DBQs No Longer Available Online

[JustGettingStarted]

VA has removed all the DBQs from their website with this statement at the end of the page:  "VBA has discontinued the use of public facing Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs).  Originally, public facing DBQs were designed to assist Veterans living overseas to obtain medical evidence in support of their benefit claims where limited options were available.  Today, VA works with contracted providers in more than 30 foreign countries to conduct disability medical examinations."

I monitor a Veteran's facebook page and often refer veterans to the DBQs for their conditions.  In some cases, it is to download and have their doctor fill out a copy; in others, it is so a veteran can fill out the DBQ and take it to their C&P exam to make sure all the facts essential to their claim are covered by the examiner.  I had my dermatologist do a DBQ for me after fighting the VA for almost 2 years for an increase because the VA examiners couldn't complete a simple form.  It was the key to getting an increase from 0 to 60% for a skin condition and winning a CUE to get 8 years in back pay.

This is an affront to the veteran community making it much more difficult for veterans to win their claims.  

I am wondering if the DBQs can be requested under FOIA and posted on some other pages such as here on Hadit.  I know it is more work for the admins, but if someone had the time to take this on and provide this vital information to veterans, it would be extremely helpful.

Also, if you could start a new thread just for DBQs, I have blank copies in PDF format that I would be glad to upload.  I figure even if they become a bit outdated, they would be better than have zero access to this information.

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

[vetquest]

I agree with Vync.  We need to raise hell about this and prevent the VA from making things harder for vets.  They claim to be doing this formerly due to veterans outside of the states, I believe them about as much as I believed the VA when they first denied my claim.

[Vync]

@vetquest I called the WH VA Hotline earlier and put in an executive complaint. These complaints go straight to the VA Secretary's office for initial review and often get delegated down to appropriate personnel for action. If the VA Secretary's office starts to see a pattern, they might order a reversal on this poor policy.

The VA claims they were originally intended for use by overseas veterans. but there are numerous important reasons why public access to DBQs are were extremely beneficial:

1. Accountability and trust. Some VA C&P docs are sloppy, have a proven history of making mistakes, and often overlook crucial details present in private medical records.
2. Veterans can take them to their private who has treated them long term and knows them.
3. Veterans can examine the forms to get a better idea of what is really supposed to happen during a C&P exam.
4. Reduce the need for the VA to schedule unnecessary C&P exams
5. If a C&P ends up being necessary, the C&P doc can refer to the DBQ performed by the non-VA doctor.
6. In some situations, such as increase claims, the effective date may be based on when a veteran becomes eligible for an increased rating. Adding to internal VA C&P workload means it will take longer to obtain appointments. This could negatively impact an effective date.

 

[blahsaysme2u]

following

 

[GBArmy]

Just another example of the VA making it harder for a veteran to get what he or she has earned. I think what JustGettingStarted suggested is a great idea as a parallel action.If we  have a blog or something and make blank copies of dbq's available, it will do a lot more good than harm. The VA isn't going to change materially a whole bunch of dbq's because it will be too hard for their medical people, Besides, if they needed changing they would already have done them. The symptoms for disabilities will not change, nor will how they evaluate them. If Hadit has an ongoing Library of dbq's available for veterans to reference, it would be a great draw to the sight. IMHO.

[Buck52]

For most of you filing claims  it would be wise to print a couple of each form that you need to use  and make copies of these forms  even the 21 -526 ez forms (to file a claim) or the IU forms 22 8940 TDIU

21-0958/OR 214138   (NOD) NOTICE OF DISAGREEMENT

OR SPECIALTY CLAIMS LIKE=

https://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp

You may want copy some of these forms and make extra copies  to have for extra.  keep you a VA FILE FOLDER AND PUT THESE EXTRA COPIES IN IT so you may have them when needed...its good to make you a VA file folder for yourself and keep it organized  and  remember to keep everything the VA Sends you and if you send the VA anything make copies of everything  it could come in Handy for you some day. 

 Even post office return receipts are a must if using snail mail  make those copies.  you be glad you did.  keep most all va related stuff in a home file folder.

[Carl the Engineer]

Rat Bastards are working against us.

"I don't care what you say"

My dad's favorite line,

Hamslice