VA or Private Doctor

[SPO]

I'm beginning a couple of new claims and wanted the general opinion from the group.  If I have access to private medical care and documentation for a claim, would it be best to do that instead of risking some bad documentation coming from a VA doc.  My concern is what I'm working on may get a little expensive when you start adding multiple specialists/tests/imaging.   Am I safer having full control over what documents the VA sees vs. going through the VA and having everything covered? 

[broncovet]

The way many Vets do it is they go to the VA and, if/when VA does not supply an adequate nexus statement, they go to a private doc.  

To see if you have a nexus statement, the only way I know is to read your medical file.  

My VA audiologist had no problem opining that my hearing loss was "at least as likely as not" due to noise exposure in the service.  (nexus).  

And my doctor had no problem opining that my mdd was at least as likely as not due to my sc hearing loss.  

However, even with these nexus statements, VA found ways to deny.  (They made them up.  For example, the rating specialist said my hearing loss was "too long since service" to be sC.  That is a bogus reason, "time since military service" is not a criteria to deny.