DBQ added 8 months later?

[allansc2005]

Morning folks,

 

Eight months ago I had a C&P exam for SC Miniere's disease, and am following it's progress on va.gov.

 

This morning I noticed they added a new DBQ dated July 13th, 2024.

 

I guess under any other circumstances a new DBQ would be good news, but 8 months AFTER my C&P exam?

 

Questions:

Does this late DBQ sound legit?

Does anyone know how to interpret all these numbers, letters..., associated with a DBQ; is there a "cheat sheet"?

I already know there are certain forms for each DBQ, Mental, Organs, Spine.., but here is my new DBQ(first million numbers and letters omitted )   4_1_DBQ_1015_1

 

Also please note that the VA won't give you a copy of a DBQ if the case hasn't been settled.

 

Thanks,

2-2-0 HOOAH!

 

 

 

 

[brokensoldier244th]

That is a DBQ for a medical opinion- it means that whatever contention is being evaluated needs a medical opinion but not necessarily a DBQ or an exam for you. Likely a records review, probably to clarify an existing opinion or to break a 'tie'. 

[Vync]

If your Meniere's disease is already service connected, I would assume your claim was for an increase. Generally, there should be no need for any medical opinion. All they would need to do is review evidence from within 12 months prior to the date you filed through the day of the exam to see if you qualified for a higher percentage per the rating criteria. 

I would assume they would need to request a medical opinion only if you were filing for secondary claims associated with Meniere's disease -or- if they were actually trying to maximize benefits because they themselves identified potential secondary claims.

I'm no expert, but it sounds odd. If you have an accredited VSO who has access to VBMS, they could potentially locate, download, and print the exam for you. I did this back in 2019. I called my VSO and asked them to check daily for C&P exam results. They were filed into the system about a week later. I identified the examiner opined on a condition I never claimed. I called the Peggy hotline, sent an IRIS letter, and even my VSO reached out, too. The VA ignored our requests and simply issues a denied. I filed a HLR and it was corrected to a win.
  No idea why the VA is not required to proactively ensure you get a full copy asap. Having to wait until the claim is decided sounds wrong.

Speaking of C&P exam results, this makes me want to contact my Congressional rep and Senator and ask if they could author legislation to ensure C&P exam results are made available/mailed to Veterans immediately after the VA gets them. Keep in mind the regional office staff may need to submit them back for clarification though...

[allansc2005]

@Vync, As I am reading back over my original post,  I should clarify that my VA ENT doctor made the Meniere's disease determination, and gave me medication to help control it; on the medication bottle it does read "Take one tablet daily for Meniere's disease.

I do already have a 30% SC for that same ear, however, Meniere's disease is now a separate condition that affects the inner ear according to the CFR, and can be filed separate, which I did.

 

Also, the C&P examiner verbally mentioned "You have all the symptoms of Meniere's syndrome..", 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

[Vync]

Hi @allansc2005

Ah, that makes more sense. If your VA ENT doctor happened to have also wrote up a nexus for Meniere's, then the C&P would be needed to help rate you and provide a nexus for or against. It is rare that a VA doctor can provide a nexus as most try to avoid doing it. 

[allansc2005]

Vync, almost certain my ENT doctor didn't do a Nexus letter.

 

Once he made the diagnosis, I knew to go ahead and file a Fully Developed Claim as I saw the diagnosis annotated in my medical records a week or so after I was seen.

 

On one of my DBQs from the C&P exam I pulled up on va.gov, mixed in with all the other numbers and letters, I noticed the month, day and year(the day after my discharge from active duty) was listed.

Not sure what that means, but I guess time will tell.

I'm also surprised my Fully Developed Claim is taking so long given the FACT they have a diagnosis, and the fact that the examiner asked me when I think my condition began, and of course I responded in honesty "Sometime in the mid 70s while I was stationed in Korea..", she nodded her head.

 

 

[brokensoldier244th]

FDCs can take as long as a non FDC claim-the equalizer is the exams. We can work them as fast as we can get them in and out the door but once they are waiting for exams or opinions we have to wait just like everyone else does to get them back before they can be rated- and if the examiner doesn't complete the full DBQ correctly, or detailed enough to cite what in the records were reviewed then it has to go back to them. They don't get paid twice but I wouldn't put it past them to drag it a bit since we are calling their diagnosis/rationale into question .