VA Medical Records

[KC3]

I am getting ready to submit an additional claim for an increase with a current condition and I see various doctors at  veterans clinic. 

Will the C&P examiner,  VA regional office/VA rater and etc. have access to these or do I need to copy and submit in claim? 

[brokensoldier244th]

We request them from VAMC but if you want to download them as a pdf and highlight the high points in Adobe Acrobat and resubmit it’s faster and easier for us (the searchers through your records) and the examiners because then we don’t have to keyword search as much in what could be hundreds it even a thousand out more pages. 

[KC3]

13 minutes ago, brokensoldier244th said:

We request them from VAMC but if you want to download them as a pdf and highlight the high points in Adobe Acrobat and resubmit it’s faster and easier for us (the searchers through your records) and the examiners because then we don’t have to keyword search as much in what could be hundreds it even a thousand out more pages. 

Thank you; I have 350 pages in VA records to this point but there are a lot of pages with medications and lab results. 

When I do this will a flash drive be accepted? 

[brokensoldier244th]

No, you have to up load them- you can get them directly off myhealthvet by date range and it lets you download a pdf of them. Or, just send a 21-4138 with a list of approx dates, issues, etc. it gives us a framework to start with. We’ll get them anyway-it’s required by federal law under “duty to assist” but if you feel more comfortable marking them up first that’s fine too. 

[KC3]

Thank you for your help!

[brokensoldier244th]

You only need to get them off myhealthvet if you want to mark them up. MHV for you is just a different view of what we see. 

[pacmanx1]

1 hour ago, KC3 said:

Will the C&P examiner, VA regional office/VA rater and etc. have access to these or do I need to copy and submit in claim? 

I have been telling and posting this very thing for well over a decade. In my experience there is still and always has been a problem. I did this way back in 1998 and my evidence was ignored. In fact, I had to file multiple appeals to get my evidence actually reviewed and I finally was awarded an EED back to 1998. I am quite sure you seen my posts.

Some would say that that was the old VARO and things are better and this doesn’t happen anymore, but I recently filed a claim for a separate EED, and my claim was denied based on a "supposed" illegible or missing uploaded document. When I spoke to PEGGY, the 1 800-call center and informed them that I could re-upload the illegible or missing document, I was told it was no need because she was going to deny my claim. My claim was denied, and I uploaded a complete supplemental claim, and it was still denied. Since this claim is already service-connected, I did/do not have to prove service connection just proof of my EED request. The VARO ignored my VAMC medical records proving my EED and after they even reopened my claim again and sent me to a new recent C & P exam, the VARO even ignored their own C & P examiner’s medical opinion that I do in fact have VAMC medical records that show symptoms, treatment and a diagnosis of my disability long before the VARO assigned my current effective date.