C&P Exam ordered at the VA

[Mover1993]

Good morning everyone,

After submitting a claim for GAD secondary to Tinnitus. I got a call yesterday for a C&P exam at my local VA facility. While i'm relieved i have an exam coming, I am nervous about the fact that it is at the VA. I'm aware of the negative connotations surrounding an exam at the VA rather than a contractor. Does anyone have any experiences having a MH C&P exam at a VA facility and what i can expect? 

 

Thanks y'all 

[GBArmy]

There is no way of predicting if getting it done at the VA or at an approved contractor is better. It just comes down to the competency of the examiner. There are good and bad in both. If you have medical files and you want to bring them along, feel free to do so. Ask the examiner if he read your file, especially .... If he says no, you can have a copy for him/her to read. If they don't want it, then, if you are denied, you have evidence that the exam was inadequate. If it is favorable, who cares. You can bring someone else, and depending upon what kind of exam it is, many suggest that you do. Maybe they can support you on remembering things. If the examiner says no to someone else, that is their choice. Be honest, but as we say, don't have your best day on the exam day. Talk as if it was how it was on your bad days. Be polite. Ask if you can get a copy of the exam; you might be able to get it in a few hours. If it is negative and the exam didn't go well, go home and write down specifically as much detail as you can remember. Example he asked ..., your response... In the report, it wasn't what you told him. If you need to show range of motion, stop when it starts to hurt, don't power thru it. Never miss an exam if you can help it. You will be denied because of it. If you must and they grant a re-schedule, get it in writing and the name who re-scheduled you. Many have a heavy schedule all day, they are not there to chit chat, so don't expect a friendly discussion.Relax and be early. I said EARLY. Might go over well.

Good luck.

 

 

[Mover1993]

44 minutes ago, GBArmy said:

There is no way of predicting if getting it done at the VA or at an approved contractor is better. It just comes down to the competency of the examiner. There are good and bad in both. If you have medical files and you want to bring them along, feel free to do so. Ask the examiner if he read your file, especially .... If he says no, you can have a copy for him/her to read. If they don't want it, then, if you are denied, you have evidence that the exam was inadequate. If it is favorable, who cares. You can bring someone else, and depending upon what kind of exam it is, many suggest that you do. Maybe they can support you on remembering things. If the examiner says no to someone else, that is their choice. Be honest, but as we say, don't have your best day on the exam day. Talk as if it was how it was on your bad days. Be polite. Ask if you can get a copy of the exam; you might be able to get it in a few hours. If it is negative and the exam didn't go well, go home and write down specifically as much detail as you can remember. Example he asked ..., your response... In the report, it wasn't what you told him. If you need to show range of motion, stop when it starts to hurt, don't power thru it. Never miss an exam if you can help it. You will be denied because of it. If you must and they grant a re-schedule, get it in writing and the name who re-scheduled you. Many have a heavy schedule all day, they are not there to chit chat, so don't expect a friendly discussion.Relax and be early. I said EARLY. Might go over well.

Good luck.

 

 

Thank you for the information, GB.

Unfortunately, I don't have anyone to take so i'm in this alone. I have a private diagnosis, a nexus letter, and a personal statement. you suggest I bring those along? this is a MH C&P btw.

[GBArmy]

The advise is really for anyone taking a C&P actually. If it is for MH, like depression or TBI or PTSD ,I am sure most of it still applies. I haven't done one for that, so if anyone else has personal experience and wants to provide more, please do. I know that it is really important to make the examiner know how you feel on your REALLY BAD DAYS, so just done't go in there and say "things are fine" when he greats you at first. They write that stuff down like you really mean that "your really fine." Be honest and think about some of the bad experiences you go thru on a routine basis. Don't hold back; talk. Bring a copy of your supporting info, especially the nexus letter and diagnosis. Believe it or not, it just might not have made it into his file. You can do this and  it's ok to do this alone. Best of Luck, Mover.

[Vync]

This link takes you to the VA's list of disability questionnaires. It's essentially what they use for C&P exams. You can check any exam DBQ and it will give you an idea of what kind of questions you could encounter. Of course, the C&P examiner will typically review your medical records and other evidence either before or after the exam so they can focus on you.

https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_listbydbqformname.asp

 

I had a MH exam about seven years ago for depression and it was very thorough and took almost an hour. However, at that time the VA had no MH history on me so they could not go back and get answers to some of the questions in advance.

Non-MH C&P exams often take a lot less time. I had a heart attack earlier this year and the exam took about 15 minutes.

Some exams may require you to have additional testing (i.e. x-rays, scans) either in advance or after the C&P occurs.

If your exam is at the VAMC, you can usually pick up a copy of the report a few weeks after your exam by going to the Release of Information office. To save me unnecessary trips, I just called down there weekly. When they were able to see the exam in the system, I drove down to pick it up. If the exam is performed outside of the VA, the VAMC may not have a copy. I never had one like that, so I can't advise how to obtain it other than requesting a copy from the VARO.

Lastly, if you already have a relationship with a non-VA doctor who has been treating your condition, you can ask them to fill out a DBQ and also opine if your condition was related to military service. It never hurts to get a DBQ filled out by someone who knows you and your history. Keep in mind that most doctors are really busy or might be nervous about filling it out. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won't. Don't expect them to fill it out on the spot either. Give them time. Some doctors who might charge a fee to do this. Just keep in mind that you might be paying for an opinion which might not be in your favor, so give it careful consideration.
  The golden exception is MH exams. The VA likes to keep those in house.

Good luck!