C&P exams

[GBArmy]

Hang onto to your hats, boys and girls. I just read on Stars & Stripes that the VA is terminating all in-house C&P exams. Going forward they are going to contact them all out. Apparently, no exceptions for MH exams, MST, etc. Yet they haven't implemented corrective actions based on an audit they had 2 years ago.  Anybody think this 100% re-sourcing may be a bad idea? "WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs is eliminating its in-house compensation and pension exam program and will outsource all of the exams, which are crucial to determining whether veterans are eligible for VA benefits." see the article https://www.stripes.com/news/us/va-plans-to-outsource-all-compensation-and-pension-exams-1.649356

[brokensoldier244th]

News to me....,

 

 

 

[ShuMan]

I'm torn on this one to be honest. 

Con:

Really hard to get your results in a timely manner compared with a VA C&P exam that is uploaded to myhealthyvet

Pro:

I feel like VA C&P examiners are jaded by the process because they have been doing it for years and that's all they do. Plus it seems like at times they're "Protecting" the VA's money.  A contracted doctor is just on a contract to do a job and bail, they have no vested interest. 

[brokensoldier244th]

yeah, the contractors get paid no matter what the rating is

 

[deedub75]

32 minutes ago, ShuMan said:

I'm torn on this one to be honest. 

Con:

Really hard to get your results in a timely manner compared with a VA C&P exam that is uploaded to myhealthyvet

Pro:

I feel like VA C&P examiners are jaded by the process because they have been doing it for years and that's all they do. Plus it seems like at times they're "Protecting" the VA's money.  A contracted doctor is just on a contract to do a job and bail, they have no vested interest. 

I've always felt that way as well and I know many other veterans who feel the same. The VA examiners work for the VA and thus they feel like they must protect VA's money. Either they are trained that way or they take it upon themselves.  

I feel that the only reason I'm at 100% now is because I was sent to contractors for a bulk of my exams. I was working for the VA and we could not have our exams done at the local VAMC. We had to go to a different VAMC or to a contractor. They actually gave me a choice and of course I chose the contractor. Back then I saw an actual MD and she seemed very veteran friendly and agreed with nearly all of my claims. The VA examiners always seem to ignore logic and interject their own biased opinions not based on any medical evidence. My pes planus claim was denied because a VA examiner doing an ACE exam opined that I didn't go to the doctor enough times while on active duty for me to actually have a foot problem. There's no such requirement to see a doctor on active duty a certain amount of times. The denial was quickly overturned by a DRO on a de novo review. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by deedub75

[brokensoldier244th]

4 minutes ago, deedub75 said:

I've always felt that way as well and I know many other veterans who feel the same. The VA examiners work for the VA and thus they feel like they must protect VA's money. Either they are trained that way or they take it upon themselves.  

I feel that the only reason I'm at 100% now is because I was sent to contractors for a bulk of my exams. I was working for the VA and we could not have our exams done at the local VAMC. We had to go to a different VAMC or to a contractor. They actually gave me a choice and of course I chose the contractor. Back then I saw an actual MD and she seemed very veteran friendly and agreed with nearly all of my claims. The VA examiners always seem to ignore logic and interject their own biased opinions not based on any medical evidence. My pes planus claim was denied because a VA examiner doing an ACE exam opined that I didn't go to the doctor enough times while on active duty for me to actually have a foot problem. There's no such requirement to see a doctor on active duty a certain amount of times. The VA examiners continued to deny me for nearly 10 years until I was able to get a nexus statement and I was sent to a contract examiner and it was finally granted.  

No, but the work chronicity has meaning, and if you go to the doctor for 1 thing 1 time in your entire military career you are going to have a difficult time no matter who does your exam establishing that it is a chronic issue requiring continuing care. M-21 IV.ii.2.B.b.

[GBArmy]

It hasn't happened to me but, occasionally an examiner also mentions another potential disability that the veteran should look into. Has that happened to your knowledge, and do you think it more likely to happen thru a VA or from a contract examiner? Any thoughts?