Refusing Conventional Treatment

[Guest jangrin]

During the C&P exam yesterday a question of conventinal treatment has come up. The exam doctor asked my husband about his DMII and his symptoms and testing levels.

My husband stated that his sugar levels were high a fluxuated greatly. He also told the C&P that his PCP wanted to start him on insulin this past year. My husband said no because we were going through financial difficulties and we didn't know where we would be living and he didn't want to start a new therapy and then have to stop it, especially something like insulin.

The doctor C&P doc stated that there is a lot of new thought about DMII and insulin and that there was also some new treatments for DMII that might be a possibility. And that he (my husband) should explore those.

If this is the case, and my husband should be rated a 40% to 60% according to his symptoms, but because he has elected to not take the insulin for the DMII, does this mean he only qualifies for the 20% rating in the CFR?

[sixthscents]

I am unaware of ANY affect that refusal to follow any certain health care plan has. I cannot see it hurting or helping a claim, unless the rater is biased by the fact that a reasonable fuctional picture would be hard to develop until the veteran at least pretends to follow the plan.... but I know of nothing specifically in the regulations... does anyone else?

Now I do know that IF the DMII is service connected at all, then a referral to Rehab can result in the issue of appropriate exercize equipment - a recumbent bicycle in my case. Though I have bought a ton more, since one day I can do one exercise and another I may be able to do something else. I'd say your situation needs to stabalize a bit if what I read was correct, but they can help him with this, and help evolve an exercise plan he can follow without any equipment...