Catch22?

[Max Rommel]

The Pact Act added high blood pressure to the "presumptive illness list. I filed a claim and it is moving through the process. However, the VA told me that I needed to show medical treatment in the past where my diastolic blood pressure was over 100. I told them that my early treatments were at the VA hospital in Los Angeles (1970s), and the VA hospital can't find the records. Consequently, I can't comply with the VA's request.

What are my options here? One arm of the VA is asking me for records. The other arm of the VA can't find the records. It's a catch22.

Thanks.

Max Rommel

[broncovet]

This is a rather frequent occurrence.  Frequent enough so that there is a regulation which addresses it, at least partially:

38 CFR 3.156 

My advice is to start by contacting the medical facility yourself and asking for your records.  

Also was it noted on your military service exit exam?  

You have to have documentation of an in service event, but not a diagnosis.  The diagnosis needs to be a current diagnosis.  

Did a private doc note hbp on an exam within a year of exit from service?  That may help. 

Treatment from other facilities, especially if you mentioned this was related to service, may also help.  Keep trying to get those records.  

Did you mention this to anyone?  Sometimes lay evidence may suffice.  

Your buddy can not "diagnose you" but he can mention he noticed certain symptoms applicable to hbp.  Did you pass out?  Etc. etc.

 

[pacmanx1]

Options:

1.    Start looking through any records you may have VAMC and VARO or Private Medical Records.

2.    Next time you are at your local VAMC, request a copy of your VAMC Medical records totally different from VARO records. Records may be handwritten but still should have been converted to automated records.

3.    Request a copy of your VARO C-File/E-file, this may take a long time.

4.    If you had any ER visits or bills check with them. 

 

There may be other options I can’t think of, and others may chime in.

 

[Marine Corp 69/70]

Max Rommel you have to go to the VA hospital that treated you and ask them to put a request to search the archives for your records from the 70s all hand written records are there,the VA shouldn’t throw out any records from the hospital.

[asdf]

I didn't think that the VA was working any Hypertension under Pact Act until 1 Jan 2023.