Supplimental claim closed

[dodger]

Three weeks ago I sent in new and relevant evidence to the VA to support my claim increase for a single disability via my VSO. I had Dr. notes, a Private dr. filled out DBQ, and VA Dr. notes...  I just received an update on va.gov saying my case closed and to contact my VSO for further details? I have an email sent to my VSO as of a few minutes ago. does that seem a little to fast?

[Hucast21]

1 hour ago, GBArmy said:

Hucast21 I understand that we just can offer opinions based on our own personal experiences and what we have learned. But, just as I have learned that MOST VSO's aren't going to be very good, I never say ALL VSO's aren't good. Because all people are different. We just have to search them out and find a good one if we want their services. I believe that holds true for the VA contractors also. Just like VSO's, there are going to be good contractor examiners and then, some not so good.Certainly, we can say the same for C&P's done directly at the VA. Sometimes we get a good one, sometimes not.From my experience, it really doesn't mean that one particular contractor, LHI, VES, QTC, whoever is going to any better, or any worse, than the others. I had a C&P at LHI and the examiner was very fair. I just don't think we should say so and so is a slam dunk for one way or another. IMHO.

This is not just from my own experience - it is opinions from other veterans from different boards and on reddit as well.

Nothing is guaranteed, but QTC seems to be highly rated from a lot of veterans when it comes to C&P exams.

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Hucast21

[deedub75]

3 hours ago, Hucast21 said:

This is not just from my own experience - it is opinions from other veterans from different boards and on reddit as well.

Nothing is guaranteed, but QTC seems to be highly rated from a lot of veterans when it comes to C&P exams.

 

I didn’t start having positive results until I was able to get my C&P exams outside of the VAMC. Shortly after I started working for the VA they instituted a policy where VA employees could not have exams conducted at the VAMC in the city where we worked. We had to a VAMC in another city or go through a contractor. The wasn’t using a lot of contractors at that time. I got sent to a doctor through VES. She was very nice and thorough and she ended up giving me positive results for most of what I claimed. I had more exams come up and they gave me the choice between driving over an hour away or going through VES again and of course I chose VES. I had mental exam shortly after leaving my job at the VA and I was sent to the VAMC only to be turned away because I had only recently left working for the VA. They sent me through VES again where I received positive results from the psychiatrist. 

[Buck52]

I agree with GB Army

My experince with C&P Examiner   and believe ,me I've had my fair share of 'em

In my opinion  its the luck of the draw for the veteran on these examiners  no matter who they work for  but with that said   a VA Examiner is the one that seems to give all of  us a hard time..

OTC is usually ok  with their examiners,

[MarkInTexas]

23 hours ago, GBArmy said:

Hucast21 I understand that we just can offer opinions based on our own personal experiences and what we have learned. But, just as I have learned that MOST VSO's aren't going to be very good, I never say ALL VSO's aren't good. Because all people are different. We just have to search them out and find a good one if we want their services. I believe that holds true for the VA contractors also. Just like VSO's, there are going to be good contractor examiners and then, some not so good.Certainly, we can say the same for C&P's done directly at the VA. Sometimes we get a good one, sometimes not.From my experience, it really doesn't mean that one particular contractor, LHI, VES, QTC, whoever is going to any better, or any worse, than the others. I had a C&P at LHI and the examiner was very fair. I just don't think we should say so and so is a slam dunk for one way or another. IMHO.

I agree.  I've been sent to 'em all....LHI, VES and QTC.  LHI is the only one that gave a medical opinion that didn't result in an appeal, but I also had documentation.  VES and QTC seem to use the scrubs of the medical field (and I don't mean medical apparel), but I've found that they all seem eerily suspicious when I deal with them.  Usually in some location that does not seem to be originally designed for medical care or examinations, and I always got the feeling that these VA contractors were on a month by month lease in whatever building they were shacking up in at the time.  I remember one time, I was at VES in Houston and they had a bunch of us herded into a large room with hard metal chairs scattered about and a TV on the wall.  That was supposed to be the waiting room.  I saw a camera in the corner and noticed a few nickels and dimes here and there on the floor and saw one older veteran almost fall over trying to pick one up.

I honestly believe they had them on the floor as a trap for veterans making claims regarding their back or limbs.  True story.

Trick is to make sure you have the medical documentation ready for when you have to file your appeal, loaded with private IME's/IMO's to blast holes in the quack of the day's DBQ.

Good luck and keep on moving forward.  Have a great weekend!

Mark

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by MarkInTexas

[Buck52]

First I heard about the camera use? I been in the dingy places they use to do the exams  but was never recorded?

looks like that would be Illegal?  or they are supposed to let you know your being recorded?   usually they will say I seen/saw the veteran stand up and bend over to pick up a coin on the floor    

At theses C&P exams  you guys just be your self and always be honest and don't ramble on an on, don't  and  over exaggerate your symptoms,   they are trained to spot  that. 

if they ask you a question  you don't know or a trick question just simple say you don't know!

Also if they do a ROM on ya and when it gets to the very first pain  scream as loud as you can   scream loud  and let them know its excruciating pain .

don't say ''ok right there its painful Dr''...you got to let these Dr's kNOW  your in PAIN. SCREAM AS LOUD AS YOU CAN.

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by Buck52

[MarkInTexas]

3 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

First I heard about the camera use? I been in the dingy places they use to do the exams  but was never recorded?

looks like that would be Illegal?  or they are supposed to let you know your being recorded?   usually they will say I seen/saw the veteran stand up and bend over to pick up a coin on the floor    

At theses C&P exams  you guys just be your self and always be honest and don't ramble on an don't  or over exaggerate your symptoms,   they are trained to spot  that. 

if they ask you a question  you don't know or a trick question just simple say you don't know!

 

Buck, yeah this was in 2014 or 2015.  Was real grungy.  I think it was a time when the VA was doing a mad scramble to "handle" the backlog of cases coming into the VA system.  Little did we all know that all they were doing was pushing it all off on the appeals process.

There were no signs, and a camera was neatly placed in a corner, much like you would see for a security camera.  And of course, it may well have been a security camera and I was just being paranoid.  However, made no sense why there were some nickels and dimes scattered on a carpeted floor.....just a few.  I made sure I didn't try to reach and pick one up though.

And you're right about being yourself and not rambling or over exaggerating.  They'll smoke somebody out on that every time.  If you hurt when they bend it, tell them you can't bend any further without pain and just stop.  Don't try to force it for their benefit.  They aren't interested in your pain or your groans, they want to see how far an arm, finger, back, leg, etc. will go for their measurements.  I haven't seen them annotate anything regarding, "He started to feel pain at this point, but I bent his leg further to see how far it would go."  LOL!  They'll say that the range of motion was...... and leave it at that.

Also, when you do get out of their snake pit, immediately write down or record everything you remember from the examination, from the point where you say howdy to the clerk to where you tell her/him to have a nice day as you leave.  When you finally see the DBQ and the VA's rating, you'll read something that looks like a completely different patient and doctor were at that examination.

Peace out!

Mark