.

They have to give a complete medical rationale for their opinion and add a nexus statement.

It also helps for them to fully state their expertise to make the IMO valid.

[Berta]

Terry when the VA refused to consider my IM0s in 2005 and based on what my vet rep told me as to what the DRO had said--

I wrote to the VAOIG and stated my problem was support for the results of a recent survey done on the claims process by the OIG and that I was a current example of the RO failure to even be able to adequately read evidence.

The OIG sent me a nice letter just basically telling me they have no jurisdiction over specific claims- which I knew anyhow--but they immediately contacted the VARO for a replywhich I figured they would do that too-

Also around this time Senator Craig contacted them for a reply too due to the fact that they ignored my IMOs and have still not acknowledged them-3 IMOs by now-

The VARO immediately passed the AO claim around from Jan to July 2006 and the next thing I heard it had been transferred to the BVA-

the IG letter and Senator Craig's letters went to the BVA with it-the BVA told me they were there-

They were ticked- I am sure -when it was remanded back to them-they still have to address these letters.

I believe this was a retaliatory action on their part -due to the fact that I wrote to the OIG-funny thing- they have yet to contradict what I stated in that letter.

I dont care if my letter to the OIG made them send it to the BVA.

Wait until the OIG gets my next letter-

However- I am willing to wait a little longer for two things- the results of my FTCA claim and also the results of an inquery complaint I filed with the VBA-

I still firmly believe that at the DRO conference-something went down between the new DRO and my vet rep-

I think if the Governor of NY got a copy of a letter and other emails my POA sent me, they would investigate the way this state vet org does business.

I did send a copy to Dr. Bash and he was very upset-

the POA statement was saying that his IMO did not raise to the level of consideration-

they put it differently-forget the actual words-

but their statement is unsupported by the fact they are mere vet reps and not doctors and no one has ever questioned an IMO like this from Dr. Bash before.

And I was shocked that a paid vet org did not even know the evidentiary regulations regarding All Competent medical evidence and that the VA MUST consider it.

(My POA had never heard of Dr. Bash-they never recommend IMos)

This problem I have had- is far beyond the stuff I have put here at hadit-

and it involves more than the VARO.

I stay with this POA only to document their errors.I taught them what the VCAA is and maybe they got it.

They represent many of the vets in this area.My concern is for those vets- my claim will succeed on the medical evidence in spite of this whole rigamorale.

Terry-I feel I forgot something in that IMO cover letter-do you or anyone see anything I missed?

Edited January 16, 2007 by Berta