QTC hypertension claim

[worriedshrimp]

greetings HadIt,

today I got a call from QTC about my hypertension claim. After some rig-a-ma-roll about waiting for an exam date and or driving 100 plus miles to an exam site the QTC agent told me he could email me the necessary single page form and I could go to my local fire department and have the blood pressure test done and then fax it to them. Since I'm on BP medication I only needed the single three reading test done – left arm, right arm, left arm. This negated a 3 day series of test. So I went to my local fire dept and had a heck of a time getting admitted, all doors locked, had to press a call button etc... anyway they let me in and were happy to take the readings. I asked them if they'd ever done this before and apparently I'm the first. My blood pressure readings were uncommonly high I think because of the text at the bottom of the QTC form, which read:

Please return this completed form with all labs, x-rays, and other diagnostics. Blood pressure checks must be completed within ONE WEEK of original date of appointment.

If the claimant is approved to have blood pressure done off-site and fails to return the form as required, they will have their exam report submitted to the VA without this essential information.

Just thought I'd post this C&P adventure since it's a new one for me and maybe to others as well.

sorry this is not a question...

 

[GBArmy]

Worriedshrimp Be sure to keep your copies of what is sent in. If your diastolic readings are below 100, and you have a diagnosis of high b/p, they will likely give you a 0% rating, as your pressure should be mostly under control with meds. That is ok if you are concerned about any secondaries. But here's the thing to get a higher rating, since you are taking meds now. Get a copy of your b/p readings in your old  med records at the time you were first diagnosed. If the readings were 100 or higher (3 times) , then you should be rated higher than the 0%. It is in the CFR and the VA's M21-1 manual.

[Vync]

@worriedshrimp Here is a link to the cardiovascular rating criteria: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/4.104

I recently had the same experience at a new fire station just built near my neighborhood. The bay doors were all open, but every door was locked and nobody in sight despite several personal vehicles being parked outside. I could have test drove engine number 1... I simply left and went to another station and got my readings done. I asked them to consider adding a doorbell and signs telling visitors where to go.

[worriedshrimp]

Thanks GBarmy and Vync,

i did save a copy of my current readings and suppose i could look up my initial readings at the myhealthevet site.  the qtc people told me that my appointed doctor is going to review those records tomorrow at 10am i don't have to be present but should remain available in case he wants to call me.  i'll report the claim results when they become available in several weeks no doubt.

 

[john999]

To me one of the main things about getting any sort of rating for HBP is that if you were to have a stroke it would be pretty easy to make a claim, whereas if no HBP rating it might be harder to say the least.  That is why I am pursuing the HBP claim even if I get a zero rating.

[Navy Vet Marine Wife]

Thank you for the info. My husband has a C&P in April for hypertension. He is on Losartan, which was just increased and is still running in the 150'2 over 70's. I never thought of the stroke aspect for the Hypertension rating. I am trying to get all of my husband's illnesses documented and rated as SC, as they are. It is a nightmare.