Disability Benefit Questionnaire – It is a VA form used during a C & P exam with specific questions about your medical condition you are claiming. What does Intent to File mean? It is used to lock in a date to start a service-connected disability claim while you build your case. How do I submit a Personal Statement in support of my claim? Submit a personal statement is support of a claim using
If you need help filing a claim or appeal, you may want to work with an accredited attorney, a claims agent, or a Veterans Service Officer (VSO). We trust these professionals because they’re trained and certified in the VA claims and appeals processes and can help you with VA-related needs.
7-145 days. You can also call 1-800-827-1000 to speak to a rep and ask about the status.
It is a medical opinion letter written by a licensed medical professional (VA or primary care doctor) explaining and linking your current medical condition to a medical condition that you were treated for while on active duty service. Read more about Medical Nexus letters
2018 stats for appeals alone: The Board of Veterans’ Appeals Annual Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 indicated that the VA disability appeals success rate for veterans was 35.75 percent. Today, 31 percent of claims are denied—and 60 percent of those denials are in error.
Veterans diagnosed with social anxiety receive VA impairment ratings of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%. You need an in-service occurrence that caused or aggravated the anxiety disorder; and a medical nexus connecting the current, diagnosed anxiety disorder to the in-service occurrence. If veterans have an already service-connected condition that is either causing or aggravating their anxiety, secondary service connection may be warranted. For example, a veteran may have a service-connected knee condition that causes significant pain and impedes their ability to carry out everyday activities and tasks. As a result, the veteran may become very anxious about their functionality and ability to live a normal life. Here, the veteran may be entitled to secondary service connection for their anxiety as a result of their service-connected knee condition.
From a diagnostic perspective, VA relies on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to rate all mental health conditions. Again, for PTSD there is criterion requiring a stressor ; however, depressive and anxiety disorders have separate diagnostic criteria. As long as the veteran’s particular symptoms meet the frequency, duration, and severity outlined for those conditions in the DSM-5, they should receive proper diagnoses. Once a diagnosis is reached, VA will apply the General Rating Formula for Mental Health Conditions found under 38 CFR § 4.130.
Even if you had a good C&P exam, do a Memorandum of Record and upload it to your claim. State how long you were in the exam room. What questions were asked. What you talked about. How did the C&P examiner conduct him or herself. What you wished you talked about that may be relevant, etc.
1. Call the VA # 800-827-1000 phone number and request to speak with a manager. They will draft a service ticket with times that their Supervisor/Manager will call you.
2. Submit your issues and concerns on a VA Form Statement In Support of Claim 21-4138.
3. Call the VA White House Hotline number: 1-855-948-2311
4. Express your issues with Secretary Paul Lawrence on his daily VA Townhall meeting:
Participant Dial-In: 833-380-0417
To ask a question, dial *3
Schedule Website: https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/teletownhall.asp
5. Lastly, write email to Robert Wilkie, Secretary of the Veterans Administration and everyone in their chain of command stating how you are being unethically treated:
robert.wilkie@va.gov – SECVA
debi.bevins@va.gov
james.byrne@va.gov – deputy
pamela.powers@va.gov -[all deputies/undersecretaries]
paul.lawrence@va.gov etc.
paul.r.lawrence@va.gov
brooks.tucker@va.gov
daniel.sitterly@va.gov
william.hudson@va.gov
william.a.hudson@va.gov
james.hutton@va.gov
james.e.hutton@va.gov
tamara.bonzanto@va.gov
cheryl.mason@va.gov
cheryl.l.mason@va.gov
kimberly.osborne@va.gov
kimberley.osborne@va.gov
Yes, you should of already been seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist (in our opinion preferably at the VA) who’s also diagnosed and is actively treating you before you did your IMO and filed a claim. It’s not required but it’s a VERY good idea. That would put you in a place with stronger medical evidence in the way of a current diagnosis and ongoing, current treatment within the VHS system. This way your only fighting the VBA around the nexus which your IMO is fine for. If your VBA psych also indicates in their notes how your MH condition is related to your service then your odds are exponentially stronger of a favorable outcome. Yes, it can be done without this but we wouldn’t submit such an important high value claim as this without doing it this way.
See Buddy Letter template: https://bit.ly/384vNZw
VA Form 21-10210 Form name: Lay/Witness Statement
Download VA Form 21-10210 (PDF)
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