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  I figure even if they become a bit outdated, they would be better than have zero access to this information.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

[JustGettingStarted]

I am currently able to get access to the DBQs as this site:  http://www.taapmo.com/docs/hr/Disability Benefits Questionnaire1.pdfforms.pdf

 

[Vync]

I recommend doing the following:

1. Call the White House VA Hotline and put in an executive complaint (different than a normal complaint or recommendation).
2. Complain to our Congressional representatives (both House and Senate)
3. Complain to our veteran service organizations
4. Complain to our veteran lawyers (if you are using one)
5. Contact news media. They are always hungry to learn about VA-related scandals or how the VA is shafting veterans.

@JustGettingStarted This smells like the contracted companies/doctors saw this as an opportunity to increase their revenue stream and asked the VA to do this. It also smells like an attempt to make it more difficult for private doctors who specialize in performing C&P exams, such as Dr. Bash, Dr. Anaise, etc...

Keep in mind that this still does not prevent you from getting a nexus from your doctor. However, the VA would probably want a C&P in order to rate you.

Here's a link to every official VA DBQ and every time they changed since being officially introduced in 2013. Just follow the timeline at the top and/or click on specific dates where highlighted changes occurred. 

https://web.archive.org/web/2019*/https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_disabilityexams.asp

An FOIA request should be sufficient for requesting the "current" version of each DBQ, but don't expect it to arrive any time soon. My last FOIA request for a form was submitted in October 2019 and I received the form in February 2020. Ironically, I asked for an examination worksheet that was used in 1997, but they claimed they could not find it. Instead, they sent me a copy of the current DBQ. It was completely different and didn't line up to the C&P answers at all. I was able to find the original via archive.org.

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Vync

[bellrungboxer]

https://web.archive.org/web/20190807143131/https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_ListByDBQFormName.asp

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ak9H2qtr7QYJ:https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_listbydbqformname.asp+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

Can these be downloaded and posted to the site?

 

Edit: I saved all of them in case it is needed on here. What is strange is that some of these forms "expired" back in September 2019.

Edited March 25, 2020 by bellrungboxer

[AllTheWay]

Well, I guess that this is another way for VA to make claims harder for Vets. Been stated, bring a DBQ to your private doc to see if he can fill it out, but VA wants to take it off the website.  Go figure.

[JustGettingStarted]

So it still looks like the forms are still online, but VA has just made it harder to find them.  Thanks for the great links provided here.  I saved some to a file and added to the Files in the FB page I help moderate.

[bellrungboxer]

Does anybody know if there is a certain place I should post the files, or a moderator I need to send them to?