Retrieving copies of VES C&P exams from Regional Office?

[HONDOII]

So is it a hit or miss on visiting my primary Regional Office and requesting copies of VES C&Ps that have already been rated and approved?  The DAV rep assigned to me refused to print copies and told me to visit the VARO for copies if I REALLY needed them.  My claim is still open because of a couple deferrals but the exams I care about have closed out.  The office is only an hour away but I'd rather not sit in traffic if we can't officially request contracted C&P exam results by visiting the VARO and getting copies on the spot.  Assuming the alternative is a FOIA request? 

Edited June 18, 2019 by Mrpdbo

[GeekySquid]

On 6/17/2019 at 5:05 PM, vetquest said:

visit the hospital and file an in-person request at the FIOA office.  They will usually just print them on the spot.  I

 

Question Vetquest.....your VAMC will print NON-VA C&P documents? interesting....mine here in seattle act like it is a crime to even ask them to do anything about NON-VAMC records and the VARO itself has jerked me around 4 times.

Like the OP my VSO (AL) is useless.

[GeekySquid]

1 hour ago, Mrpdbo said:

They also said if I really wanted to obtain copies I could file a FOIA and mail it to some office out of state but there would be an associated fee. Do I really have to make the commute/file this FOIA just to get copies?

@Mrpdbo

The place they told you to mail/fax the FOIA is Janesville Intake center. It is the only place to send that type of request and that is where you get your C-File from....or more explicitly that is where you send the request for your C-File to get it processed.

The turnaround time at Janesville for C-files, seems to be at this moment, about 6 months. It depends on the size, age, document locations and any vetting they have to do for classified records.

If you just need the DBQ, and Exam Request letter, then that should take much less time, but no promises.

The fastest response will be your VARO IF and only IF they let you do it. I have problems with mine in Seattle (they have come up with excuses 4 times already). ... I just got out of my wheelchair so as soon as I can I will go down and tap dance on someones head to get mine.

As for DAV, not all VSO's automatically have access to the VBMS system and usually don't have permissions to print the documents. My VSO is AL and up here, even in the VARO building, they are useless and unhelpful.

If you find a better one, let me know, maybe they have a buddy up here in Seattle.

 

 

 

[HONDOII]

10 minutes ago, GeekySquid said:

@Mrpdbo

The place they told you to mail/fax the FOIA is Janesville Intake center. It is the only place to send that type of request and that is where you get your C-File from....or more explicitly that is where you send the request for your C-File to get it processed.

Thanks for the reply @GeekySquid

I don't mind the wait because the 2 1/2 hour each way road trip that may result in a denial would aggravate me beyond belief, but I've also heard that the FOIA is the improper way to retrieve contracted C&P results and there's something called a Privacy Act Request?  Just want to make sure that I make the proper request to hopefully get a quicker response.

I really don't understand why they would assign me to a much further away VARO when the distance from my address to the nearest one is almost 1/3 the commute. Sigh.

Edited June 25, 2019 by Mrpdbo

[Richard1954]

If the exam was completed at a VA medical center the exams will be in your medical records which you can actually download yourself.

If the exam was conducted by a contractor, you must go thru the Local Regional office to get a copy. The will recognize by letter that they received your request and tell you they have ( I think they told me 60 days) to get it too you.. I've been waiting since January for copies of my exams....

It is hard to do any appeal without a copy of the exam,  but we only have a year to appeal and to preserve the claim you find yourself appealing with a caveat.. that you may add reason for the appeal after receiving the copies of the C/P exams....

 

[GeekySquid]

10 minutes ago, Mrpdbo said:

Privacy Act Request? 

This is the VA link

https://www.oprm.va.gov/foia/foia_howTo.aspx

Does your VSO (dav?) have a rep in the VARO office you have to drive too?

They may, and I stress may, be more helpful than your local guy and being in the same building they can get the docs printed.

you don't say what cities so I cannot look it up on line but a google search for your VSO at the VARO address should give you a phone number.

Call them and ask, tell them the drive time and that you NEED those files ASAP. ..don't give them latitude to put you off.

I called my local idiots on a Thursday to make sure who I would speak to and see if they wanted me to email them a list of the docs I needed.

Spoke with a guy. He said "yep we are here all week, come on down".  I said see you next Tuesday.

Tuesday morning before I waded into the traffic and parking hell that is downtown seattle I called to make sure someone would be in when I got there.

A woman answered. Told her what I wanted. She said "our computers are down".

Another woman in the background said 'give me that phone". She got on and said "We don't have Access Cards to get into the computer system and don't know when we will get them." She hung up.

My VSO office in the VARO is staffed with idiots and the remote ones up here that I spoke too did not even know they could GET access to the VBMS and were not particularly interested in doing so.

 

[HONDOII]

4 minutes ago, GeekySquid said:

This is the VA link

https://www.oprm.va.gov/foia/foia_howTo.aspx

Does your VSO (dav?) have a rep in the VARO office you have to drive too?

They may, and I stress may, be more helpful than your local guy and being in the same building they can get the docs printed.

you don't say what cities so I cannot look it up on line but a google search for your VSO at the VARO address should give you a phone number.

Call them and ask, tell them the drive time and that you NEED those files ASAP. ..don't give them latitude to put you off.

I called my local idiots on a Thursday to make sure who I would speak to and see if they wanted me to email them a list of the docs I needed.

Spoke with a guy. He said "yep we are here all week, come on down".  I said see you next Tuesday.

Tuesday morning before I waded into the traffic and parking hell that is downtown seattle I called to make sure someone would be in when I got there.

A woman answered. Told her what I wanted. She said "our computers are down".

Another woman in the background said 'give me that phone". She got on and said "We don't have Access Cards to get into the computer system and don't know when we will get them." She hung up.

My VSO office in the VARO is staffed with idiots and the remote ones up here that I spoke too did not even know they could GET access to the VBMS and were not particularly interested in doing so.

 

Hey again,

Yea, my DAV rep in my "designated" VARO in San Diego told me to go to the closer one in Los Angeles. The last time we spoke, he told me flat out "no" in regards to printing out copies for me. I then proceeded to call two other DAV offices in my vicinity with the one inside the Los Angeles VARO's receptionist telling me that I'm not allowed to talk to a VSO at that location due to jurisdiction and the second DAV VSO at my nearest VAMC telling me that he only handles initial claims. It's silly how my claim went relatively smoothly and successful doing it all on my own but now something as simple as printing out a piece of paper causes such an issue. What a system.