R i g h t a r d i a: VA to use Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQ)

Initially the disability Benefits questionnaires (DBQ) will be used for Fast track Agent Orange claims, but these questionnaires are being prepared for 19 other disabilities as well.

This is mentioned in the DAV Magazine, Jan.-Feb 2011 that the Major received yesterday.

The DBQs should help a lot. Besides the 19 new DBQs, another 57 will be available in the spring. The DAV indicated the DBQs have the potential to reduce medical exam times by 25 to 50 per cent.

Another DAV article titled,"Get the calm Decided Right the First Time" also addresses the DBQs.

Whether you submit the clam for VA disability online or through the veterans center or VA rep like the DAV, the forms are blank and the veteran's representative does not provide any information that indicates the type of documentation the vet needs to provide to prevail.

Rightardia has written extensively on this topic.

The biggest breakdown is with the Compensation and Pension C&P clinicians, who are not your friend! In fact many of these C&P people aren't medical doctors, but they are physicians or nursing assistants.

Rightardia suggests that you insist on a real doctor for the C&P physical. which is your right, and also get a copy of the C&P Clinician's Progress notes after the physical.

You will probably be upset when you read the C&P notes, but don't get mad, get even!

You should immediately refute any errors of commission or omission you find in the C&P notes and mail in the reclama to the VA or hand carry it to the Veterans' Center or to your VA claim rep, usually a Veteran Service Officer (VSO).

You will usually be rated with a couple of weeks after the C&P physical, so time is off the essence.

Even more important, submit letters and progress notes from board certified private practice physicians when you submit the initial claim. Social Security allows their physicals to be waived, but the VA does not at this time.

The VA C&P clinicians staffs were originally created to evaluate vets who did not have medical insurance. Today, the C&P physicians evaluate all vet claims which for many people is a waste of time and taxpayer dollars.

If you have to appeal your claim decision to a Decision Review officer (DRO) or the Board of Veteran Appeals (BVA), the board certified physician's documentation will hold more weight the local C&P clinician's notes.

In fact, the BVA overturns 73 per cent of the denied claims that are appealed to it.

The major plans to create Veteran's blog for Rightardia in the next year. We will update and move the articles we have written on the VA clams process for the new blog.

The major may also write a book about the four year ordeal he went through with the VA.

We sent this letter to the VA and to Stand Up for Veterans. it summarizes some of the most important issues in getting your claim filed correctly.

to:DAV

from: The Major Jan. 10, 2011

The DAV should give vets submitting a new claim a checklist to use in documenting the claim. Rightardia even developed a checklist. We don't claim is it perfect, but it is better than the checklist the DAV provides at Bay Pines which is non-existent.

Rightardia has written several articles which can help a veteran streamline his disability claim, Se the hyperlinks.

In my opinion, the VA needs deadlines for different parts of the disability process. Claims should not be allowed to go beyond one year unless there are exceptional circumstances.

At Bay Pines, the C&P process is broken and the C&P physicians are not impartial.

I have contacted both Congressman Bill Young and Senator Bill Nelson an asked them to change the VA rules so the Veteran can waive the C&P physical if they have provided appropriate medical documentation.

In my case, I had seven letters from board certified physicians and the VA had me complete seven C&P physicals by residents, CNA and PAs.

I then had to go to the FOIO office, get a copy of the C&P progress notes and reclama the physician's notes that had both errors of omission and commission.

The Social Security disability process is far more streamlined. I was able to waive the SS physicals and and was declared 100 per cent disabled in 111 days. I could also fax claim's data to SSA.