Medical Records For Claim

[VIETNAMVETFAM]

My brother served in Vietnam.. We were denied our claim twice.  Our VSO we had last time, would read me medical files he had online that stated things that I haven't received in any of his records from the hospital. He was shocked that he got denied, since the things he had read in his records were so clear that he had PTSD.  Our VSO is not in business anymore.  They lost their funding.  Now we have to start over.  Is there anywhere I should look for these records?  What was he seeing this on?  Also, we found that he was in a hospital that closed down 10 years ago.  What happens to the records?  Any help would be greatly appreciated..  Thanks.  

[brokensoldier244th]

Medical records are only kept by facilities for a certain number of years. After that they are purged. If they didnt notify you when they closed (the hospital) those records may have been put into some form of storage for a period of time to allow people to get them, but the most ive ever seen is 7 yrs. 

Your VSO was probably looking at the actual claim file, and service treatment records, which will be different than any treatment he (your brother) may have received afterwards at private doctors. If you submit a claim we look for whatever you have for medical records on the federal side, and have you sign a release so we can go after private records (the 21-4142/21-4142a). Those records then live in  your claim file. Your brother may have submitted a claim before where those records were pulled. Without knowing what you mean by "received from the hospital" vs what your VSO was reading its hard to say. When we request medical records from a facility we have a blanket request for everything between dates X and Y that you provide. If you didn't request everything on your own from the hospital they probably only sent you whatever you requested, whereas when WE do it they send us everything they have. 

Edited June 30, 2020 by brokensoldier244th

[toddt]

Agree with brokensoldier about the claims file.  You need to request your brother's C-file all the records should be there.

[brokensoldier244th]

Or your new VSO can do it- but keep in mind that in many locations (like us) they are working from home, and they may have a hundred or more other veterans that they work on/with. It will take time. You can submit a request for your own Cfile to VA, also. Will also take time, especially since the national mail/document scanning and local RO mail/scan people are working weird schedules or not at all in some locales due to whether or not their state/region is 'open' due to COVID. Your C file will be everything in the claims file that you request, so make sure you ask for everything on it. You can usually use a blanket statement saying you want "Everything in your claim file, including OMPF and medical records, and private correspondence sent and/or received to the claims file in their entirety up to date the request is received". https://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA3288.pdf

[Buck52]

@ brokensoldier244th

Are you sure about that? VAMC only keep medical records for ten years?

I thought they sent them off to be stored some place.? and veteran can call that VAMC who sent his/her medical records off and get that Address?

I used the Big Spring Tx VAMC for a few years and had surgery there and moed tpo Dallas & I needed some medical records where they diagnosed me for Depression Back in the 80's at the Big Spring Tx Vamc and I called that VAMC Medical Records Manager and she told me she didn't have my medical records  that  they shipped them off to be stored  and she didn't know where that was? Its not St Louis Mo NRPC..SO  Don't have any clue  where these records can be.??

[brokensoldier244th]

I wasn't talking about VAMC. I was talking about whatever hospital he had been treated at. 

[VIETNAMVETFAM]

He was treated at an army hospital in our state right after he came home from the Army...  I just found out from some medical files.