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VA ordered new C&P exam after new material evidence

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Recondo@53

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Hi, another one for you here. Denial of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 0 percent for migraine headaches, Jan 2020. Reason for denial by De Novo review as follows: "We have reviewed the evidence and found it does not support you experience prostrating attacks that would warrant an evaluation in excess of 0 percent. While your testimony is credible, the probative evidence does not show your reported symptoms cause extreme exhaustion, powerlessness, debilitation or incapacitation with substantial inability to engage in ordinary activities, or result in substantial work impairment."

With that, I submitted new material evidence Nov 2020 by rehabilitation hospital M.D. who reported I have 5-7 headaches a week that require me to lay down for over an hour and take medication. He also noted aura and vertigo and my headaches where hard to control. In my supplemental statement of case, I requested them to review my ER visit for Migraine and the following day I presented as a walk in to Primary Care because it came back. I also noted in the original C&P exam in which the examiner stated they were not prostrating, but he also mentioned that I have weekly headaches where I have to lie on the ground for an hour or two affecting my work. All notes, ER visit 2016, C&P exam dated 2018 and new material evidence dated 2019 provides consistent periods of prostrating events and asked them to review as such. I also provided evidenced-based clinical literature showing productivity and impairment, and financial impact due to migraine but also requested VA to consider whether the migraines where at least capable of producing severe economic inadaptability and not just actually produces as the court has held they need to assess both. 

With that, just as of today, I get a call from LHI stating they need to schedule me a C&P exam for headaches. However, the last exam was just done 2018. Why would they do this and what is my course of action? Thank you taking the time to help!

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Thanks, everyone. @pacmanx1 the 60- day for a form 9, but my understanding (which isn’t much) from what I read, I have up to a year to appeal the decision. Since they didn’t have that evidence prior to making a decision, my hope is that they would approve back to date of claim for effective date. It’s very frustrating with the C&P examiners. I’ve read the court has held that a veteran needing to lie on his back for an extended period of time equates to prostrating attacks. In my C&P exam that was used for 0% stated I have to remove myself from work for 1-2 hours to lie down. Yet the examiner for the migraines/non migraines prostrating question, checked they were not prostrating. Appreciate your help and time!

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9 minutes ago, Recondo@53 said:

my C&P exam that was used for 0% stated I have to remove myself from work for 1-2 hours to lie down. Yet the examiner for the migraines/non migraines prostrating question, checked they were not prostrating.

Some C&P exams can get really messed up. I had a NP state I was taking morphine and hydrocodone for headaches, they weren't prostrating and only lasted a couple of minutes. She totally screwed the C&P up. My neck and back (basically the whole spine) is my problem, not headaches. 

Keep fighting. What you have written sounds good for your case.

testing my signature

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OK, I understand. If you submitted the evidence within one year of the decision you are correct.  The only issue is that you will have to file an appeal and it may have to go to BVA and or CAVC.  VA is notorious of screwing up the effective date thinking that veterans will not appeal. 

My intentions are to help, my advice maybe wrong, be your own advocate and know what is in your C-File and the 38 CFR that governs your disabilities and conditions.

Do your own homework. No one knows the veteran’s symptoms like the veteran. Never Give Up.

I do not give my consent for anyone to view my personal VA records.

 

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On 11/19/2020 at 2:14 PM, Recondo@53 said:

Thanks, everyone. @pacmanx1 the 60- day for a form 9, but my understanding (which isn’t much) from what I read, I have up to a year to appeal the decision. Since they didn’t have that evidence prior to making a decisionmy hope is that they would approve back to date of claim for effective date. It’s very frustrating with the C&P examiners. I’ve read the court has held that a veteran needing to lie on his back for an extended period of time equates to prostrating attacks. In my C&P exam that was used for 0% stated I have to remove myself from work for 1-2 hours to lie down. Yet the examiner for the migraines/non migraines prostrating question, checked they were not prostrating. Appreciate your help and time!

So I had 3 migraine exams two of the first ones were done combined to my residuals of a tbi rated at 100% so the doc wasn’t to focused on my daily migraines as being an issue either one. So annoyed in 2018 after having been rated at 0 for 8 years I went to my newly filed claim appointment for an increase went with my evidence of 8 years of treatment records of Va heAlth records the doctor was LHi an apologized for the VA inadequate exams and said this will be easy I was there for 20 minutes 2 weeks later 50%..... the va won’t give the highest for migraines out front unless you do the research and know what prostrating means right away I’m no idiot but I admit when he asks with no explanation I said no in 2011.... funny maybe it was fate since they made 3 other issues secondary to my sTBI and when they made my migraines 50% they had to make it a primary with my TBI sorry I could rant for days 

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On 11/19/2020 at 5:12 PM, pacmanx1 said:

OK, I understand. If you submitted the evidence within one year of the decision you are correct.  The only issue is that you will have to file an appeal and it may have to go to BVA and or CAVC.  VA is notorious of screwing up the effective date thinking that veterans will not appeal. 

Well, I hope to avoid that when I send in a statement asking them to apply according to 38 U.S. Code§ 5110.Effective dates of awards, which I found on this site. 😂 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 But yes, I won’t hold my breath. Thank you for your time, sir. 

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3.2500 Review of decisions.

(a) Reviews available.

(1) Within one year from the date on which the agency of original jurisdiction issues a notice of a decision on a claim or issue as defined in § 3.151(c), except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c), (e), and (f) of this section, a claimant may elect one of the following administrative review options by timely filing the appropriate form prescribed by the Secretary:

(i) A request for higher-level review under § 3.2601 or

(ii) An appeal to the Board under § 20.202 of this chapter.

(2) At any time after VA issues notice of a decision on an issue within a claim, a claimant may file a supplemental claim under § 3.2501.

(b) Concurrent election prohibited. With regard to the adjudication of a claim or an issue as defined in § 3.151(c), a claimant who has filed for review under one of the options available under paragraph (a) of this section may not, while that review is pending final adjudication, file for review under a different available option. While the adjudication of a specific benefit is pending on appeal before a federal court, a claimant may not file for administrative review of the claim under any of options listed in paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) Continuously pursued issues. A claimant may continuously pursue a claim or an issue by timely and properly filing one of the following administrative review options, as specified (except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c), (e), and (f) of this section), after any decision by the agency of original jurisdiction, Board of Veterans' Appeals, or by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, provided that any appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is timely filed as determined by the court:

(1) Following notice of a decision on an initial claim or a supplemental claim, the claimant may file a supplemental claim, request a higher-level review, or appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

(2) Following notice of a decision on a higher-level review, the claimant may file a supplemental claim or appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. (See appeal to the Board, 38 CFR 20.202).

(3) Following notice of a decision on an appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals, the claimant may file a supplemental claim or file a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

(4) Following a decision on an appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the claimant may file a supplemental claim.

(d) Voluntary withdrawal. A claimant may withdraw a supplemental claim or a request for a higher-level review at any time before VA renders a decision on the issue. A claimant must submit in writing or through electronic submission in a manner prescribed by the Secretary any notice of withdrawal of an issue under the selected review option to the agency of original jurisdiction. The withdrawal will be effective the date VA receives it. A claimant may withdraw an appeal to the Board of Veteran's Appeals as prescribed in § 20.205.

(e) Changing review options while a review is pending adjudication -

(1) Within one year of prior decision notice. A claimant may change the review option selected by withdrawing the request as prescribed in § 3.2500(d) and filing the appropriate application for the requested review option within one year from the date on which VA issued notice of a decision on an issue.

(2) More than one year after notice of a decision. A claimant may change the review option selected to a supplemental claim after expiration of one-year following the date on which VA issued a notice of decision on an issue by following the procedure specified in paragraph (e)(1) of this section. Where VA receives the supplemental claim application after expiration of the one-year period, continuous pursuit of the claim will be broken and VA will apply the effective date provisions under paragraph (h)(2) of this section, unless VA grants an extension of the one-year period for good cause shown under § 3.109(b) and the supplemental claim application is received within the extension period allowed.

(f) Applicability. This section applies to claims and requests under the modernized review system as set forth in § 3.2400, with the exception that a supplemental claim may not be filed in connection with a denial of a request to revise a final decision of the agency of original jurisdiction based on clear and unmistakable error.

(g) Review of simultaneously contested claims. Notwithstanding other provisions of this part, a party to a simultaneously contested claim may only seek administrative review of a decision by the agency of original jurisdiction on such claim by filing an appeal to the Board as prescribed in § 20.402 of this chapter within 60 days of the date VA issues notice of the decision on the claim. (See contested claims, 38 CFR 20.402).

(h) Effective dates -

(1) Continuously pursued claims. Except as otherwise provided by other provisions of this part, including § 3.400, the effective date will be fixed in accordance with the date of receipt of the initial claim or date entitlement arose, whichever is later, if a claimant continuously pursues an issue by timely filing in succession any of the available review options as specified in paragraph (c) of this section within one year of the issuance of the decision (or the time period specified in paragraph (f) of this section, as applicable to simultaneously contested claims), provided that any appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims must be accepted as timely by that court.

(2) Supplemental claims received more than one year after notice of decision. Except as otherwise provided in this section, for supplemental claims received more than one year after the date on which the agency of original jurisdiction issues notice of a decision or the Board of Veterans' Appeals issued notice of a decision, the effective date will be fixed in accordance with the date entitlement arose, but will not be earlier than the date of receipt of the supplemental claim.

[84 FR 171, Jan. 18, 2019, as amended at 84 FR 4336, Feb. 15, 2019; 84 FR 54033, Oct. 9, 2019]

My intentions are to help, my advice maybe wrong, be your own advocate and know what is in your C-File and the 38 CFR that governs your disabilities and conditions.

Do your own homework. No one knows the veteran’s symptoms like the veteran. Never Give Up.

I do not give my consent for anyone to view my personal VA records.

 

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