By Larry Dandridge
After writing three articles on “What veterans should know about VA Claim Exams” for The Island News on November 16, 23, and 30 2023, I realized I should provide veterans with a summary of “TIPs” that should help them get a positive medical opinion from the VA Examiner. Those TIPs include:
Tip 1
Read about how to file a claim for military service-connected disability at the following VA web pages:
- How to file a VA Disability Claim at https://bit.ly/3wYGMRJ).
- VA Fully Developed Claims Program at https://bit.ly/3CTtFV0.
- Evidence needed for your disability claim at https://bit.ly/3w6YGAN.
- Read all of the referenced VA sources found on the above web pages.
Tip 2
Find a VA-accredited representative (Veterans Service Officer (VSO), attorney, or claims agent) to explain your VA benefits to you and help you file your claim. Veterans should normally use a VSO because VSO services are free, and VSOs work on behalf of veterans, service members, and their dependents and survivors.
Find S..C County VSOs at https://bit.ly/3qbLVSL.
Find Georgia VSOs at https://bit.ly/44KMVA7. You can also search for VA-accredited representatives nationwide at https://bit.ly/3QnCk5M, and you can search for VSOs at VA Regional Offices at https://bit.ly/3TahNn1.
Tip 3
Read the information on the VA web page titled VA Claim Exam (C&P Exam), https://bit.ly/3IEQ8He.
Tip 4
Meet with your VSO and ask him or her, “What should I do to prepare for my C&P Exam?”
Tip 5
Ask your VSO to go over with you the rating levels for your disability because different symptoms may entitle you to different amounts of compensation. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3WQlPEm.
Tip 6
Submit all of your medical and other evidence and read the medical and other evidence in your file at home that supports your claim. Ask your VSO to review your service-connected disability compensation file for your specific claimed disability (condition) to ensure you have submitted all of the evidence you can muster.
Tip 7
Prepare yourself by formulating a written summary of your disability and the impact that disability has on your life. Write down the answers to the following questions and take that information with you to your C&P Exam:
- When, where, and how your injury-wound-illness-HAZMAT contamination happened?
- What, when, how, and which military, VA, and private hospitals and doctors treated you?
- What medical diagnosis and symptoms do you have?
- What medications (prescription and non-prescription/doses and frequency) and what medical devices (cane, walker, pain patches, knee brace, back brace, tens unit, cervical neck traction device, pain medications, acupuncture, deep massage, hearing aids, etc.) you use to help treat the condition? Be certain to tell the Examiner how much you rely on assistance devices (occasionally, often, or all the time).
- What is your current pain range (Level 2 when sitting, Level 6 when standing, Level 8 when walking, Level 9 when lifting, etc.), mobility, range of motion, and ability to live a normal life?
- How frequently do you have symptoms (pain, loss of mobility, falls, headaches, dizziness, etc.)?
- How does your condition affect your ability to work? Has your condition made parts of your job impossible (can no longer climb safely up and down tracked vehicles and turn heavy wrenches, etc.)?
- Does your condition, disease, injury, or wound, cause work attendance problems?
- Did your condition cause you to quit work or be laid off?
- Has your pain and other symptoms become worse over time?
Tip 8
Before your C&P Exam, read the information on the VA webpage, Compensation (Private Medical Evidence, How to Submit Private Medical Evidence, How to Incorporate Federal Records With Your Claim, Public DBQs, and Claims Assistance) found at https://bit.ly/3t5VFCZ.
Tip 9
Review the appropriate VA Public Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DPQ) so you know what questions to expect from the VA Examiner and what answers you need to provide. If you are not sure which DPQ to use, ask your VSO. If you have any medical questions about the DPQ, ask your doctor. All VA DPQ Forms are available at https://bit.ly/4861vmz.
Tip 10
Wear comfortable clothes so you can move freely during the exam. Plan to arrive at your C&P Exam appointment 15 minutes early or earlier. You do not want to feel rushed or become overly anxious about the exam. However, remember that if you are late, the VA may cancel the exam.
Tip 11
If you need assistance devices to walk, sit, or function, wear them on exam day as you would normally. This would include hearing aids, eyeglasses, cane, leg braces, knee braces, ankle braces, back braces, neck braces, etc.
Tip 12
VA Examiners may emphasize the role of your pre-military or post-military service jobs, events, accidents, injuries, or illnesses over your in-military service wounds, injuries, illnesses, or HAZMAT contaminations. So, BE thorough when discussing your military injuries, wounds, illnesses and HAZMAT contaminations.
Tip 13
If you did not report your injury, wound, illness, or HAZMAT contamination while you were on duty, be sure to tell the examiner why. For example, “I was a pilot or crew chief and I did not want to tell the flight surgeon that I had PTSD and Sleep Apnea because I was afraid the flight surgeon would ground me, my flight pay would be stopped, and my aviation career would be ended.”
Read about Lay Witness Statements at https://bit.ly/3sPpxD8; https://bit.ly/3NdlOqv; and https://bit.ly/3Tean5w.
Tip 14
Bring your notes to the C&P Exam and use them! Do not wait for the examiner to ask you the questions you came prepared to answer. VA and VA Contract Examiners are frequently overworked, pressed for time, and may not ask detailed questions on their own accord.
Be polite but be proactive in describing what happened to you while serving in the military. Be proactive in describing what you are experiencing now (pain, increasing pain, anxiety, depression, nightmares, loss of sleep, uncontrollable thoughts about a traumatic event, feeling hopeless about the future, difficulty maintaining close relationships, hypervigilance, easily startled, intense grief, overwhelming guilt, shame, irritability, angry outbursts, loss of job, abuse of alcohol, abuse of medication, use of illegal drugs, suicidal thoughts, loss of mobility, loss of energy, loss of range of motion, loss of touch/feeling, loss of smell, loss of hearing, loss of sight, etc.).
Tip 15
Bring someone as moral support and to help you remember everything in your notes or checklist to go over with the examiner.
The bottom line
Consult with a VSO before filing a claim for federal or state veterans’ benefits.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
